


Coffee on Wednesdays

by dare121, karas-adorable-smile (Coara)



Series: The Coffee Shop Chronicles [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - With Powers, F/F, Non-Binary Vasquez
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-10-08 20:23:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 410,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10395345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dare121/pseuds/dare121, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coara/pseuds/karas-adorable-smile
Summary: Kara Kent has worked at CatCo Coffee for over four years, and she's been Supergirl for three.Alex Danvers has been a detective for a year when her life gets turned upside down and she decides to take time off from work. After a year on the road, she moves to National City, ready and willing to get her life back on track.Or, that time Jay wanted to write a cute coffee shop au one shot and ended up with 29 chapters instead. This 400k fanfic took a year to complete and will be updated every Wednesday and Saturday.





	1. Keep the Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara is just trying to do her work, but this attractive stranger is throwing a wrench into her plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean to write so many words, but in the immortal words of Chloe Sullivan: "It started out as a scrapbook and just kind of mutated." 
> 
> This is it, then. I started this in February of 2016, which explains why none of the characters from s2 make an appearance. This is based entirely on season 1 and imagines a world that is very similar to the show. With the notable difference that Kara grew up on the Kent farm, whereas Alex grew up... somewhere else. You'll see!
> 
> I hope you have a good time! Lemme know what you think.
> 
> This was originally meant to be a gift for murderiread on tumblr, who wanted something short and sweet after Astra had been knocked off. I _think_ that was the reason, anyway. It's been so dang long. So... this is all thanks to her!
> 
> And while I wrote all of this, I've got to give credit to my best friends Coara and darakanvers on tumblr. Especially Coara, who is listed as the co-author of this fanfic, because she helped me out a ton with plot and schemed up a heap of the scenarios with me.

The first time _she_ walked into CatCo Coffee, Kara’s heart nearly stopped.

Though, to be fair, ‘walking’ could have been considered a charitable description.

‘Stumbled’ was much more accurate.

Every day, Kara saw an assortment of extremely attractive people in all shapes and sizes pass through their little coffee shop. But she was sure she hadn’t ever seen another person look this glorious while dragging themselves in from a raging thunderstorm.

The woman, a brunette with a short bob, was wearing ripped jeans, dark boots, and a faded black leather jacket. It had been raining all afternoon, obviously not something the woman had banked on when she had left the house this morning. Her clothes looked completely drenched and her hair clung to her face. It appeared as though she’d tried to counteract the plastered drowned rat look with a quick hand through her hair, which caused some of it to stick up in odd places.

Frankly, she looked like a mess.

And she was beautiful.

“Miss? Excuse me? My coffee?” An older, kindly-looking, white-haired black man with a cane softly wrapped his knuckles on the counter to get her attention and she jumped. Completely mortified at her own absolute lack of chill, Kara quickly sent him an apologetic smile and grabbed a cup.

“I am so sorry, sir. Your coffee will be right up,” she said, giving him her signature Kara Kent smile as she took his money. He returned her smile, seemingly unperturbed by her blunder.

The beautiful woman was up next.

Business was slow today. When National City was rainy like this, not many people decided to venture out of their homes or work places just to get a coffee at three in the afternoon.

Kara blushed hotly as the woman stepped forward and smiled at her.

“What can I get you?” She stammered. “I mean, hello, hi, welcome to CatCo Coffee, what do you want- I mean, need.” She was dying. She was actually dying, that was the only explanation for her behavior. She could hear Lucy snigger from behind her while she prepared the earlier gentleman’s coffee.

The woman’s smile did not falter.

“I’d like a hot chocolate, please, with whipped cream. And cinnamon, if you have it. To go, please.” Her voice was warm and smooth, a stark contrast to her icy, wet exterior. Her nose dimpled slightly when she spoke. Kara wasn’t sure if she hadn’t accidentally died and gone to heaven. Maybe when Lucy had hit her over the head with a can of cream, she had been knocked out cold?

“I love cinnamon!” she blurted, her hands gripping the counter tightly. She could feel Lucy’s eyes on the back of her neck, just waiting to make a comment. “I mean… will that be all?”

“I’d also like one of those triple chocolate chip cookies you sell, please,” the woman replied, her smile slowly slipping into a smirk as she leaned forward on the counter slightly. “After the day I’ve just had, I need something sweet, you know? The new boss is a real tool.”

It was unfair, really, how beautifully the woman’s cheeks dimpled when her smile widened.

“Absolutely, yes.” Kara’s voice sounded a little too breathless, even to her own ears. She swallowed hard as she rung up the woman’s order and tried to figure out how to fire up the register, even though she’d been working at this coffee shop for over four years now. “I’m sure the weather didn’t help, by the looks of it.” She froze as she realized what had just come out of her mouth. “N-Not that you look bad! You look great, you really pull off the wet look.”

Before she could say anything else to dig herself an even bigger grave, the woman laughed heartily and threw her head back. It seemed to Kara that there were actually _sparkles_ in this woman’s eyes, twinkling beautifully as she gave Kara another smile.

“You are _completely_ right. I’m new in town and the one time I leave both my umbrella and my car at home and actually decide to take my motorcycle to work, this downpour happens. It didn’t lift my mood, I’ll tell you that much.” Kara didn’t believe in love at first sight, but she believed in love at first conversation.

The register finally decided it’d had enough of jerking Kara around and spat out the receipt.

“That will be six dollars for a hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon and a triple chocolate chip cookie to go, please,” she rattled off mechanically. After four years of working at CatCo Coffee, some things were so ingrained in her that even the highest form of fluster couldn’t deter her.

Unzipping her leather jacket and nearly giving Kara a heart attack in response, the woman produced a wallet from an inside pocket and slid a ten-dollar note over the counter.

“Thanks…” The woman peered down at the name tag stuck on Kara’s blue apron. “Kara. Keep the change. I hope you have a very pleasant day.” She zipped her jacket back up and honest-to-God _winked_. “I’ll see you around.”

Picking up her receipt, the woman started making her way to where her hot chocolate and cookie were being prepared, and in a fit of idiotic bravery, Kara blurted out, “Wait, I don’t know your name. Seems a little unfair, don’t you think? You knowing my name and all.”

The woman paused and sent her a look Kara couldn’t decipher.

“It’s Alex, Alex Danvers,” she finally said, an amused smile playing along her lips.

“Nice to meet you, Alex Danvers.” Kara’s legs were shaking in excitement behind the counter.

“Likewise, Kara.”

-

The woman had barely left the store with her purchase when Lucy descended on Kara with a gleeful look on her face and a glint in her eyes. There weren’t any other customers, which meant that if Cat happened to come out of her office at some point for one of her random check-ups, they probably wouldn’t get in trouble for slacking off on the job for a second.

“She was literally eating you with her eyes, Kara,” Lucy teased as she stepped into Kara’s personal space with a grin. “I mean damn, if anyone looked at me like that, I would climb that person like a tree.”

Kara glared unconvincingly at her friend, inching away slowly.

“You’re with James and that is not what the word literally means,” she said, finally able to speak again after the interaction with the woman. _Alex_. A name truly befitting a woman who exuded so much raw sex appeal in a bunch of wet clothes.

A small frown briefly slipped over Lucy’s features at the mention of James, quickly wiped away again so as not to be noticed.

“Look it up, it’s in the dictionary. Next to the word ‘literally eating you out with her eyes’ you will find a picture of _her_ , looking exactly how she looked at you while you were standing two feet away from her. You should’ve asked her for her number instead of her name.” Kara prayed and pleaded that someone from the deserted streets would decide that they desperately needed a coffee or a piece of cake. But alas, reality was letting her down. As per usual.

Adjusting her glasses, Kara snorted in derision.

“That- that is not true and also _really_ crass.”

Not that being eaten out by someone who looked like _that_ would have been a punishment, exactly.

“Oh, please, if I wanted to be crass I’d tell you that she was definitely thinking about bending you over one of our tables and-“ Kara didn’t think her face could get any warmer or her hands any shakier, but the visual that Lucy had just put into her head was topping all expectations.

“I am not hearing this! I am _so not_ hearing this!” Grabbing a rag from under the counter, Kara frantically started scrubbing down the already immaculately polished wood and took a few much-needed steps away from her needling friend.

“Also, she rides a fucking motorcycle. I bet if you asked really nicely, she’d give you a really hard ride, if you know what I mean.” As Kara chanced a startled look at Lucy’s face, she was unsurprised to see her wagging her eyebrows suggestively.

“Why are we even friends? Also, keep your voice down, we have customers here who do not need to know how much interest you have in my love life,” Kara hissed as she tossed the rag back under the counter.

Again, not that taking a hard ride on her motorcycle or various other parts of Alex didn’t sound extremely appealing to Kara, but she was at _work_ and very unlikely to even see this woman again. “She’s probably never going to come back here anyway, so who cares. She looked really nice and that’s it.”

“Oh, she’ll be back. She’s experienced the infamous Kent family charm; she’s not going to be able to stop thinking about you. Trust me, I know these things. If I weren’t married, I would’ve snatched you up myself a _long_ time ago, Kara,” Lucy spoke with such authority on the matter, Kara felt inclined to believe her. Still, she wouldn’t hold out hope unless it actually happened.

-

The second time she walked into CatCo coffee, Kara nearly dropped someone’s change.

It had been roughly a week since the first time _Alex Danvers_ had visited their little coffee shop. Kara had lost hope of ever seeing her again after the fourth day of no reappearances. No matter what Lucy had said – and continued to say – Kara simply didn’t believe that anyone would be smitten enough with _her_ to return to a slightly above average coffee shop among what must have been hundreds of slightly above average coffee shops in the area.

Things like that didn’t happen in real life, and they certainly didn’t happen to her.

And yet, there she was, Alex Danvers, wearing a pair of aviators and her leather jacket. This time, she wore it above a black blazer, a light-blue button-down shirt and a pair of smartly cut dress pants. Despite her obvious business attire, Kara was strangely pleased to see that she was still wearing her slightly roughed up black boots.

Her clothes weren’t wet this time.

As usual, National City had granted them with perfect sunny weather, which explained the sunglasses on Alex’s face.

Kara was a goner.

“Here you go, ma’am,” Kara said, as she finally handed over the change. “Have a nice day.”

The white middle-aged blonde woman, who was seemingly done with the world, grunted in acknowledgment and shuffled off to where Lucy was preparing her black coffee and her piece of coffee cake. By the looks of it, that woman seriously needed a caffeine fix.

Alex was fourth in line.

When the sun was shining outside and the birds were tittering, people felt much more inclined to succumb to leisure, suddenly finding time to sit in cafés while reading the newspaper or surfing their social networking accounts.

Business was booming today.

The surly middle-aged woman was quickly replaced by a surly teenage boy, whose long black fringe kept falling into his eyes, causing him to swipe it back repeatedly while he ordered a soy chai latte to go.

He was followed by an older white man who ordered a complicated concoction with all sorts of special additions and rules. It took Kara about half a minute to write everything down on a little notepad so Lucy would know exactly what to do and what not to do to this man’s order. He didn’t seem like the type to take a mishandled coffee order lying down.

Finally, a harried looking Asian woman with a phone glued to her ear ordered four different drinks, obviously on a run for the office. When Kara gave the woman her change, the woman smiled and gestured apologetically to the phone. Kara waved her off, understanding all too well the pressures of a demanding job and boss.

Kara smiled at all of them and wished them a pleasant day.

When Alex stepped forward to place her order, Kara’s heart gave a little leap. She looked professional and sexy in her ensemble, and now that Kara was looking more closely she could see… a badge? Yes, a police badge, hanging crooked from around Alex’s neck. She snuck a very quick peek with her x-ray vision and confirmed that yes, Alex was also wearing a gun.

That meant she was probably carrying handcuffs as well.

Kara gulped inwardly. A police officer. A hot, _hot_ police officer.

Great, now she’d have to kink-shame herself.

“Hello again,” Alex said smoothly as she slipped her aviators off and hooked them on the collar of her shirt. “It’s been a _very_ busy week and my boss is still an asshole. Can I please get a hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon to go, please? With an extra shot of espresso.”

Smiling widely, Kara stammered slightly as she tried to write down the order without messing anything up.

“O-Okay, yes. I’m sorry to hear that about your boss. At least this time the weather is on your side?” If she kept making conversation, maybe Alex would feel inclined to reveal more about herself, like maybe where she lived and if she wanted Kara to meet her there sometime, preferably when there wasn’t a counter in between them.

“Ah, what can you do. Sometimes you can’t choose who you work with,” Alex said, smiling serenely as she watched Kara work. She didn’t exude any of the stress her boss must surely be putting her under, if he was as much of an ass as Alex had said. She seemed relaxed, like she knew exactly how to handle herself in tough situations.

“Have you been enjoying the sun, Kara?” Alex added as Kara slipped the piece of paper with Alex’s order over into Lucy’s workspace. If she was working a little slower than usual, no one could really fault her for that, could they?

Besides, the line behind Alex wasn’t terribly long.

Heat spread across Kara’s cheeks and throat as she met Alex’s intense hazel eyes.

“I, uh- yeah, it’s- it’s nice. Makes me feel more like myself when I’ve got the sun on my face,” Kara revealed, blushing heavily. She needed to get a grip. “Will that be all or do you want to order anything else?”

Alex bit her lower lip as she regarded Kara intently.

“No, thank you, that will be all. How much do I owe you for that, Kara?” Kara ripped her eyes away from the woman in front of her so she could type Alex’s order into the register. It didn’t take more than a moment to print out the receipt.

“That will be four dollars and fifty cents, please.”

Kara’s hands felt sweaty as she accepted the money, and before she knew what was happening, she felt the quick touch of fingers on her palm. It sent goosebumps up her arms and she nearly crumpled the five-dollar bill with her super strength as she curled her fist around it.

“Keep the change,” Alex said, as she folded her receipt and slid it into the left inside pocket of her leather jacket. “I’ll see you around, Kara.” The way her lips wrapped around the _K_ in Kara’s name had her reeling where she stood. A stab of heat ran through Kara’s stomach every time she heard it.

Alex’s smile was genuine as she turned to pick up her hot chocolate.

Keeping her twitching hands out of sight, Kara smiled back widely, her glasses sliding down her nose with the motion.

“Bye, Alex,” Kara managed to squeeze out before the woman was out of earshot. She turned, hot chocolate in hand, and smiled again, her cheeks dimpling attractively with the motion.

No, Kara thought, she wasn’t a goner, she was _screwed_.

All in all, the interaction had taken barely five minutes, but it had seemed longer to Kara, who felt dazed as she started working on the next order, a black coffee along with a piece of their excellent key lime pie. Of course, nothing would ever beat Aunt Martha’s baking, but the pie at CatCo Coffee was an honest contender.

She was still dazed about an hour later, when rush hour had finally passed and she didn’t have a perpetual line of five people waiting to be served. People who ranged from sunshine personified to the _actual_ Grinch.

Thoughts of the hot police officer Alex Danvers plagued her. It was obvious that Alex seemed to like her as a person at least, obvious that she liked to converse with her while she got her hot chocolate and cinnamon fix. But who knew, maybe Alex was this friendly to all baristas and bartenders and retail workers she came across? Maybe she was the kind of person who liked to get to know the people in her neighborhood, liked to be on a first-name basis with all of them. She did seem like the type, if her smile and the laughter lines around her eyes were anything to go by.

Just because Alex talked to her, didn’t mean that she was actually special.

Then, as if hearing her defeatist thoughts, loud whispering from Lucy’s corner brought Kara abruptly out of her musings.

“Oh- my God. That woman totally _banked_ on the fact that you’d remember her. The way she just waltzed in here all macho and cool with her sunglasses. She’s **good**. I bet she gets laid a lot,” Lucy deliberated as she put down the can of whipped cream she’d just been cleaning.

Apparently, now that there were no more people to wait on, Lucy was all set and ready to jump right back into her favorite little game: putting the screws on Kara about who she was crushing on. Except, Kara never really wanted to play this game.

Not that a Lucy Lane who was out for blood had ever been stopped by something so trivial.

When Kara didn’t reply to her, Lucy made a reproachful noise. “You still don’t think she’s actually coming here to see you. I know I make a mean hot chocolate, but it’s not that good, especially not if there’s a coffee place right next to her precinct.”

At this, Kara’s head whipped around.

“Her precinct? Her _precinct_ ? Lucy, for the love of- please tell me you did not google stalk her,” Kara hissed, narrowing her eyes at her best friend. This was getting wildly out of hand and she needed to put a stop to it before it became worse and Lucy started _contacting_ people.

Lucy shrugged, unapologetic.

“I told James about how she was totally into you and he suggested we do a little research.” Her face went a little stiff as she mentioned her husband, something that Kara had picked up on more and more over the past few months. It was disconcerting, to say the least. “You know, friends checking out new potential ‘friends with benefits’ for their friends. It’s really no big deal, her record is fucking impressive.”

With a smirk, Lucy leaned her back against the counter behind her, obviously happy now that she finally got to talk about what she’d discovered. “James and I had a lot of fun looking her up.” There was a hint of surprise in her voice, like the last time she’d had any sort of _fun_ with her husband was well in the past.

It was sad, seeing them both so unhappy and stuck in their situation.

“She was here _once_ ,” Kara protested weakly.

“I have an eye for these things, Kara. You know it’s true. I knew she couldn’t stay away after you awkwardly hit on her with your entire person, and I _know_ how you get around people you like, so, I figured I’d help out a bit. Do some research, find out if she’s even worth the aggravation.” Gently nudging Kara’s arm, Lucy bent forward so only she and Kara would be able to hear. “She worked in _Gotham_ before she got here, she had a close and personal working relationship with _Batman_ .” She left a dramatic pause at this, letting the information sink in. “ _The_ Batman; that surly friend your cousin keeps bringing around. To be honest, I’m surprised you didn’t know about her before.”

Kara gulped. A hot, hot police officer who appreciated working with superheroes and actually took the help they offered? Was this a fever dream Kara had yet to wake up from? Was this fantasy or was this reality?

“There are articles on it. I can’t believe you didn’t google her on your smartphone right after she left,” Lucy said, her tone teasing. “But, that’s what I’m here for, right? Supergirl sidekick extraordinaire.” They were still whispering conspiratorially. “I still haven’t forgiven you that you told Winn first, by the way. I make for a much better sidekick.”

Rolling her eyes, Kara turned back to the door of the coffee shop.

There were still no new customers. She was trapped. And weak.

“Did the articles say anything about why she left Gotham to come here, if she was such a hot-shot police official? I’m surprised the papers reported on that in the first place; the police usually aren’t too happy when their cops get too friendly with the weirdos in capes.” Kara had first-hand experience with cops being reprimanded for less, let alone for actually helping her. Once, she’d seen an officer getting chewed out because he’d _waved_ to her. The police fared a strange policy, informed mainly by the bigoted politics of the ‘hero menace’ movement.

There would always be people who feared what they did not understand.

A triumphant smirk flashed across Lucy’s face for a second before her expression became somber.

“The papers were sort of vague about why she didn’t stick around. All they said was that Detective Danvers was  leaving Gotham for personal reasons to work in National City instead.” Lucy shrugged. There were only so many things you could find out about a person by using the internet, especially someone as private as Detective Danvers. There hadn’t been a Facebook account or anything else of the sort. All the news about her had been from reputable sources, mostly important print media outlets in Gotham.

“I think she values her privacy, so if you want to know why she left, you’re going to have to ask her yourself. If you ever grow the ovaries to actually ask her out.” Lucy knew it was a low blow, but she needed to get Kara into the right set of mind. “Look, she’s obviously a cool chick who’s super a-ok with caped crusaders. Which means, she’s probably going to _love_ the Girl of Steel. And she’s _hot_ , why not give her a spin?”

Kara scowled at her friend.

“It’s not that easy,” she hedged, glad to see a middle-aged black man in a fine suit enter their coffee shop. Finally, a way out of this uncomfortable yet informative conversation. She straightened behind the counter and smiled at the man as he took off his hat.

He returned the smile.

-

The third time Alex visited CatCo Coffee was hardly worth mentioning, as she was in and out so quickly, Kara barely had time to say hello and smile at her awkwardly. It was two days after their second meeting and the streets were packed with people during rush hour.

Alex swept in with her leather jacket and her beaten up boots, her police badge swinging from her neck and her face looking harried and exhausted. Kara wondered if they were working an especially hard case or if Alex’s boss was acting up again, but she didn’t have the time to ask.

“I need a tall black coffee to go with two extra shots of espresso, please,” she said, smiling weakly at Kara as her hand went to her pocket and pulled out a phone. It was blinking, signaling that one or multiple messages were waiting for Alex.

“No chocolate and cinnamon today?” Kara tried to make conversation, but Alex wasn’t paying attention: she was staring blankly at the screen of her phone before her brows furrowed in anger. A muscle in her jaw tightened and Kara found, to her own embarrassment, that it sent a pulse of heat to somewhere beneath her stomach.

“Sorry, Kara. I’d really love to stay and chat, but this idiot is _ruining_ everything. I need to go. Here, take this, keep the change, I need to run.” Pushing a ten-dollar bill into Kara’s hand, Alex grabbed her coffee from Lucy’s counter and started walking briskly outside again. “I’ll see you around!” Alex yelled over her shoulder before she was gone, leaving a swinging door in her wake.

_I’d really love to stay and chat_.

The thought filled her with a feeling of warmth as butterflies started fluttering uncontrollably around in her stomach. She just hoped that whoever was bothering Alex wouldn’t stress her out too much.

Meeting Lucy’s knowing face, Kara rolled her eyes, but smiled.

-

The fourth time Alex walked into CatCo Coffee, it was early in the morning and she seemed relaxed again. She also looked like she’d finally have the time to stay inside for longer than it’d take her to order her coffee and, according to Lucy, flirt with Kara over the counter. Kara was still skeptical.

Business had been great today, even though it was only nine in the morning, something that had Ms. Grant far more pleased than she’d like to admit. She’d always favored leaving her office more when the place was packed, surveilling the fruits of her hard, hard labor. Right now, however, Ms. Grant had gone back to her office to manage the multitude of other coffee shops she ran all over the country.

“Good morning, Kara, how are you today?” Alex said cheerfully as she slipped her badge under her dark blue button-down.

“I’m good, I’m- I’m great, how are you? What can I get you today?” The pleasant exchange had Kara rattled and Lucy delighted. Kara could hear her quiet snigger from where she was filling up the pantry with new chocolate chip cookies.

“I’m well, thank you,” Alex responded, her smile open and wide. “I’ll take a coffee, a blueberry muffin and one of your cheese sandwiches, please.”

“What, no chocolate again today?” It came out of Kara’s mouth before she could stop it.  She would’ve clamped her hand over her mouth if that wouldn’t have made her look even more incriminating.

But her worries were unfounded, because Alex just laughed, the lines around her eyes crinkling attractively. Kara was still mad about those.

“No, no chocolate today. My boss is being uncharacteristically nice, which means I don’t have to drown him out with a big heap of sugar.” Thanking Rao for Alex’s open nature, Kara smiled unsurely and took down Alex’s order quickly.

“Do you want to eat here today or do you need it all to go?” Better to steer the conversation, if that’s what Kara would call it, back onto safer ground. Asking about her order was about as safe as she could get. No way to screw up there.

“I have some time; I’ll stay here for a bit.”

Slipping Alex’s order over to Lucy, Kara started typing on the register. “That will be nine dollars and thirty cents.” The receipt made a droning noise as it started pushing out of the machine. It sounded unnaturally loud to Kara as she chanced another look at Alex’s face.

Alex was still smiling as she pulled her wallet out of her leather jacket, drawing a ten-dollar bill out of it and handing it over into Kara’s forcefully still hands. At other times she might have frowned upon using her super strength for something so trivial, but she was feeling extremely awkward in this moment and needed some reassurance.

“Keep the change, I hate carrying coins around with me. Not very stealthy when you’re trying to chase down a perp without being noticed.” Alex looked bashful for a second, as if she had a feeling she’d shared too much. As if she hadn’t meant to say anything at all. Kara watched in fascination as she slipped her hands into her back pockets self-consciously.

It was adorable.

Kara hated every second of it.

Looking to reassure Alex, Kara tried on her biggest and most soothing Kara Kent smile, leaning forward a little. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. Nobody here is going to complain about you leaving too much money, especially not Ms. Grant. I bet she’d crown you customer of the month if I told her about it.”

Alex rolled her eyes good-naturedly, but her hands returned from her back pockets, which Kara counted as a victory for the puppy dog look, as Lucy liked to call it.

Before they could exchange any more words, they were rudely and loudly interrupted by the next customer in line, a white man with a thick neck and a shaved head. He was holding a small pink purse. “Hey, ladies! I appreciate that you want to catch up, but I need my coffee. Come on!”

Kara startled terribly but Alex’s eyes hardened.

“Sir, step back, please,” Alex spoke, quietly intimidating. Her back was ramrod straight and her hand had moved instinctively to her gun. A second later it was back at her side, loose and unthreatening. But she needn’t have bothered, the man wasn’t an idiot and had seen the gesture. He raised his hands in acquiescence and took a step back.

“Right. Sorry, officer,” he said, purse clutched tightly.

Alex sighed, turning back to Kara and smiling apologetically. “I’ll go sit down. Thanks, Kara.”

Nodding slowly, Kara watched her pick up her food and walk over to a booth in the corner. The man didn’t complain again, and she took his order quickly, her heart beating fast.

Kara was pretty sure she’d just seen _Detective Danvers_ , a person comprised entirely of steel. It was fascinating to see Alex’s change in posture and expression, so different from the relaxed and even the harried look she’d sported at the coffee shop before.

It was exciting.

-

Half an hour later, Alex was still in her seat and Kara’s counter shift was almost up. It was nearly time for her to switch with Hayashi and start waiting the tables instead, ask people if they wanted a refill and the like.

She hoped Alex would still be there.

Only five more minutes.

Lucy nudged her softly as the line of customers waned.

“I hope you’re going to talk to your _girlfriend_ on your next shift, Kara. If you’re not I might have to forget myself and yell out something very inappropriate, and then I might get fired. Do you want me to get fired?” Lucy’s tone was teasing, obviously not serious, but Kara scowled all the same. She would fight that smile if it killed her.

“What you’re suggesting is called blackmail, Lucy, and I don’t negotiate with criminals,” Kara answered, her tone supremely serious. Her vow of scowling broke the second she met Lucy’s eyes and saw the joy in them. Her voice changed to a whisper as she went on. “You are ridiculous. _Yes_ , I was planning on talking to her. And she is not my girlfriend.”

Sad, terrible, awful truth.

“You’re the only one standing in the way of that, woman. I keep telling you, she’d jump on a chance to go out with the cute barista. As we all would. And if you don’t go over to her to ask her out, then _I will_.” The words were perhaps a little more aggressive than they might have been a few months or years ago, before Lucy and James’s marriage had started to crumble around them. Then, as though nothing had happened, another nudge and wink was sent Kara’s way as Hayashi finally sidled behind the counter with a nod and a smile. Kara chose to pretend she hadn’t seen the frustration on her friend’s face.

“Time to switch, Kara. Thanks again for covering my shift last week, I really needed that day off,” Hayashi said, holding his fist out for Kara to bump it with hers.

“Anytime, Hayashi. It really wasn’t a problem,” Kara answered, smiling and hitting his fist with her own. She couldn’t ever be cross at Hayashi for covering his shift. That day had been the third time Alex had come into she coffee shop.

Redoing her ponytail, Kara picked up her pad and pen and started making her way around the tables, asking for refills and if her customers needed anything else. She wanted to make sure it at least looked like she’d put effort into waiting on the others before she made her way over to Alex. She didn’t want to look too desperate too soon.

Though, if she thought about it, all the babbling and stuttering might have shot that horse in the foot a long time ago.

When she couldn’t put off going over any longer without risking it looking weird or Alex suddenly leaving, Kara hesitantly made her way over to her. She was strangely aware that this would be the first time Alex would be seeing all of her, since there wouldn’t be a counter in between them. The thought made Kara’s heart beat faster.

When she’d almost reached her table, Alex looked up from whatever she was intently and seemingly angrily studying on her phone, and a smile broke over her lips like a torrent of water. She was a _vision_.

Kara was acutely aware of her own body as she stepped closer still.

“Hey,” Alex said warmly.

“Hey,” Kara said, nearly breathless.

A few moments of silence elapsed as Kara gripped her pen and paper tightly, only mildly afraid that she’d break both. Then, finally, Alex took pity on her and spoke.

“Have you finally been released from your counter prison?” she asked, the smile playing on her lips now playful and slightly teasing, as though she knew exactly what was going on in Kara’s mind. By Rao, Kara hoped that wasn’t the case.

With an uncontrollable snort, Kara started to laugh hysterically, horror making its way through her body. This was really not the moment to let her dork run free, but she couldn’t stop it. Beautiful women just made her _so nervous_.

She coughed quickly to cover up her own embarrassment.

“Sorry,” another cough, “that was just- funny. Yes, yeah, my counter shift is over. I- I have been released.” This was going terribly. She needed to force this back into a normal interaction, or else she was going to melt a hole in the floor with her heat vision and get lost in it. “Can I get you a refill? Or anything else to eat?”

Alex was biting her lower lip forcefully, looking for all intents and purposes like she was trying to hold in laughter at Kara’s flustered demeanor. To her credit, when she opened her mouth, no laughter was forthcoming.

“I’d love a refill, thank you,” she said, her eyes doing that sparkling thing again that made Kara want to rob a flower shop. Sometimes it sure wasn’t fair how beautiful some people could be.

“Alright, coming right up. Just a second.” Wasting not a moment, Kara walked over to the counter and grimaced at Lucy - who had a brilliantly comical look on her face like she was seconds away from jamming her own fist into her mouth to keep from laughing _any more_.

“Please tell me you could not hear that,” Kara whispered forcefully as she grabbed the coffee pot.

“Never mind what I heard, Kara, ask me what I _saw_. That woman looks genuinely fond of you and if you screw this up, I am going to call the cops on you. Which will get her back here so you can fix it. You’re not getting out of this one,” Lucy said with a grin, obviously pleased with her witty comeback.

Kara rolled her eyes, but smiled.

“Ever so helpful, aren’t you? Alright, fine, I guess this will be attempt number two, then.” Slipping her pen and paper into a pocket in her apron, Kara clutched the coffee pot tightly to her. This was so not the time to let her clumsy side win out.

“I think she was pretty okay with how attempt number one was going, but sure. Go get ‘em, tiger.” Lucy’s wink and thumbs up, while not quite _encouraging_ , was exactly what Kara needed to turn around and walk back over to Alex’s table.

And, oh wonder, Kara didn’t spill a single drop of the coffee.

“Here you go. Can I get you anything else? Maybe something that will wipe that frown off your face?” Kara tried her most charming and friendly smile as she set the coffee pot down next to Alex’s phone. Obviously, whatever it was telling her wasn’t good and Kara felt the strangest need to make it _better_ somehow.

“Unless you can unplug whatever thing crawled up Maxwell Lord’s ass and _died_ , I don’t think there’s much you can do. Thanks, though, for the offer,” Alex said, sighing regretfully as she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. “I take back what I said before, by the way. My boss is not being uncharacteristically nice, he’s just being an ass in disguise. I can’t believe I’ve only been here for three weeks and he’s already managed to press every single button I have.” Then, as if realizing what she’d said, she continued. “Please don’t tell anybody I said that.”

Kara smiled apologetically, racking her brain and trying to think of something to say as she mimed a zipping motion on her mouth. This confirmed what she’d been thinking for a while now: that whenever Alex complained about her jerk boss, it was the chief of police she was referring to. Kara had _not_ voted for him, but apparently most of the city had. Suffice it to say, Kara was not happy about it. Maxwell Lord rarely had a warm word to say about Supergirl.

An idea struck her.

“How would you like a complementary triple chocolate chip cookie? On the house? No one should suffer without chocolate, especially if their boss is being an ass.” She’d replace the money later. It really wasn’t a big deal.

Alex’s laughter lines crinkled as she smiled at her, almost… gently? It sent a shock of blood into Kara’s cheeks.

“You don’t have to do that. I really don’t want to inconvenience you just because my boss needs a serious personality and value adjustment.” Alex’s voice was quiet, her eyes flitting over Kara’s face. “Though, I do appreciate the offer.”

“It’s really not a bother. I’m sure Ms. Grant would agree.” No, she really wouldn’t. But that didn’t matter to Kara in this moment. “I’ll be right back with your cookie.” She picked up the coffee pot and gripped it tightly as she started walking.

She was almost past Alex when, in a split second decision, she lightly brushed her hand against Alex’s shoulder and squeezed softly in encouragement. Alex’s leather jacket was softly worn, her shoulder warm and firmly muscled.

Great, as if Kara needed any more reasons to be attracted to this woman.

Exhaling shakily, she set the coffee pot on the counter and slid it over to Lucy, who was covertly watching Alex from the corner of her eyes as she pretended to cut something.

“Damn, the _look_ she just gave you. I’m surprised all of your clothes haven’t gone up in flames. What did you do to her? Did you offer her a quickie in the bathroom?” Lucy’s words made Kara’s hands break out into sweat as she fought against visualizing what her friend had just insinuated.

“I offered her a cookie on the house,” Kara mumbled absentmindedly as she gestured to the display. “Can you plate me a triple chocolate chip cookie, please?”

“I’m sorry, what, what was that? You offered her a _cooter_ on the house? Kara, I think we’ll make a decent flirt out of you yet.” Kara didn’t think her face could get any hotter.

“Lucy!” Her voice was pointedly hushed, though no less exasperated for it. “Give me the flipping cookie. _Right now_.”

Lucy raised her hands in surrender as she plucked a plate from under the counter.

“Fine, ignore my very sound advice. But just so you know, if I were in your position, I’d have banged that chick like ten weeks ago.” She slid the cookie neatly onto the plate. “Should I add a piece of paper with your name and number on it?”

“If you don’t give me that cookie in the next ten seconds, I will melt your face off,” Kara said, her expression completely dead-pan. Lucy rolled her eyes, but handed over the plate anyway.

“With your penchance to violence, I’m surprised you haven’t committed more crimes, to be honest.” Kara ignored her as she made her way back over to Alex’s table. The detective was staring at her phone again.

“How is this cookie going to make you feel better if you keep staring at the annoying things your boss is getting up to? I think maybe we should declare this place a Maxwell Lord-free zone,” Kara said as she put the plate and cookie down in front of Alex.

“I think that is an excellent idea,” she said as she pocketed her phone. “I can still complain about him, right? That’s still allowed in the zone?”

“Of course. You just can’t bring him here, whether that be in person or on the phone.” Kara was entirely too proud of herself for saying full sentences without stuttering or screwing them up. Maybe there was hope for her yet.

“That sounds like a phenomenal idea. I already spend way too much time with that asshole, I don’t need him to butt into my free time, too. Especially when I’ve got much nicer people to talk to.” The breath in Kara’s chest froze as she heard Alex’s words. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but there was definitely something like hope growing in her heart.

She smiled like an idiot and adjusted the glasses on her nose. She was sure she was blushing.

She was about to say more when a sharp voice cut through the air.

“Kiera!” Ms. Grant was standing in front of the door leading to her office, out on one of her many check-ups throughout the day. “Get back to work right this second!”

Kara flinched as she met Ms. Grant’s insistent and steely gaze.

“Yes, Ms. Grant. Sorry, Ms. Grant.” She sent Alex a small smile and walked away to start making the rounds again, gathering dirty dishes along the way. She could hear Ms. Grant making soft, disappointed noises and knew she’d have to work a lot harder for the next few days to get back into Ms. Grant’s good graces.

Her boss was an ass a lot of the time, but Kara respected her for what she’d accomplished. And Kara still wanted her to like her. She’d learned a lot over the last four years from working for Ms. Grant, especially when she asked Kara to come work with her in the office.

Still, she snuck small glances at Alex out of the corners of her eyes when she thought she could get away with it. Alex had not returned to her phone and was instead staring into space, drinking her coffee with a faraway look in her eyes. She’d also had some of the cookie Kara had given her.

It brought a smile to Kara’s face.

One look at Ms. Grant’s disapproving gaze made the smile disappear and form into a professional expression. Maybe next time Kara would actually get up the courage to ask Alex out. Maybe.

-

The fifth time Alex stumbled into CatCo Coffee, they were about to close for the night. Ten pm was coming upon them quickly and Kara had looked forward to locking up. But when she saw a bedraggled looking Alex stumbling in through the open door, all intentions of leaving evaporated instantly.

“Hi!” Kara said, a little too enthusiastically for someone who had been on their feet for the last twelve hours. If Kara had been human, she probably wouldn’t have been quite as happy to see another customer. But, alas, she _wasn’t_ human.

“Hey,” Alex replied, tiredly, “you are entirely too chipper for a Wednesday night.”

Walking over to the counter, Alex leaned against it heavily.

“Tough day?” Kara asked kindly as she fired up the register one final time. “What will make you feel better? Hot chocolate with cinnamon? A piece of Winn’s famously delicious chocolate cake?”

“Tough day is right,” Alex groaned playfully as she placed her hands on the counter. “I’d love to have a piece of chocolate cake and a hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon. You already know me too well; maybe I should go and find myself a new coffee shop.”

“Well,” Kara grinned as she wrote down the order, “you could just go to that coffee shop next to your precinct. I hear that _Tribune Tea_ makes an excellent hot chocolate with whipped cream.” Now that Alex had revealed to her that she was, indeed, working for Maxwell Lord, she had no qualms mentioning that she knew exactly where Alex spent most of her time.

Alex smiled regretfully as she slid three five-dollar bills over the counter.

“But _Tribune Tea_ doesn’t have such nice employees.” Alex winked teasingly, then laughed at Kara’s bashful impression and blush. “Also, CatCo Coffee will never ever have my boss in it, which, you have no idea how much of a selling point that is. I don’t know if you know this, but my boss and your boss can’t stand each other.”

“I did not know that,” Kara replied as she placed the bills in the register and printed out Alex’s receipt. “You’ve been in the city for a month, how do _you_ know that already?”

“National City cops are chatty,” Alex said helpfully as she moved along with Kara, who was pouring the hot chocolate and getting the cake out from the display. “You wouldn’t believe how much you learn when you just let them talk and don’t interrupt them.”

Spraying whipped cream and sprinkling the cinnamon on top, Kara hummed in response, marveling at the fact that she was holding an actual conversation with her crush. If Lucy were here, she’d have a field day. But Lucy didn’t work nights and Kara was alone in the coffee shop, save for Winn in the kitchen and Ms. Grant in her office. All the other customers had vacated the premises as well. It was the first time they were sort of alone.

“Did you work until now or do you make a habit of walking into coffee shops which are about to close?” Kara looked down at her wrist watch. It was past ten now; she was supposed to close up, but Alex looked tired beyond belief and like she could use a friend. Kara hoped Ms. Grant wasn’t going to chew her out for her sentimentality again. The last time she’d made an exception for a person in need, Ms. Grant had not been happy.

“Yeah, my partner just chased me out of the precinct. I was driving by and saw that the lights were still on, so I figured I’d stop by, say hi. I saw you through the window and I needed to see a friendly face.” Slumping into a chair right next to the counter, Alex regarded Kara appreciatively as she finished preparing her late-night snack.

Smiling softly, Alex’s eyes closed in relaxation.

“Well, you’re in luck. There’s nothing but friendly faces here now.” Kara didn’t want to force Alex to lift up her tired bones after she’d just sat down, so she grabbed the plate and the mug and carried both out from behind the counter. “I just need to lock up really quickly, before someone else gets the idea to come in here.”

Setting down Alex’s order, Kara swiftly walked over to the door, slipping the key out of her pocket and locking it firmly. Alex still hadn’t opened her eyes, but her smile hadn’t faltered. She seemed truly serene. The sight made Kara happy.

“Thanks, Kara. Honestly, you have no idea how much I needed this.” Alex spoke softly, her eyes finally opening again to find her cake and her hot chocolate.

“Oh, it’s really no problem. I know what it’s like to have a demanding boss.” Kara glanced in the direction of Cat’s office, ensuring that the woman wasn’t lurking in the shadows. A quick x-ray confirmed that Cat was busy typing away at her computer. “Ms. Grant isn’t always a joy to be around.”

Walking over to the counter, Kara started cleaning up the place. She could feel Alex’s eyes on her as she started stacking chairs orderly onto the tables.

“I’m sure she’s nicer than my boss; or does Ms. Grant rant against the ‘hero menace’ while she works to dismantle every connection you’ve worked so hard to maintain?” Kara threw a look over her shoulder and a laugh spilled out of her chest. “What? Did I hit the nail on the head? Am I going to have to take my money elsewhere?”

Kara’s hand slipped over her mouth, trying to stifle her glee.

“No. No, it’s not that. You just have a,” Kara said through her laughter as she gestured to Alex’s face, “you have a milk mustache. From the whipped cream.”

Alex’s cheeks filled with color.

“That’s embarrassing,” she said as she quickly wiped at her upper lip.

“It’s really not,” Kara said, still laughing. Sobering slightly, she continued. “You look adorable.”

Kara didn’t even care that she’d just called her crush adorable and that she should be feeling mortified or scared about the outcome, because Alex’s mouth fell open in protest almost immediately.

“I’ll have you know that I am a decorated officer of the law. I’ve shot people, I am not _adorable_.” The objection only made Kara giggle harder as she set another chair up on a table close to where Alex was sitting.

“I’m sorry, I’m sure you’re very badass,” Kara tried to placate her with a smile. “But I disagree with you on a fundamental level that badass people can’t also be adorable. That’s just silly.” Finished with the chairs, Kara walked back over to Alex and sat herself down opposite her. “But if it makes you feel any better, I can start calling you cute. How does that sound?”

Kara could see the smile that was threatening to break out on Alex’s pointedly serious face. Her stomach was going wild and her heart was threatening to beat out of her chest. She was actually doing it; she was actually _flirting_.

“I guess that wouldn’t be the worst thing,” Alex relented, finally letting the smile she’d been fighting play along her lips. Those dimples. Alex really wasn’t playing fair with her genetic lottery.

At a loss for what to say now, Kara silently observed Alex sipping once more from her hot chocolate, this time taking great pains to wipe the cream away before it could make Kara laugh again. Kara smiled anyway.

“So,” Kara said, trying to think of something else to say to keep the conversation going, “what case are you working on right now? Are you allowed to say anything?” Work was safe. Work was always safe. Kara was going to cling to that topic until she could think of something more engaging to talk about.

Alex sighed heavily as she set down her mug.

“My boss has been trying to get us all riled up about superheroes. Gifted people in general, really. He’s been trying to implement a new task force to hunt them all down. We’re not really supposed to talk about it, but I don’t care. Who the _fuck_ needs a task force specifically designed to hunt down and incarcerate the people actively trying to help out?” She seemed intensely angry at the entire idea, something that Kara could relate to. And not just because she herself was one of those gifted people the chief of police seemed to hate so much.

“The entire idea is just so completely bone-headed. We should be trying to reach out to the gifted, not push them away.” Her hand was shaking as she tried to pick up her mug again, obviously in great need of another chocolate fix. Regretful, her eyes flit up to meet Kara’s. “Sorry, I just get angry when I think about it. I didn’t mean to rant.”

“No, don’t worry about it, I totally get it. I think you’re right, the police shouldn’t be trying to stonewall our heroes. I’m sorry you have to put up with that at work.” Reaching out, Kara placed her hand over Alex’s on her mug, smiling kindly. In the next moment, she regretted her move. Was she being too forward? Was Alex weirded out by her touch? Had she been reading all of this completely wrong?

But her fears were misplaced, because in the next second, Alex’s free left hand covered Kara’s tightly. Her smile was genuine as their eyes met.

“Thanks, Kara, for listening. I had no idea I needed to get all of that out of my system. I feel better already.”

Kara knew she looked like an idiot as her smile threatened to split her face in two, but she couldn’t help it. This was quickly shaping up to be a wonderful night and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

“Did you know your boss was an asshole before you transferred here?” They were still holding hands and Kara wasn’t about to break that bond, even if it kept Alex from enjoying her hot chocolate. That was a sacrifice Kara was willing to make. Besides, the longer it took for her to finish her food, the longer it would be before she left. For once, Kara wanted to be selfish.

“No, he wasn’t chief of police when I put in my transfer. I’d heard of him and his fanaticism, but I didn’t think he’d actually get elected.” Shaking her head, Alex’s jaw muscles twitched again. “By the time I knew he was going to be running the show, it was too late and the transfer had already gone through. I don’t know if I would’ve come here otherwise.”

“I’m glad you did,” Kara said, scraping together all of the bravery she had. This wouldn’t be so difficult if she was in her Supergirl costume. Supergirl always made her feel confident.

Alex looked away then, hiding her smile.

“Yeah. Me, too,” she said, her face still turned to the side.

“Besides,” Kara said, trying to steer the conversation back to something safe, “our police force needs someone who will work against Lord if we want to keep it from becoming too xenophobic. Personally, I’m very glad to know that Detective Alex Danvers is in there, trying to set things right.”

A big laugh burst from Alex’s chest, her eyes full of affection and fondness.

“Yes, I’m sure the city would already be in ruins if I hadn’t transferred. I bet Supergirl would’ve burned the precinct to the ground if Lord had been allowed to run free without my guiding, nagging hand.” Her smile was bright and happy and Kara could feel her heart give a jump. This was everything she’d dreamed of and more.

-

Somewhere along the way, Kara’s hand had made its way back towards her own side of the table.

Holding Alex’s hand had been nice, but she didn’t want to keep her too much from enjoying the food after all. She’d let her thumb run gently over Alex’s skin before pulling back, which earned her a soft look that she knew she’d be holding onto for a long time.

When Alex drew the piece of cake towards her, Kara realized she’d forgotten one all-important ingredient.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to get you a fork.” She was embarrassed only for a second. At this point, she felt comfortable in Alex’s presence, enough that she knew Alex wouldn’t be mad about a small mishap or mistake.

Getting up to retrieve the fork, she paused as Alex’s hand slid along her arm, halting her.

“Get yourself one, too.” Her thumb slid slowly and carefully against Kara’s skin, causing goosebumps to appear where they were touching.

It shouldn’t have been a sensual moment, but it was.

Kara smiled.

They both dug in at the same time, a set of forks slipping through the chocolatey goodness of the dessert.

It was _good_.

If there was one thing she’d call Winn’s specialty, it was his chocolate cake. It was soft and gooey and melted on the tongue. The taste was pure chocolate, none of that fake sugary taste of many American candy bars she’d had over the years. The taste came closest to what she expected heaven to taste like. Second only to Aunt Martha’s chocolate pecan pie.

“Okay, this is _really_ good,” Alex said, closing her eyes as she swallowed another bite of cake. “Just so you know, I’m blaming you if I get fat. I might eat a piece of this every day for the rest of my life.”

It was a prime opening and Kara couldn’t resist. She swallowed her own piece, lifted her hand to hide her mouth and licked her lips and teeth, hoping there wouldn’t be any residual chocolate sticking to her as she spoke. Her tongue felt heavy and sluggish.

“I wouldn’t mind, you know, if you ate a piece every day,” she said, worrying her hands in her lap, “if it meant I got to see you here. Every day.” Her eyes were pointedly not looking in Alex’s direction.

She’d done it now.

There was no coming back from this.

The silence was stretching between them as Kara refused to bring her eyes back to Alex’s face. She didn’t want to see if it was marred by rejection. She was equally terrified to find out if Alex was happy about what she’d said.

A hand came slowly into view, reaching for her own.

“Kara… Kara, look at me.” Alex’s voice was kind.

Shifting her head, Kara’s eyes flit over their fingers, up the arm of Alex’s leather jacket and finally found her face. Alex was studying her intently, a look of tenderness written plainly across her features and a lazy smile fixed on her lips.

“Kara, if I’m grossly misreading the situation, then you need to tell me, because I really like talking to you and I don’t want to screw this up. You were my first sort of… _friend_ here and I don’t want to give that up. But… if,” Alex started, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, “if you want to… I would really love to take you out sometime. On- on a date.”

It couldn’t possibly be real.

“Wait,” Kara said, laying her other hand on top of Alex’s. “You’re asking me to go out with you? On a date, a _romantic_ date. Just, you know, to make sure I’m getting this right.”

Alex swallowed visibly, obviously nervous.

It was endearing.

“Yeah, I mean, if you want to. If you don’t, that’s alright. But… I’d like to.” Alex’s smile was hesitant and her hand was getting clammy. It didn’t bother Kara, who was mentally freaking out, flying through the sky and simultaneously hovering around on cloud nine.

Her smile was wide as she squeezed Alex’s hand.

“I’d love to go out with you, Alex. I wanted to go out with you the first time you walked in here,” Kara blurted out, her filter completely broken. She didn’t care, Alex had already seen how much of a dork she could be. There was no use pretending otherwise now.

“Wow, whew, okay,” Alex said, heaving an exaggerated sigh of relief. “I’ve wanted to ask for a while now, but I chickened out every time. I thought you might want to, but I just wasn’t sure. I’m really glad I didn’t read this wrong.”

Kara scoffed.

“Are you kidding? Have you _seen_ how nervous you make me? I can barely get a whole sentence out without turning into a complete lunatic,” Kara rambled, only slightly worried that her words would end up turning Alex off the entire idea. “I’m just, I’m terrible at figuring out if somebody likes me. Romantically.” She slowly started drawing circles on the back of Alex’s hand. “So, I’m glad you asked me first, ‘cause I don’t think I ever would have. I mean- _look at you_.”

Now it was Alex’s turn to scoff, but Kara shook her head.

“No, I’m serious. You came in here, _drenched to the bone_ , and instead of looking ridiculous, you looked like you’d walked right out of a photo shoot for really hot people who ride motorcycles and wear leather jackets. It was absolutely ludicrous,” Kara argued, embarrassed by how she could not have been more into Alex if she had tried.

Gratified, she saw Alex’s cheeks darken with an appropriate amount of blush.

“I think it would be best if we talked about this more on our date,” Alex finally said, voice a little huskier than usual. She stuck the final piece of cake into her mouth and drank the rest of her hot chocolate. “Because if you don’t stop saying things like that to me, I’m going to do something really stupid and very inappropriate and I really, _really_ want to get to know you better first.”

Kara was tempted to go for it, but she knew Alex was right. She also wanted to find out more about the detective before they did anything more, though she had no doubt that whatever was in store for them would be electric.

“Okay,” Kara relented, smiling, “let’s exchange numbers and you can text me the details and when you think the date should be. My schedule is pretty flexible here, so I think we should try working more around yours, _detective_.”

And so they did.

Kara watched Alex go from the recently unlocked door as she made her way to her black motorcycle.

Their goodbye hadn’t been awkward. In fact, it had been hopeful of what was to come, something Kara felt immensely excited about. They also hadn’t touched, though that was likely because Alex really wanted to keep to what she’d said.

Kara had wanted to run her hands over those cheeks as she kissed Alex fiercely, but thoughts like those would have to wait for now.

She waved enthusiastically as Alex pulled out of her parking space and sped away, sending back a wave of her own and miming the hand-gesture for ‘I’ll call you’. Kara couldn’t wait for that call. She couldn’t believe this was finally happening.

She’d have to call Lucy immediately.

Lucy would be unbearably smug, of course, but it would be worth it.

Making her way back into the coffee shop, Kara was startled to see Ms. Grant leaning in the doorway to her office, smiling slightly at her as she closed the front door. Cat chuckled as she pushed herself away from what she was leaning against and strode a few steps forward.

It was obvious she was ready to go home, as she had her bag clutched under one arm and she was wearing her long, dark overcoat. Kara was scared for a moment that Ms. Grant would be mad at her for letting someone stay for so long, but she was surprised. When Cat spoke, it wasn’t with anger or even her air of superiority. It sounded… proud?

“I didn’t know you had it in you, Kiera. Well done,” Cat said, as she strode over to Kara and patted her softly on the shoulder. “We’ll make a person with a backbone out of you yet.”

Then, without another word or glance, Ms. Grant walked out the door and vanished.

Kara shook her head slightly. She’d never figure out her boss and now wasn’t the time to try.

Eagerly, she grabbed her phone out of her pocket and dialed the number two on her speed-dial. Lucy picked up on the second ring, a tone of curiosity in her voice.

“It’s late, Kara, what’s up?”

Kara’s lips broke into an exhilarated smile. This was going to be _so_ _good_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you Saturday!
> 
> This was beta-d by the lovely Coara and beaglesinbowties. All remaining mistakes are mine to keep.


	2. The Hero Menace Initiative Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex has arrived in National City, but her past won't stay where it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Note** : Contains coping mechanisms to stave off PTSD.
> 
> And we're already at chapter 2! Would you look at that! This is where things started spiralling out of control. I hope you enjoy your time!

Years ago, when Alex started working in Gotham City as a young and determined beat cop, she never would have imagined she’d end up being friends with _The Batman_. Ending up in cahoots with him wasn’t even her goal, much less with any of his friends and foes. All she’d wanted was to do her job and to follow in her father’s footsteps.

Needless to say, things didn’t always work out the way you wanted them to.

Commissioner Danvers had been very proud of his daughter the day she joined the force. Eliza Danvers, on the other hand, had not been quite as happy. As a woman worried for her husband every day he was out on patrol, she hadn’t been looking forward to adding her daughter to her daily prayers. Considering that Alex had wanted to be a biologist when she was a child and not a cop, it had been especially hard for her to accept.

No, the idea to protect and serve had surfaced much later.

Somewhere down the line, Alex had decided that she wanted to help people.

She’d just never imagined she’d end up like _this_.

-

Alex’s first day of work in National City started off well.

She rolled out of bed at five in the morning, brewed herself some cheap coffee, read the newspaper, and forced down a healthy breakfast (as mandated by her mother). If she somehow stopped taking care of herself, she’d never hear the end of it.

One word splashed across the top of the front page of National City’s most prominent newspaper caught her eye above all others.

 _Supergirl_.

‘Supergirl Saves Family of Five’, to be more exact.

Alex already knew that she would not be associating herself with Supergirl or any of her super-powered friends. She'd assist Supergirl if she had to, and if Alex ever met her, she'd be nice to her--since being a superhero in a 'hero-menace-movement' world could be hard, especially if the police were against you. But she would not get sucked into the superhero drama again, not after what had happened to her in Gotham.

Her right hand went instinctively to her left forearm, feeling for the scar and the tattoo hidden under her pressed blue shirt sleeve.

Supergirl was doing important work.

There was no doubt in Alex’s mind that National City was lucky to have her, but she’d do well without Alex, without the help of _Detective Danvers_.

Alex was going to be keeping her distance.

Putting down the newspaper without another glance, Alex walked back into her sparsely decorated bedroom.

A night of fitful sleep had left her bed disheveled. As an additional consequence of her restlessness, her small white cat had commandeered her pillow. A smile touched her face as she saw the tiny head pop up from its front paws to blink at her sleepily, tiny back curled against a small stuffed animal beaver.

Alex took a second to scratch Trish behind the ears, which earned her a deep purr and a lick on the wrist. She’d always been a cat person, even before she’d been gifted the tiny troublemaker. Pressing a kiss to her cat’s head, Alex ignored the disgruntled mewling at the gesture and walked over to her dresser.

Unlocking her lock-box and pulling out her .9mm, Alex pushed the gun quickly into her shoulder holster. Her badge would be waiting for her at the precinct at seven. She’d been issued her service weapon a few days ago, just in case the precinct was forced to call her in early.

She hadn’t worked as a detective in over a year, following _the incident_ involving her father.

Now, though, she was more than ready to get back into the saddle.

“I’ll be back in a few hours, baby,” she told her cat as she pulled on her old, beat-up black boots. “And don’t you dare scratch up my new couch while I’m gone.” They held eye-contact for a few seconds as Trish innocently licked her paw, spreading out her tiny bean toes and baring her claws. Alex sighed. She already knew the couch would not survive.

Without another word Alex turned around, threw on a blazer and leather jacket, and left her new apartment.

She’d been in the city for about three days now, and she’d used the time to familiarize herself with her neighborhood and the surrounding area. She’d found a park that lent itself perfectly to her weekend runs and a gym not too far from her apartment. There were three supermarkets within walking distance, and at least two convenience stores. She’d also driven to the precinct to scope out the area, and had spent roughly five minutes glaring at National City’s Chief of Police, Maxwell Lord, through the window of her car as he sipped his coffee in front of _Tribune Tea_.

She’d met the new Chief of Police only once after her transfer had gone through.

From what Alex could tell, he was ninety percent arrogance and ten percent facial hair.

She’d been hired by their previous Chief of Police, Miranda Crane, a fact that Lord had made more than clear during their brief meeting. He hadn’t said outright that she was unwelcome, but he’d let her feel it through little comments he’d made for the duration of their talk. He’d also mentioned her ‘pro-vigilante past’, as he’d put it.

To be perfectly honest, Alex wouldn’t have put in her transfer to National City if she’d known ahead of time that she’d be working for him. There was just something about him that irked Alex, and made her uncomfortable.

Alex had no idea how he’d managed to get elected.

She knew about his ‘hero-menace’ stance of course, fueled by Gordon Godfrey and his avid campaign against superheroes. Alex had spied Godfrey’s book on Lord’s shelf and it had made her skin crawl. He was one of those fanatic politicians calling for the deportation of aliens and other ‘costumed freaks’, as he liked to call them. He had a host of followers, but he didn’t hold any important office at the moment – not yet, at least.

However, having Lord in charge of the _police_ was dangerous. Currently, he was trying to put new policies into effect that would make it easy to prosecute cops for their association with superheroes, a truly asinine venture. She was sure it was only a matter of time before Lord tried to push through legislation that would implement a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ policy when it came to superhuman people.

Alex was already dreading working under Lord, and with the cops he had in his pocket.

The only silver lining she could see was her new partner, Sergeant Henshaw.

Hank Henshaw was a legend, even to her. His record was spotless and his crime solving rate was well above the rest of his precinct, a fact that excited Alex. She’d heard of Sergeant Henshaw all the way in Gotham City, a fact that had played no small role in her decision to transfer to this particular precinct.

She’d been reluctant at first, considering that she was trying to leave the whole superhero business behind her, and going to a city with a superhero was generally not conducive to that endeavor. Ultimately, though, she’d decided that it didn’t matter where she went. Super-powered people were all around them, there was no getting away from that fact, so she’d decided she’d rather move to a city where the superhero was a woman with a sunny disposition.

She’d always liked Supergirl in photographs and in the few videos she’d seen of her. Batman spoke highly of her as well, and the fact that she was Superman’s cousin didn’t exactly tarnish her record.

No, she wouldn’t be talking to Supergirl if she could help it, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy her good work from a safe distance.

-

As she settled herself into her car a few minutes later, she glanced at her phone, only to find two messages waiting in her inbox. For a second, she contemplated leaving them for later, before curiosity got the best of her and she clicked on the little icon on her screen.

She smiled a little as she read the first message – from her mother – wishing her a happy and successful first day at the office (and a reminder for Alex to come home and visit soon). The second one pulled a good-natured eye-roll from her as she skimmed it. It was the entire _Bee Movie_ script squeezed into one very long message with an attached ‘xoxo Supercop’ at the end, alongside a jester, a tropical flower, and a cat kiss emoji.

She sighed.

There really was no escape.

-

The precinct was packed with people, though it was barely seven in the morning.

Alex had just picked up her badge from Lord – an entirely unpleasant affair – and was now making her way to her new desk. She’d been shown around during her previous visit and had been introduced to the people she’d be working with. Most of them waved to her as she made her way inside and she nodded to all of them with a smile. She’d find out who to trust and who to avoid soon enough. Better to be friendly across the board until she could be sure.

Sergeant Henshaw – Hank – stood as she approached, his face serious but not unkind.

“Detective Danvers, good to have you on the team.” He was repeating what he’d said to her before, but she didn’t think he meant it any less for saying it again. He stretched out his hand for her to shake and she obliged happily. His handshake was firm and assured, but not meant to crush. He wasn’t trying to intimidate her. Instead, he seemed genuinely happy she’d arrived.

“Just Alex is fine,” she said with a smile as they parted. “So, do we have any interesting cases to work yet?” Why bother with pleasantries when she knew they’d both rather get to work? She sat down at her desk and eyed Sergeant Henshaw curiously. She wanted to get back into the swing of things as quickly as possible. She’d waited long enough.

If he was surprised at her eagerness to get started, he didn’t show it.

“We do indeed.” Henshaw nodded, tossing her a folder from where he’d sat down at his own desk, Alex catching it deftly. “Homicide; two people in their apartment with their eyes burned out of their skulls last week, no sign of a forced entry or a struggle. We haven’t been able to identify any prime suspects.” He regarded her for a second before apparently deciding she could be trusted, as he leaned forward to continue with a low voice. “Supergirl showed up at the scene – she told me she thinks a certain type of alien technology was being tested on these people.”

Alex furrowed her brows as she swept her eyes around the wide room.

No one was paying them any attention.

“And I guess you couldn’t exactly let Lord know we got a lead about alien tech from National City’s hero?” she mumbled back as she opened the file and surveyed the pictures of the victims. It was a gruesome sight, though sadly not the worst thing she’d seen during her career. The faces of the two Latino men looked stricken with horror, their emotions evident even in death. Their empty eye sockets were crusted over in cauterized blood, and the skin around their eyes blackened and burned.

Next, Alex looked over the pictures provided of the apartment.

At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary. There wasn’t any overturned furniture or signs of someone searching through the belongings of the victims. The only thing amiss was a shattered vase on the floor, apparently knocked down by one of the victims during his descent. The yellow tulips littering the ground were charred as well.

“Guess our perp doesn’t enjoy flowers,” she said mostly to herself as she put down the report. She decided to go through it more thoroughly later as she raised her eyes back to Hank’s face. “Do we have any leads whatsoever about who could have done this? Did Supergirl give you any other pointers?” Looked like her plan to stay away from the beautiful caped woman would turn out to be more difficult than originally expected.

“She said she’s going to keep an eye out for the alien tech, but that she can think of a few suspects who could be good for it.” His words trailed off as a colleague approached them, their hair short and dark, a smile fixed on their face. Alex remembered them from the debriefing she’d received. They’d introduced themselves as Vasquez and Alex had taken to them almost immediately. Vasquez had high-fived her behind Lord’s back and had asked her about getting in touch with Batman to score them an autograph.

Alex smiled back instinctively as Vasquez came to a stop next to them.

“Welcome back, Danvers, good to see you,” Vasquez said, holding their hand out for Alex to shake. “Serg, always a pleasure.” Vasquez winked at Hank, who scoffed good-naturedly. “His Lordness needs you at another crime scene. Two more people with their eyes burned out of their skulls,” they said, a shudder running through their body as they recounted the gruesome details. “Straight white couple this time, so at least we can rule out a hate crime, I guess.”

Hank’s mouth curved downward at their words.

“Let’s get going,” he said, jotting down the address Vasquez was dictating to him. Alex, who hadn’t even had time to get out of her leather jacket, nodded firmly and rose.

“First day on the job and already a double-homicide. Must be my lucky day.”

-

The crime scene was a nicely-furnished apartment on the fifteenth floor in central National City. Thankfully, the building had an elevator. Alex was in shape, but she wouldn’t have fancied a fifteenth floor run, no matter how good it would’ve been for her cardio.

More than anything, she hoped Supergirl wouldn’t be showing up at the crime scene this time.

This location looked about as inconspicuous as the last one. Not a single piece of furniture out of place, not a drawer rifled through in haste. The victims sat slumped over on their couch, a white man and woman, both blonde. On the coffee table, the black tea they’d been having sat completely unperturbed. The woman had dropped the small bottle of artificial sweetener she’d been holding, coating the front of the couch with its contents. Next to her, the man was holding a remote, the TV set to the food network.

Alex noted a vase with a once beautiful mixed bouquet on a chest of drawers off to the left of the couch. The petals were charred and saggy, some of them fallen off altogether. She filed this information away for later as she looked around once more.

The crime scene techs were doing their work, taking pictures and looking for evidence that Alex was almost certain they wouldn’t find. Again, there had been no sign of entry, no sign of a struggle. It was like whoever had committed these acts had simply unlocked the door, strode in, said hello, and had burned the eyes straight out of their victims.

The whole situation was disconcerting.

Hank stood next to her, a grim expression on his dark face. He had his arms crossed over his chest, slightly crinkling his otherwise neatly pressed, dark green dress shirt. His eyes surveilled the area, looking for anything that was out of place. She noticed his glance out of the window. Maybe he was waiting for Supergirl to show up, to give him some insight into the workings of this alien tech. She respected his willingness to include her in his investigations.

She also respected his discretion.

Whereas she’d made the mistake of publicly acknowledging that she was working with Batman, he kept his camaraderie with National City’s hero a secret. He was able to work with her without risking exposure to her superhuman threats and without the added pressure of the public eye. She envied the path he’d chosen, wishing she could go back and change hers to avoid the mess she’d made in the wake of her actions.

“I’ll check out the bedroom, see if there’s anything we missed,” Alex said, making her way around the crime scene techs and beat cops. She’d read the file in Hank’s car on the way to the scene, noting with annoyance that there didn’t seem to be anything missing from the previous home. There’d been nothing to indicate that the suspect or suspects had been to any other rooms outside of the scene of the crime, but Alex wanted to make sure. She’d always had a knack for detail.

She hoped she’d be able to find a lead somewhere.

-

They’d been working the case for three days now.

There hadn’t been another incident so far and she’d successfully managed to avoid meeting Supergirl.

Once, she’d been forced to duck quickly into an adjacent room before she could be spotted by the superhero. Hank had looked at her funny as soon as they were alone, but she hadn’t cared. She’d simply shrugged, telling him she didn’t want to get in on his thing with her, even though he’d assured her they didn’t have that kind of exclusive relationship.

Maybe someday she’d tell him the real reason she didn’t want anything to do with another hero, though she suspected he already knew. It was an open secret among the force what had happened to her, even if nobody ever mentioned anything to her about it. At least not to her face. She had no doubt that her colleagues spent at least some of their time talking about her and her tragic past.

Three days into work, Alex _also_ decided she’d had enough of taking her car to the precinct every morning.

Her car was stuffy, cheap, and uncomfortable to sit in, and she’d always felt a bit trapped in small spaces. The reason she’d been driving it every morning was due to her reluctance to make a bad impression by showing up to her first days of work on a motorcycle.

Her Ducati Monster 821 Dark was her pride and joy and had cost her a good chunk of cash, but the purchase had been worth every penny. Her mother had been furious with her when she got the license and bought the vehicle, all in a short span of time.

Ultimately, it had served her well. During her year off, Alex had ridden that monster all over the United States and Canada before having it flown out to Europe to continue her trip. It wasn’t nearly as shiny or new as it had been when she’d first bought it in Gotham four years ago, but she took care of it well and had it repainted before she left for National City. The new coat of paint felt symbolic as well as cathartic. She hoped it meant her bike wouldn’t be the only thing that was new and shiny again.

Of course, the one day she decided to leave her car and umbrella at home, it insisted on raining during the afternoon. She was already dreading the way home, knowing she’d be soaked through to the bone once she finally decided to leave.

“Danvers,” Vasquez yelled from across the room, standing close to the corridor leading to Lord’s office. They waved her over, waiting for Alex to get closer before speaking again. “Supreme Leader Lord would like to see you in his office. Didn’t say why.” Vasquez shrugged apologetically, their left hand placed on their waist, face unimpressed at their boss’s request. “If he asks, I absolutely did not put any salt in his coffee this morning while he was out running a quick errand.”

Alex smiled and offered Vasquez a high-five, which her colleague slapped all too eagerly.

Then, Alex’s face turned grim as she squared her shoulders and started walking towards the dreaded office. Whatever Lord wanted, it would most certainly not be good.

The door was closed, as usual. Lord didn’t fare an open-door policy, choosing instead to work through intimidation and reprimands. He called for you if he wanted you. Anything else was unthinkable. Alex had never agreed with all of her father’s decisions as commissioner, but at least he’d been approachable, and he’d listened to his peers and colleagues. Whatever faults her father might have had, at least he hadn’t ever been as terrible as this.

-

She’d been right.

She _was_ soaked to the bone.

She was standing outside of CatCo Coffee with her hair plastered to her scalp and her legs shivering from the cold, with a hot chocolate and a triple chocolate chip cookie clutched in her frozen hands. Most importantly, she was sure she’d just seen the most beautiful and awkward woman in the entire city.

Her discussion with Lord had been wiped away in the blink of an eye when _Kara_ had smiled at her.

Kara, the cute barista from the coffee shop two blocks away from her precinct and five blocks away from her apartment. Kara, the cute barista who’d blabbered ridiculously and had taken way too long to type in her order. Kara, the cute barista who had asked for her name.

Alex had tried to be smooth, but she felt rusty. It’d been a long time since she’d had to deal with a beautiful woman who might or might not be interested in her. Before her year off, there’d been few serious relationships. Alex had been married mostly to her work, and her brief dalliances with women had been exactly that. Brief. The kisses she’d shared with various – _friends_ \-- over the years, didn’t count.

Either way, the encounter left her feeling decidedly unbalanced.

-

Lord’s second discussion in his office was about her past, because _of course_.

Had she expected anything different?

It was Alex’s second week at her new precinct

Lord said he was concerned with her loyalties. He’d also asked her if she was still in contact with certain ‘individuals’ from her hometown. Much more troublingly, he’d asked about Hank and his involvement with Supergirl.

She’d answered his questions sparingly, unwilling to divulge much information. She was furious at his insinuations, but she’d kept her cool. It wouldn’t do well to show Maxwell Lord any of her vulnerabilities or weak spots. Or worse, any of the buttons he’d need to push to get her riled up.

She detested him thoroughly.

The rest of her first week hadn’t been uneventful, however. She’d been unable to return to CatCo Coffee, since she and Hank had been roaming the streets, looking for possible suspects. Lord had had them running down leads in an attempt to link the two incidents of eye-burning together, when the truth of the matter was - there _was_ no link.

The two couples hadn’t known each other, hadn’t lived in the same area, hadn’t frequented the same places, and didn’t even have any mutual friends as far as they knew. The first victims had been well-off, one of them a lawyer and the other one a doctor, while the second victims had barely passed the middle-class income level.

The _only_ thing Alex and Hank could discern from this busy-work, was that Pablo and Michael Ramírez had been just as surprised by their attacker as John and Susan Miller.

Then, of course, there were the flowers.

The flowers and vases had been purchased from different stores, but their destruction gave both Alex and Hank pause. It was unlikely that the bouquets had both randomly decided to burn themselves to a crisp, or for the Millers and Ramírez’ to both destroy their own flowers. Those burnt flowers said something, even if Alex couldn’t figure out what it was yet.

When she walked into CatCo Coffee for the second time, she was nervous, but mostly excited. She’d caught a glimpse of the cute barista Kara behind the counter from outside. She hoped that Kara would remember her against all odds, considering how many customers the girl probably found herself confronted with every day. She knew she’d work with it, even if Kara didn’t, but she needn’t have worried. Kara remembered her, and Kara was beautiful and adorable.

Alex knew she was getting herself into more and more trouble.

-

When the third couple found its way onto their radar – eyes burned out of their sockets with nothing amiss in their apartment except for a few bedraggled flowers – Alex decided she might as well call up old friends to ask for insight. Her first thought wasn’t Batman, but that was whom she called anyway. That other call, if she did end up making it, would probably take up the whole afternoon if she wasn’t careful, and she wanted to ask Batman about it before she got sucked into that void of conversation.

Batman’s phone rang only twice before he picked up.

“Hey,” he said, voice gruff and low. She could picture him standing around in his Batsuit, his arms crossed over his chest as he spoke into the microphone embedded in his mask. She wasn’t sure if he was scowling. She knew he had a bad reputation for being serious and humorless most of the time, but she knew better. She’d seen a fair few Batman smiles over the years. “Is everything okay in National City? I wanted to call earlier, but you know how it is.”

The concern in his voice touched her.

They hadn’t spoken since she left about three weeks ago, when he’d wished her all the best in National City, doing it in a way that told her she’d always be welcomed back with open arms in Gotham.

“I’m fine, National City is fine,” she answered with a smile in her voice as she leaned against the railing of the fire escape. Trish was walking around her legs, purring softly and rubbing herself on Alex’s shins. “It’s nothing like Gotham.”

He grunted in acknowledgement and she heard a gunshot.

“Is this a bad time? Do you want me to call you back?” The sound had caused her spine to stiffen automatically, Trish looking up at her and mewling softly in concern. Crouching down quickly, Alex curled her hand under her cat’s chin and stroked it softly to let her know everything was fine.

“No, no,” Batman replied, now breathing a little heavier. She imagined him outrunning the target. Then, as though nothing was out of the ordinary, he continued. “Is everything alright at work? Are your new colleagues treating you right? Have you made any new friends?”

Alex rolled her eyes at him. He could be such a _dad_ sometimes.

“Everyone has been very nice,” she hesitated for a moment. “Except for Maxwell Lord, but he doesn’t count.” Tired of her crouching situation, Alex let herself fall back onto her butt and stretched out her legs; Trish crawling over her knees and legs in some sort of parkour move. “I mean, you’ve heard of Lord, right? Douchebag extraordinaire?”

She heard a crunching noise from Batman’s end of the line, sounding suspiciously like somebody’s nose caving in on itself. Batman was having way more fun than she was right now. She hadn’t apprehended any actual criminals since she’d come to National City. She’d only been directed toward the case with the eye-burning, almost like Lord was trying to keep her and Hank busy on purpose.

“Rumor has it Lord rigged the election and that’s the reason he’s Chief of Police,” Batman said, pained groans and swearwords peppering his words from the background. “Be careful with him, Alex, he’s got some powerful friends. If you need any assistance, you know you can call me in at any time.”

His words made her smile, even as Trish nibbled stubbornly on Alex’s thumb.

“You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did rig it, the bastard. I can’t imagine any other way he’d get elected.” The thought made her angry, but she pushed the feeling away. She’d revisit it at a later date, since this wasn’t why she had called him. “And I do know that I can call you, which is sort of the reason I did. Call, I mean. My partner and I have this case involving alien tech and I was wondering whether or not you’d heard anything about it and could give me some insight.”

-

In the end, he didn’t know what sort of alien tech caused people’s eyes to be burned out of their sockets, but the call still made her feel better. Alex had come to care for the man a great deal during her many years of working with him. He was honest, kind, and a little rough around the edges; just like her.

He didn’t reply when she told him that she missed him, but his silence spoke louder than words.

When she finally hung up after another ten minutes of small-talk and catching up, Trish had fallen asleep on Alex’s lap, purring softly with her front paws stretched out in front of her and her tail curled around Alex’s left hand.

Alex smiled gently down at Trish as she dialed another number after a second of hesitation. This could either be a very productive talk, or it could devolve into total chaos. She’d need to keep it as brief as possible, or else she wasn’t going to be leaving this fire escape for the next several hours.

It rang three times before an alluring female voice answered her call.

“Alex, my beautiful caladium, I am so glad you called.” The woman on the other end of the line sounded happy and relaxed. Alex furrowed her brows at the nickname, wondering not for the first time if the flowery terms of endearment she chose to give to Alex held any special meaning. Maybe she’d have to google the name of the flower later, if she remembered to do it. “How is National City treating you? Is it everything you thought it would be?”

Alex relaxed against the bars behind her, Trish still purring softly.

“Hey, Pam.” It felt good to talk to her again. She’d been putting off this conversation for the past three weeks, dreading the possible questions about her mental health and emotional well-being. “I’m good, National City is very nice and a lot cleaner than Gotham. You’d like it here, there are a lot of public parks with beautiful flowers. Very fancy.”

She heard Pam tinkering around with glass in the background, no doubt working at the lab, her phone most likely pressed between her ear and shoulder as she worked. Everyone seemed to be a lot more productive than her today.

“Well, Harley and I did talk about coming to visit you soon, so get ready for that,” Pam said, the sound of a liquid being poured reaching Alex’s ears. Alex hummed slightly, a noise neither excited nor discouraging. Pam scoffed softly. “You can stop acting all macho-macho with me, my sweet edelweiss, I know you’d love to see some friendly faces.”

Alex laughed faintly, shaking her head.

“Fine, it would be nice to see you guys. Just, please, tell Harley to keep it in her pants this time, okay? I don’t want to have to buy a new couch again,” Alex said, her voice only slightly whiny as she spoke. She remembered the last time Harley and Pam had slept over at her place quite vividly.

Firstly, there had been the issue of the sleeping arrangements. It had taken her nearly an hour to get both Pam and Harley out of her own bed, where they both insisted they sleep for the night, _alongside Alex_ . And then, there had been the _noise_ . For most of the night, she hadn’t been able to sleep due to their very noisy, very rambunctious lovemaking. She hadn’t even so much as _touched_ the couch after that incident.

If it had been practical, she’d have incinerated the whole thing right on the spot.

Alas, she’d hired some movers to get it out of her old apartment.

She really didn’t want to have to do that again.

“Of course, we would never.” There was a hint of teasing in her voice and Alex gave up for the moment. She’d sooner stop Batman from saving the city than those two from expressing their feelings for one another. It was an everlasting, uphill battle.

“How are your flowers doing? Grow any new ones that I haven’t met yet?” Pam’s flowers had a knack for being unnervingly sentient, something that Alex hadn’t realized until she’d met some of them at Pam’s old lair. Though she hadn’t exactly been there by choice, the flowers had intrigued her.

She still remembered Pam’s nervously excited voice as Alex had failed to freak out at the gigantic sunflower rubbing itself all over her body, obviously excited to be meeting someone new. _You’re not weirded out?_ Pam’s words had stuck with Alex over the years, who hadn’t truly understood Pam in her singularity until that moment.

Pam was unique in her abilities and in her understanding of nature and its flora, something that separated her from the rest of humanity. Alex imagined it could be quite lonely to be so singular, and she knew that Pam was often met with resentment and misunderstanding.

Her experience with the sentient flowers and the woman who loved them so much had been an altogether sweet one, even if it had left her with a jacket full of pollen and a few too many lipstick marks on her cheeks.

“Oh, I can’t wait for you to meet them,” Pam said, excitement clear in her voice. “They miss you terribly, you know, always asking when you’ll be back. You better not be gone for a year again, or else I will drag you back by your ear myself.”

A sad expression broke over Alex’s face at those words.

“Trust me, I have no plans on disappearing again,” she said, shifting her legs slightly under Trish and feeling terribly sorry for the disgruntled little mewls escaping the tiny feline. Disturbing her always felt slightly sacrilegious. “I actually need your help with something. I’m working a case right now and there are some flowers involved. Can I send them to you, so you can analyze them and tell me what killed them?”

“Someone is killing flowers in your city? Do I need to come over there and set things right?” Pam sounded supremely irritated by this revelation, and Alex had no doubt that she’d get on the next plane to fly over if someone’s plan was indeed to systematically kill a bunch of flowers.

Alex needed to derail this, before it got worse.

“ _No_ , no one is purposefully killing flowers. Someone is going around the city killing couples by burning their eyes out of their skulls. The flower death is just a byproduct, but I think knowing what killed _them_ could seriously help me and my partner in solving the crimes. I think it might be some kind of chemical in the air.” It was silent on the other end now and Alex was sure Pam was listening intently to her information. “So… can I send them to you?”

Pam clacked her tongue scoldingly a few times.

“That you think you even need to ask breaks my heart, my beautiful lilac. Send them to me, I’ll have a look at them. How long have they been dead?” The tinkering sounds were starting up again, along with Trish’s purring. She’d obviously forgiven Alex for her uncalled for movement.

“We found the third couple today at four pm, with the time of death set somewhere around one pm. I’ll have the flowers delivered to you today. Thanks, Pam. I appreciate it, we are at a complete loss with this case and my boss is an asshole.” She hadn’t meant to divulge that part, but it was too late now. Harley and Pam didn’t tend to react too well to people who weren’t nice to Alex, and it hardly ever ended well for them.

“If you need a poison to get rid of your boss, _any_ poison, just hit me up. I’ve recently been working on this new toxin that’s especially slow-acting and painful and nearly untraceable,” Pam started, proudly presenting her newest achievement to her friend.

Her friend who worked for the _police_.

“You know I can’t hear this, Ivy, you can’t tell me about your poisons. I don’t want to have to raid your apartment, that would be so awkward.” Her voice was definitely whiny now, but she didn’t care. She’d told Ivy over and over again not to include Alex in her illegal activities, no matter how much she valued their friendship.

“I’m sorry, Alex, I’ll just send you the vial anonymously once it’s finished, then you can decide for yourself what to do with it. And don’t worry, I won’t leave any prints, I’ll have one of my flowers handle the transfer for me.” Alex groaned audibly at Ivy’s teasing tone, trying to drown out her friend’s words and not quite succeeding. Ivy laughed. “Okay then, you send me the samples and I’ll get back to you with the results ASAP. Oh, and please call Harley or text her or something, she’s been going out of her mind, wondering how you are. You know, more than she usually is. It’s been very difficult for all of us, so I’d appreciate the assistance.”

Alex didn’t believe for a second that Ivy could ever have trouble dealing with Harley, no matter what kind of state she was in, but she appreciated the gesture for what it was. A kick in the ass to get her act together and call her friends with an update.

“I’ll call her tomorrow. Right now I just want to watch some Netflix and fall asleep on the couch.” At the word Netflix, Trish’s ears perked up and she lifted her head excitedly. The moving pictures on the screen always thrilled the little troublemaker. “Though, I do have to go to the precinct first.”

“Alright, my sweet, little olive. Get some rest, don’t overdo it at work. I _am_ glad you called. Don’t let me wait to hear from you again for another three weeks, or Harley and I might have to rally a little rescuing party to get you home to Gotham. Cuddle your little ball of fur for me, will you? And tell Herbert I said hi,” Pam’s voice sounded happy and relaxed again, its familiarity soothing to Alex’s ears.

“Sure, Pam. I’ll call back soon. Thanks again for the help.”

With a few parting words exchanged between them, Alex ended the call and pushed her phone back into her leather jacket.

Time to go to the precinct.

-

Bagging some of the flowers was easy, the lab techs all too happy to assist her when she mentioned an expert willing to check out what the problem was. Now that Alex had been in National City for a little over two weeks, she could honestly say that she was comfortable with where she was, especially with such nice coworkers.

If only she hadn’t run into Maxwell Lord on her way out, her day could’ve ended on such a pleasant note. She’d been preparing to order pizza, curl up on the couch with Trish and binge watch old _Law &_ _Order_ episodes.

When Lord saw her, a smirk took root on his face and he waved her over almost immediately.

His smirks always gave her the creeps, like they were hiding his true nature under a veneer of smug satisfaction. With just the barest hint of teeth, they bordered on the verge of a sneer or a malicious expression of contempt for those around him. His self-satisfied body language didn’t make it any better.

She’d been almost out of the precinct, already a million miles away.

But instead of going home to her cat and spending her time relaxing, she was outside, chasing down a lead she knew wouldn’t get her anywhere. Someone’s hair had been found at the third crime scene, a hair which didn’t belong to the two victims or any of their known associates.

What the sudden hair discovery gave them was the DNA of a local crime boss who was running a drug ring in the area. A local crime boss who had so little to do with any of the three cases, Alex was astounded they even considered him at all. It was more than possible someone or something else had dragged the hair in with them.

Alex didn’t believe for a second that he was involved in something as advanced as this clearly alien technology, but she and Hank went downtown to check him out regardless.

“Whatever The Supreme Overlord wants, right?” Vasquez had whispered to her on the way out, managing to squeeze a smile from Alex’s otherwise thunderous expression. They’d high-fived sneakily behind Hank’s back.

What she regretted most about this waste of an afternoon wasn’t how utterly pointless the meeting with the crime boss had been – he’d had an alibi for all three murders – but that Alex had been short with the cute barista Kara. She’d wanted to indulge herself after she and Hank had returned to the precinct, but she’d barely made it to CatCo Coffee before she was called back to the precinct again, Vasquez texting her details about how Lord was dissatisfied with her and Hank’s work.

If he’d been in the vicinity, Alex was sure she’d have socked the bastard right then and there.

In the end, she’d been home at nine pm, feeling unhappy, stressed, and annoyed with herself and everyone around her. Trish was the only thing that calmed her down when she’d finally set foot in her apartment, her tiny warm body all too ready to cozy up to her.

“You are my favorite person, Trish, my very favorite person,” Alex said, cuddling the tiny feline closer to her chest, kissing her head and ignoring the small, angry mewls. “I know you don’t like it when I give you kisses, but who else am I going to give kisses to?” Putting her cat’s belly on her face, Alex breathed in the clean scent of cat fur and relaxed for the first time in hours.

When Trish tried to scratch at her face to get away, Alex finally let her cat go. Then, Alex walked over to her small watering can and went about her bi-weekly business of watering Herbert, her friendly carnivorous plant.

“Hey, Herb,” she said as she lowered the can to the stem and started to water it gently. Herbert looked much like a Venus flytrap, but his tiny leaves grew longer as she approached, grabbing for her free hand and bringing it to his maw. She’d been startled the first time the plant had made a grab for her, but she was used to it by now, slowly and tenderly running her fingers along his head, scratching and petting him softly.

Herbert had never bitten Alex and she didn’t think he ever would, either. Pam had made sure of that before she’d gifted the friendly plant to her, a small reminder of home. Alex smiled softly to herself as she grabbed for some dead flies and plastic trash, sprinkling both into Herbert’s open maw.

“Here you go, Herb.” The plant patted her arm gratefully and let her go, closing himself and beginning the digestive process, as she’d seen him do so many times before.

Satisfied that her duties for the day had been completed, she sat down on the couch and let herself fall back.

After only a minute, she was asleep.

-

When Alex woke up early the next morning, she immediately knew something was off.

She was still on the couch where she’d fallen asleep, but she wasn’t wearing her shoes anymore and someone had placed a blanket over her, going so far as to tuck her feet in, too. Even stranger, Trish wasn’t sleeping at her side, and there was a steaming cup of what smelled suspiciously like her favorite kind of Gotham coffee on the living room table.

Instinctively, Alex reached for the gun taped to the bottom of her couch, only to find it was gone.

Cursing softly under her breath, she pushed herself onto her elbows and surveilled the area around her, looking for the intruder. When she stopped and listened for any noises, she heard the distinct sound of Trish eating from her bowl and a spoon being turned in a cup.

She chanced a look over the edge of her couch, her eyes making contact with a pair of bright green ones.

Instantly, the fight went out of her and she relaxed, sighing loudly.

“Selina, what the fuck?” She noticed now that the blanket wrapped around her was black with a variety of tiny, white kittens tumbling all over it.

“Sorry for barging in like this, darling, but you were asleep,” Selina said, taking a sip from her coffee and getting up from her chair. She’d been in the kitchen, reading the paper and scratching Trish behind her ears. “You looked so cute, I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” Alex grumbled, throwing the blanket off of herself and getting to her naked feet. At least Selina had had enough sense to take off her socks, too. Alex hated sleeping in her socks.

“Where’s the fun in knocking on your door, when the window is so much easier to open from the outside?” Selina asked, a sneaky smile spreading over her lips as she walked over to Alex and pressed a gentle kiss against the corner of her mouth. “Red told me you called her yesterday, so I figured you’d gotten over whatever hang-ups you’ve been dealing with. Thought I’d stop by, see how my baby is doing.”

Trish perked up at this, leaving her half-empty bowl of food and skipping over to them, pawing at both of their legs, asking to be picked up.

Alex obliged her.

“You could’ve called, too, you know. You didn’t have to show up unannounced.” Alex’s voice was grumpy, though not unkind. She hated to be blind-sided, but she was happy to see Selina again under better circumstances. Their last meeting hadn’t gone over very well.

Stroking Trish softly, Alex noticed Selina’s outfit for the first time. She was wearing one of Alex’s expensive silk shirts over a tank top and a pair of Alex’s boxers.

Alex frowned.

“Made yourself at home, did you?” Sitting back down on the couch, Alex grabbed for the coffee Selina had left for her and swallowed a mouthful. It was delicious and just how she liked it. She’d have to give Selina credit for that.

“I figured you wouldn’t mind,” Selina said, shrugging unconcernedly and settling herself down next to Alex, putting her hands on Alex’s tense shoulders and massaging them kindly. “You’re too tense, lover, this new job is riding you too hard. Trish told me all about it last night.”

“Blabbermouth,” Alex said, poking her cat’s belly and scratching over the spot quickly to prevent any ill-will. Closing her eyes and letting her head fall forward, she enjoyed the moment of normalcy between her and Selina, relishing the massage and the good company.

“Why are you really here?” Alex asked, glancing over at her friend suspiciously.

The corners of Selina’s mouth twitched down in displeasure and she flicked Alex against the ear with her fingers.

“I was worried about you! You didn’t call for three weeks, you barely even texted,” Selina said, exasperated at Alex’s behavior. “And then I hear that you’re working for Maxwell Lord, the trashiest piece of dirt this city has ever had in an official capacity, and you don’t even call me to talk shit about him.” She grabbed both of Alex’s cheeks and pulled her head up, looking right into Alex’s guilty eyes. “I know you worked through some shit, I get that, but this has gone on long enough. If you don’t want to call me, that’s your business, but I’m not going to watch my friend waste away all by herself.”

She looked truly angry for a second, an expression Alex hated to see on her face, especially since she’d been the one to put it there.

She sighed softly and tried on a small smile.

“Will you forgive me if I tell you I’m sorry and that it won’t happen again?” Alex asked, trying her best to look like a small kitten that had been caught slicing up the curtains.

Selina huffed.

“You’re lucky you’re so damn cute, Supercop,” Selina mumbled as she stole the slightest of kisses from Alex’s lips. “But I’ll expect weekly updates from now on. No excuses.”

Alex rolled her eyes, but nodded her assent.

“Sure, whatever you say.”

It didn’t do anybody any good to argue with a cat.

-

 

 

> [Pam]: I analyzed the flowers for you and sent the results to your precinct, my love. _Sent 10:22pm_.
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Thanks, Pam. Will read your report later at work! Selina came by to visit. _Sent 5:45am_.
> 
> [Pam]: Tell her I said hi. _Sent 5:47am_.
> 
> [Pam]: And call Harley!!! _Sent 5:47am_.
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Fell asleep after work, tell her I said sorry. Selina says hi back. _Sent 5:50am_.
> 
> [Pam]: Stop working so hard. Tell her I said she should tell you not to work so hard _. Sent 5:51am_.
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Tell her yourself. _Sent 5:52am_.
> 
> [Pam]: Rude. _Sent 5:52am_.

-

It was barely six am, so Alex didn’t bother rushing, instead spending the morning with Selina in her kitchen, drinking coffee and talking about what everyone back in Gotham had been up to these last few weeks.

“Your mother sends her regards,” Selina said around a mouthful of breakfast bagel with cream cheese. “I think you should call her; she misses you.” Selina’s legs were hanging over Alex’s thighs, Alex’s right hand scratching absentmindedly along the naked skin.

“Mom misses me when I’m in the next room,” Alex replied without looking up, flipping the newspaper and reading the next page.

“She has every right to,” Selina scoffed, swatting Alex’s hand with her own.

Eliza Danvers and Selina Kyle had been meeting up for tea every two weeks like clockwork ever since Alex got established as one of the ‘gang’. What gang exactly that was, Alex hadn’t been too sure of at the time, but her mother had appreciated the new friend and had grown genuinely fond of Selina.

The feeling was mutual.

Things had escalated after _the incident_ and Alex’s year-long, solitary recovery.

After Alex had left, her mother had been completely alone in their big house, something Alex had known but hadn’t consciously thought about. She’d been too blinded by her own pain to see her mother was suffering just as much as her.

Eliza Danvers was strong, but she wasn’t indestructible.

In the end, something had been forced to give.

Selina had been there for the fall-out after Alex’s departure, going grocery shopping with Eliza, helping her around the house, and spending long, enjoyable evenings together. Alex had been told of this much later, avoiding most contact with her friends and family during her year away.

Selina had even gone so far as to gift Alex’s mother a gigantic black cat. Alex was still half convinced the beast was actually a small panther, though she hadn’t been able to prove that quite yet. The idea might have been to give her mother something to snuggle into when she felt alone and Alex appreciated the act more than anything, but secretly, she disliked the cat almost as much as her new boss.

All in all, it was a debt Alex would never be able to repay.

Instinctively, Alex’s eyes drifted to her left forearm and the scar hidden beneath her shirt, covered in beautiful red and green colors of Pam’s own design - drifted back to the reason her life had become so screwed up in the first place.

Pulling herself back to the present, Alex noticed that Selina was watching her silently.

“What?” Alex asked, swiping at her mouth. “Do I have bagel on my face?”

Selina smiled sadly for a moment, before she shook her head.

“No, I’m just glad you’re back, that’s all,” she said, her hand stroking Alex’s gently. “Please don’t leave again. I don’t think your mother could take another year without you and I am a _terrible_ substitute for the real thing.”

They held eye-contact for a few moments longer, Alex trying to convey how grateful she was without having to say it out loud. She was pretty sure Selina got most of it.

Patting Alex’s hand for one last time, Selina leaned back in her chair and grabbed her coffee mug again. The mug had a picture of Selina, Ivy and Harley on it, all sticking their tongues out at the camera. Alex wouldn’t exactly say she cherished the old thing, but if it somehow ended up back on her breakfast table every morning, then that was purely by coincidence.

Alex went back to the morning paper.

Supergirl had performed another heroic save.

The tender moment broken, Selina wiggled her legs, silently urging Alex to continue her caresses, to which Alex grudgingly complied.

“While we’re on the topic of your mother-,“ Selina started, before being rudely interrupted.

“You brought her up, that’s not my fault.”

Selina kicked her swiftly in the shin and continued on as though nothing had happened as Alex rubbed the abused limb with a pout of her face.

“ _As I was saying_ , while we’re on the topic of your mother, can you please tell her to stop feeding Caesar so many treats and fatty meals? I swear, he’s grown three times his original size since I gave him to her.” Selina prepared herself another cream cheese bagel.

“You’re the one who gave her that demon cat in the first place, it’s your own damn fault if he’s getting fat now. I told you giving my mom a pet wouldn’t end well for anybody.” Alex let go of her smarting shin and brought her hand back to Selina’s legs, picking up her gentle stroking.

“He was never supposed to turn into a real life version of Garfield. He’s not even a tabby, he’s a gentle and elegant giant… He’s practically an angel! Just because you don’t know how to handle big cats...” The snide comment wrenched an overly dramatic, pained gasp from Alex’s chest.

Trish raised her head from where she’d been resting it on the table, looking back and forth between Alex and Selina and ultimately deciding they weren’t worth the trouble. Without another glance, Trish jumped down to the floor and made her way into the living room.

Alex suspected she’d curl up on her new kitten blanket.

“Tell that to the scars I have on my wrist from that fat monster.” Alex held up her right fist to present Selina with the evidence of Caesar’s angry attitude towards her. She’d only been trying to give the damn thing some treats.

“Don’t you talk about him like that. Caesar is a gentle soul,” Selina started, a glint to her eyes as she continued on. “He can just tell the bad apples from the good ones. That’s your problem, Supercop.”

Alex furrowed her brows at that, finally putting down the newspaper she’d still been holding on to. If she’d been staring at Supergirl’s picture a little longer than appropriate, no one could fault her for that. Supergirl was gorgeous.

“You’re being especially mean to me today and I do not appreciate it,” Alex said, knowing how close her voice was getting to the whiny quality she’d used with Pam on the phone yesterday. “Besides, that cat should’ve been named Brutus, what with all the backstabbing he does with his claws.”

Selina rolled her eyes at her friend’s antics, before snatching up the discarded newspaper and looking at the first page.

“Whatever you say, Supercop, whatever you say.” Alex watched as Selina studied the picture of Supergirl. “Say, darling, have you actually met this _Supergirl_? Do you think she’d go on a date with me, if I asked nicely?”

Alex rolled her eyes.

“No, I haven’t met her, but from what I can tell, she’s extremely nice, so she’s really not your type. Besides, she could do better than you anyway.” Alex had just reached for her cup of coffee when she was assaulted by the weight of Selina sitting down on her lap and wrapping her arms around her neck.

“I go for the nice girls,” she said indignantly. “I’d go for you in a heartbeat if you asked me to, Supercop, you know that.” Selina wiggled her eyebrows, pressing a big kiss on Alex’s cheek with a smug smile. She’d often commented that her favorite shade of lipstick looked perfect on Alex’s skin.

Alex smirked back at her.

“I’m not a nice girl,” she said, untangling Selina’s hand from her hair.

“You keep telling yourself that, baby, you keep telling yourself that.”

When Selina left – with a kiss, always a kiss – Alex breathed a sigh of relief and disappointment. Having Selina here had been nice, had almost been like old times.

For the first time in over a year, Alex wished she hadn’t left Gotham, hadn’t left her friends behind.

It only took one twinge from her forearm to remind her why she’d left in the first place.

-

When Alex checked her phone for new messages and e-mails five minutes later, she noticed that something was amiss.

Selina had obviously used her time in the apartment to break into Alex’s cell, most likely while Alex had gotten dressed in her bedroom before breakfast. The background picture had been changed, for one – Selina winked at her from the kitchen table, one hand raking through her short black hair and her cleavage on full display. But more importantly, when Alex tried opening her contacts to chide Selina about personal space and privacy, she realized with a heavy heart that her friend had obviously decided her contact names and pictures were too boring for her.

Deciding against making the effort to change everyone back to how they were before, Alex locked her phone and went to work.

She’d get Selina – now [My Extremely Beautiful and Brilliant Girlfriend] – back for it later.

-

It was the most stupid proposal she’d ever read in her entire life.

Alex stared down in disbelief at the file Vasquez had just given to her, a folder containing Maxwell Lord’s newest pet project. Alex would’ve liked nothing more than to take the offending papers, go outside, and incinerate them all, turning the whole thing into a pile of ash. Or better yet, go directly into Lord’s office and burn the proposal on his desk.

The ‘Hero Menace Initiative Project’ gave off crackling noises as Alex gripped it more tightly in her hands.

It was a twelve-step plan, describing in great detail how the National City police department would finally be able to ‘stop the hero menace terrorizing our beautiful city’. Alex had been right, a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ policy was included to round out the entire horrific venture. The paper proposed the inclusion of a new, specialized task force with military training, sent out specifically to hunt down and bring in masked or caped vigilantes.

Alex was sitting in the bullpen, Hank at his desk next to her and Vasquez scowling down at their phone.

Alex made a grab for the badge around her throat, turning it around in her right hand, the left still holding the proposal. What would she do if Lord got his proposal approved by the higher-ups? She didn’t want to be a cop if this level of discrimination would be common and legal among her ranks. The thought alone made her want to retch.

She couldn’t believe this was really happening, couldn’t believe Maxwell Lord had been allowed to take charge of National City’s police force. Unbidden, Batman’s words came back to her. _Rumor has it, he rigged the polls_. It was certainly a possibility.

Maybe she should take some time to look into it.

Hank didn’t look much happier with the situation, though he was hiding his anger more efficiently than she was. The only sign he’d just read through the new proposal was his twitching jaw muscles and his slightly stiffer posture.

Alex wanted to yell at someone.

Or, better yet, she wanted to get a coffee at CatCo’s, wanted to see Kara.

Kara would eradicate the annoyance Alex felt thrumming through her body. Kara would know what to say and how to make her feel better without even really knowing what was going on.

Alex surmised that aside from Vasquez and Hank, Kara had become her first friend in the city, even though they’d met each other only sparingly during the last four weeks. Though, if she was honest with herself, she wanted to ask Kara out on a date, too.

Putting down the proposal, Alex rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, thinking back to last week’s breakfast at CatCo Coffee and the nice conversation she’d shared with Kara over coffee and a triple chocolate chip cookie on the house.

Kara’s nervousness had been adorable, and by now, Alex was pretty sure that if she asked Kara out, the other woman would say yes. Still, Alex wasn’t sure if she should. She certainly wanted to, but she didn’t know if she’d be comfortable subjecting Kara to all of her baggage, clingy friends and personality defects.

She knew what Harley would say if she knew what Alex was struggling with. She’d tell her to suck it up and go after the girl. She’d probably be much more vulgar about it, too. Alex allowed herself a second to remember the phone call she and Harley had shared last week, remembered the genuine fondness in Harley’s crass words.

She shouldn’t have waited so long to call.

“This is stupid,” Vasquez spoke aloud what Alex had been thinking ever since she picked up the proposal. Alex looked around sharply at the people around them, most of which had already read the report and were discussing it quietly amongst themselves. Alex knew some of them believed in Lord’s message and couldn’t wait to get the legal justifiability to commit the atrocities described by the proposal. Interacting with any of them made her skin crawl on a daily basis. But Alex also saw many disgruntled faces, some outright angry at the implications. The sight warmed her.

If this went any further, the precinct would most likely be split down the middle.

She knew which side she and her friends would be on.

“I know,” Alex replied to Vasquez’s outburst, squeezing her friend’s arm and nodding her assent. “It’s dumb and bull-headed and bigoted and racist as fuck and it makes me want to take ten showers just thinking about it.”

Hank snorted at her description, eying the folder in front of him with distaste.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” he grumbled, taking the folder and pushing it into the trash can. “If this pile of dirt gets approved, we’re going to have a difficult time around here, especially since we’ll be expected to shoot Supergirl on sight.” He gave Alex a calculating look. “Not that that’s going to be a problem for you. I’ve never seen you run faster than in the _almost_ -presence of her red skirt.”

Alex sent him a dirty look.

“Do we really have to talk about why I’m actively avoiding Supergirl?” she challenged her partner, the skin on the back of her neck prickling with unease. She didn’t want Hank and Vasquez to think she would be on the side of Lord’s proposal, if it came down to it.

Hank huffed.

“Fine,” he said, face stern, “I won’t bring it up again.”

Alex averted her eyes from his serious expression, noticing for the first time that her hands had balled themselves into fists, knuckles white, shaking softly. The scar on her left forearm stung uncomfortably, the phantom pain of it scratching at her senses. For a moment, Alex wanted a drink. She could already taste the burning of the scotch as she poured it straight down her throat.

Clenching her jaw, she brought her gaze to the desk in front of her and thought back to what Harley had said to her about coping mechanisms on the job. Before she’d left everyone behind for a year, Harley had taken her aside to talk to her about the trauma she’d survived.

Alex still couldn’t talk about what had happened on that day without becoming agitated and anxious, reliving the moments in vivid detail, unable to pull herself back from the pain and desolation. She really hoped Hank or Vasquez would never ask her to talk about what had really happened. She wasn’t ready.

Fighting with herself, Alex consciously slowed down her breathing, and began reciting the names of her guns and their serial numbers back to herself in her head.

 

 

> Glock 43, standard-issue for law-enforcement, serial number _D 4 K 5 5 6_ . AK-47 assault rifle, hidden under her bed, serial number _2014 D N 1 5 4 7_ . Tactical semi-automatic handgun, twenty-two calibers, taped to one of the cupboards in her living room, serial number _A 6 G 9 8 5_ . AR-15 carbine rifle, stashed in the closet of her hallway behind old boxes of junk, serial number _0 5 8 9 5 3_.

By the time Alex reached the second handgun hidden in her apartment – taped to the bottom of her couch, serial number _B 7 H 9 7 6_ – her muscles had relaxed and her anxiety had been brought under control.

Silently thanking Harley in her head and vowing to send her a text message about it later, Alex mentally reentered the precinct and raised her eyes from her desk. Hank and Vasquez weren’t looking at her, hadn’t noticed the episode Alex had barely managed to avoid. Instead, they were whispering about a plan to bring Lord’s operation to its knees.

With a small breath, Alex joined in on their discussion.

-

 

 

> [Alex Danvers]: Thanks. _Sent 5:42pm_.
> 
> [Harley QUEEN]: Anytime. What r u thanking me 4? _Sent 5:51pm_.
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: For not showing up here like Selina did, obviously. _Sent 5:55pm_.
> 
> [Harley QUEEN]: Shut ur face before I shut it 4 u, Supercop. _Sent 6:01pm_.
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Right. Anyway, thanks. _Sent 6:16pm_.
> 
> [Harley QUEEN]: Weirdo. Love u 2. _Sent 6:20pm_.

-

She wanted to kiss Kara.

It was the only thought running through Alex’s mind as she looked at Kara on the other side of the table.

“I think it would be best if we talked about this more on our date,” Alex finally said, voice a little huskier than usual. She stuck the final piece of cake into her mouth and drank the rest of her hot chocolate. “Because if you don’t stop saying things like that to me, I’m going to do something really stupid and very inappropriate and I really, _really_ want to get to know you better first.”

Kara’s shy smile almost brought Alex to her knees. She’d been absolutely right before. Coming to CatCo Coffee after Hank had kicked her out of the precinct had been the best decision she’d made all day. Her veins were drumming with adrenaline as she thought about taking Kara out. She’d have to start planning, she wanted everything to be perfect for her.

They didn’t touch as Alex left the shop. Alex wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep herself from kissing Kara if she so much as laid a hand on her arm. The feeling was overwhelming.

Alex had never believed in love at first sight, but she was starting to think she’d have to revise her stance if Kara kept looking at her like that.

Alex breathed in deeply as she exited the coffee shop, Kara watching her go.

With a smile, Alex looked back at her and waved, a feeling of complete and utter elation overtaking everything else. She’d actually done it, she’d asked Kara on a date and Kara had said yes. Kara _wanted_ to go on a date with her.

Alex felt like dancing as she swung her leg over her motorcycle and secured the helmet on her head.

Kara looked beautiful as she smiled at Alex from the doorway, her face conveying just as much excitement as Alex felt inside. She almost couldn’t believe this moment was real.

With a smile in her heart, Alex drove home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've seen Smallville, you've already heard of the hero menace movement, and I've borrowed them for this fanfic! Surprise, this is actually a Smallville crossover. And a Gotham City Sirens crossover. And a-- I'm kidding. It's just those two. Unless you count the lesbian cameos that may or may not be in here. But don't worry, you don't need to know anything about Smallville to understand this; I promise. 
> 
> Also I may or may not be planning an Alex/Selena/Ivy/Harley AU. Maybe. 
> 
> Find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr!
> 
> This chapter was beta-d by the lovely Coara and beaglesinbowties! All remaining mistakes belong to me.


	3. Throwing Caution to the Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara can't find an outfit she likes until Lucy steps in. Alex is just trying not to crash her motorcycle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Note** : Contains mentions of blood and heavy alcohol usage. 
> 
> It's Wednesday already? Well then, time to update!
> 
> I hope you have an excellent time with this chapter!

Kara was having a meltdown.

She was staring at her open closet, clothes strewn across her bedroom. Lucy was buried under a mountain of dresses, belts and one particularly tight pair of jeans.

“How can I have this many clothes and absolutely nothing to wear? What was I even thinking, buying all of this? None of these are any good, I mean _look at this_ . What _is_ this?” Kara was holding up a green, sleeveless blouse with white polka dots. On any other given day, she might have regarded the blouse as a nice addition to her closet, but in this very moment – hours away from her first date with Detective Alex Danvers – Kara couldn’t fathom why she ever would’ve bought a rag this ugly in the first place.

“She always looks so good and she’s never seen me out of uniform before; what if she hates my fashion sense? What if there’s a stain and I don’t notice?” Kara gasped at the horrific images flashing through her mind. “What if I wear a color she absolutely hates? Ugh, why did I ever think this was a good idea? We were having a good time just being coffee pals, right? Do you think I should cancel? Reschedule until I’ve bought some better clothes?”

Lucy snorted.

“If you call your gal pal and cancel, I’ll call her back, tell her you’re coming and then I’ll go meet her instead. How does that sound? Would that make you happy?” Kara could see Lucy’s face from under her most favorite black dress, hair disheveled and a glass of wine sticking out from under the rest of the clothes. Lucy had refused to move, even while Kara had been piling clothes onto her. “Do you think that woman is going to stay single and willing forever? You’ve seen her, she’s probably got the ladies lining up behind her as we speak.”

Kara grimaced as she imagined Alex among a throng of beautiful women. The thought pained her more than she’d like to admit, considering how little she actually knew of the detective. She was already way too deep into this one. She needed to calm herself down considerably before she went out to meet her.

“That’s not exactly encouraging, Lucy,” Kara mumbled, sitting down on the floor amongst her clothes and burying her face in her hands.

“Kara,” Lucy sighed, sitting up on the bed and taking a hearty sip from her wine, “Kara. Babe, honey pie, angel face.” Her tone was only slightly mocking, for which Kara was grateful. She really needed some reassurance right now. “That woman asked _you_ out on a date, okay? She asked you, because she _wants_ to go out with you, because the crush she has on you rivals the embarrassingly gigantic crush you have on her. If you don’t get out of here in two hours and meet her at that super fancy restaurant she’s taking you to, then I will never speak to you again, you hear me?”

“It’s not super fancy, it’s just nice.”

“Whatever,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes. “Just because your name is Kara _Can’t_ doesn’t mean you need to listen to it. Kara can. Say it with me now, _Kara_ _can_.”

Kara scowled, visibly pained by the whole ordeal.

Pushing herself back to her feet, she surveyed the damage she’d done to her room. Despite her questionable punning choices, Lucy was right; Alex had asked her out because she wanted to. No one had forced her hand; Kara hadn’t held a gun to her head, hadn’t coerced her in any way. Really, the only thing Kara had done had been to let Alex in on her feelings in the most awkward way imaginable.

It had been three days since that fateful Wednesday night when Alex Danvers – hot, _hot_ police officer Alex Danvers – had asked her out. They’d exchanged numbers, they’d set a date and they’d agreed on a time and place. Saturday evening, eight pm, The White Martian (a nice but not too upscale Italian place Kara had been aware of but had never actually visited before).

After Thursday afternoon, after they’d arranged the date, Kara had been too nervous to text Alex about anything else, unsure of what to say. Kara enjoyed texting immensely, the electronic communication putting a barrier between her awkwardness and the people around her. She texted plenty with Lucy and her other friends, but contacting Alex about something trivial had seemed like an impossible task. Her fingers had hovered over the keyboard many times, had even started to write some messages, only to delete each one and close the text message window. Hopefully, she’d have better luck speaking in person.

“What about this one?” Lucy said, finally placing down her wine glass on Kara’s bedside table and holding up a burgundy blouse. It would need to be ironed, but it was one of Kara’s favorite articles of clothing. She’d likely missed it among the armful of blouses she’d emptied onto Lucy’s torso, asking her to sort through them. “This makes your neck look fucking fantastic and really brings out your collarbones if you leave the first three buttons unbuttoned, which you will be. Wouldn’t want to hide the goods from our dear detective.”

Lucy shoveled herself free and got to her naked feet, the blouse still clutched tightly to her.

“And you have that cute rose-colored tartan skirt. That will go great with this. We also need to do something with your hair. I know you like to keep it in an up-do at work to help with your secret identity stuff, but I think for this we should make an exception,” Lucy was talking a mile a minute, grabbing the aforementioned skirt off the floor and shoving both at Kara’s chest. “Go iron these while I find the right pair of shoes. Go, go, go.”

Kara nodded, unwilling to pick a fight in the face of so much logic.

Ten minutes later, Lucy emerged from Kara’s bedroom with a pair of burgundy shoes Kara had completely forgotten she owned. Lucy must have clambered _into_ Kara’s closet to find them. Not for the first time, Kara thanked Rao for Lucy’s friendship in her life.

“Thank you so much, Lucy, you’re a lifesaver,” Kara said, turning off her iron and placing it down on the kitchen counter where it couldn’t set anything on fire if she left it alone for a few seconds. “Seriously, how did you find these?” The shoes were the exact same shade as the blouse, most likely because Kara had actually purchased them together a few months ago, as she now remembered.

Lucy shrugged, obviously pleased with herself.

“I have my ways. You can thank me tomorrow after you got laid.” Lucy’s smirk was undeniably mischievous as she set down the shoes in front of Kara and refilled her wine glass. Kara sputtered at her words, her hand going to her glasses automatically only to realize she wasn’t wearing them. Some habits did die hard.

“Alex and I will not be having sex tonight,” Kara said, voice slightly breathless at the idea. Sex with Alex would no doubt be magnificent, but Kara wasn’t generally a girl to have sex after a first date, no matter how good the date would be. Hopefully.

“Fine, be that way. Crush all of my hopes and dreams of living vicariously through you,” Lucy said, face crumbled into a mask of despair. “Here I was, hoping my one true friend would get some hot action tonight but alas… the universe is all too cruel.” She lifted her left hand to her forehead and mimed a fainting motion, the right hand still keeping her wine glass steady. “Oh dear whatever deity might be up there, tell me why my good friend Kara does not want to bring me some joy in my old age by screwing a super-mega hot police officer.”

Kara rolled her eyes.

“You’re twenty-nine,” Kara said, voice deadpan.

“So not the point!” Lucy exclaimed, left hand back at her side. “Now get your ass dressed, so I can do your hair. Chop, chop.” Lucy snapped her fingers a few times, shooing Kara away with her free hand. When Kara had almost left the room, Lucy’s voice followed her. “And put on some cute, matching underwear. You know, just in case!”

Kara refrained from sighing again.

-

 

> [Alex Danvers]: Having an important meeting tonight and want to look good, what should I wear? _Sent 6:21pm_.
> 
> [My Extremely Beautiful and Brilliant Girlfriend]: Ohhh, does our sweet Supercop have a date? Tell Auntie Selina all about it, baby. Spare me no details. _Sent 6:22pm._
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: No, I told you, it’s for a meeting. _Sent 6:24pm._
> 
> [Harley QUEEN]: Since when do u want 2 look good 4 a meeting? Ur boss tickling your fancy now, Supercop? _Sent 6:27pm._
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Don’t be gross. Should’ve known you lot can’t help with this. _Sent 6:30pm._
> 
> [Smol Flowerchild]: Happy for you, my sweet almond blossom! Wear those tight jeans you own, you know the ones. And remember, blue makes your eyes pop! Call me later and let me know how it went! _Sent_ _6:35pm._
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Thanks, Pam. Harl, Selina, go screw yourselves _. Sent 6:37pm._
> 
> [My Extremely Beautiful and Brilliant Girlfriend]: Language! Think of the children! _Sent 6:38pm._
> 
> [Harley QUEEN]: If you insist, babe. _Sent 6:38pm._

-

Alex’s hands were sweating on the handlebars of her motorcycle.

She was fifteen minutes early as she hurtled through the streets of National City.

She’d never been this nervous before a date in her life, though she figured it was mostly unwarranted and unnecessary anxiety. Kara had proven herself to be an excellent conversationalist and a supremely kind human being when she wasn’t stuttering shyly. And even then, Alex was powerless to resist her. She just hoped tonight would go well for her.

Alex had taken Pam’s advice and had thrown on her favorite pair of tight, blue skinny jeans. She’d also donned a soft, dark blue sweater, which shimmered when the light hit it just right. She hadn’t bothered with curling her hair, deciding to leave it straight instead, just the way she liked it. She knew her mother wouldn’t approve of this choice (she’d always been a firm believer of curls), but Alex had felt more comfortable leaving her hair the way it was now.

Turning the corner, Alex slowed to a more moderate speed as the restaurant came into view. It was a Saturday night, so the streets weren’t exactly empty, but Alex could already see a parking spot for her monster. She could also see Kara standing in front of the restaurant wrapped in a light brown overcoat, her hands clasped in front of her body, and looking around nervously.

Parking her bike, Alex swung her leg over and wiggled her shoulders softly against the anxiety in her belly as she took off her helmet and shook out her hair. There was no reason to be worried about this date. Everything would go well. She liked Kara, and Kara seemed to like her.

Placing the helmet inside the little compartment in her motorcycle, Alex slipped the key from the ignition and locked everything down. Squaring her shoulders ever so slightly, Alex turned around and chanced a glance across the street to Kara, who was looking directly at her, a nervous smile fixed on her face and her cheeks slightly flushed despite the relatively moderate weather.

Alex hoped Kara was blushing because of the hair-shaking. The thought held a certain kind of movie magic Alex was all too eager to believe in.

Breathing in deeply one final time, Alex smiled at Kara, looked left and right, and started walking towards her, leather jacket and boots squeaking in tandem as she made her way over. Her gun was hidden at her back and her trusty karambit knife was a solid, reassuring presence in her right boot. If anything bad happened tonight for whatever reason, she was prepared.

“Hey, Kara,” Alex said as she came to a stop in front of the restaurant - Kara’s cheeks were still red. Alex wasn’t sure how to greet her since they’d barely touched so far.

“Hey,” Kara responded, her hands slipping into her coat pockets and her smile wide and sincere. The nervousness was still present in her features, but she looked genuinely happy to see Alex. The thought sent a pulse of warmth through Alex’s chest.

Throwing caution to the wind, Alex leaned forward and pressed a small kiss against Kara’s cheek, smiling triumphantly at her decision as Kara’s mouth opened and closed for a few seconds like a fish out of water. Score for Detective Danvers, she thought to herself.

“Want to go inside?” Alex asked, pointing at the door of the restaurant with her thumb, secretly pleased at the reaction she’d elicited. Kara’s cheeks had grown even redder, if that was possible. She couldn’t wait for the night to go on.

Kara nodded, mouth back to smiling awkwardly, though it shifted into its genuine predecessor as Alex held out her arm for Kara to take. Giggling slightly, Kara hooked her arm through Alex’s and placed her free left hand on Alex’s forearm, squeezing tenderly.

Alex’s heartbeat shot through the roof, her hands suddenly clammy again.

-

Kara’s super senses were going into overdrive at Alex’s proximity, her super hearing picking up the increase in Alex’s heartbeat as they entered the restaurant, her nose filling with the alluring scent of Alex’s fresh perfume and clean sweat under her collar. She was desperately trying to regain control of herself as they stepped forward to tell the host they’d arrived for their reservation.

“Two people for Danvers,” Alex said, voice huskier than it had been a few moments before. The rough quality sent a thrill of pleasure up Kara’s spine, figuring she was the reason for Alex’s increasingly flustered state. The thought excited and calmed her at the same time.

“Right this way, ladies,” the host said as he showed them to their table. He was an older looking Italian man with a clean-shaven face and a nice smile.

The restaurant was tastefully furnished, the lights dimmed ever so slightly to give everything a romantic, red glow. The tables were far enough apart to guarantee privacy, and the ambience made Kara feel instantly comfortable. It was a nice restaurant, but it wasn’t too fancy for her to enjoy herself.

“A waiter will be with you momentarily. Enjoy your meal,” the host said, coming to a stop at a nice table for two in the back. Slipping Kara’s hand from her arm with a smile, Alex drifted to the chair facing the inside of the restaurant, its back to the wall. It was such an instinctual motion, that it made Kara stop and wonder for a second. She pondered if Alex expected any kind of trouble tonight, if she wanted to have a clear view of the restaurant just in case anything happened. Kara guessed it was the training the police had enforced on her.

“Thank you,” Kara said to the man, and Alex nodded in agreement as he bowed ever so slightly and made his way back to the front desk, where another couple was waiting to be shown to their seats.

Alex smiled at Kara as she slipped off her leather jacket, revealing a beautiful ultramarine sweater that gleamed in the candle light. Kara’s face flushed as Alex hung her jacket over the back of her chair and rolled up the sleeves of her sweater, revealing well-defined forearms and a beautifully intricate green and red tattoo.

Kara only realized she’d been staring for several seconds when Alex bit her bottom lip and gestured at the belt holding her coat in place.

“I like your coat, Kara, but you might get a little too hot in here if you keep wearing it all night.” The comment was said with a kind smile, but Kara still startled, her hands flying to her belt instantly, trying to get it off without ripping it in her haste. _Why, oh why_ did she have to be born with this innate awkwardness? Clark sure didn’t have it. He only pretended to be awkward to throw people off his scent. Maybe when she had the time, she should work on that.

After several seconds, Kara finally managed to slip the belt free, shaking off her coat.

“I was just admiring your tattoo; it looks beautiful,” Kara said, finally hanging her coat over the back of her own chair. With gratification, she noticed that Alex was the one staring now, her eyes roaming quickly over her chosen outfit before shooting back up to Kara’s face. Kara watched as Alex swallowed (hopefully her arousal).

She would have to thank Lucy later for her wonderful advice.

Clearing her throat, Alex nodded as they both sat down. Her eyes flew to the tattoo on her arm as she swept her right hand over it absent-mindedly, as though she’d performed this motion too many times to register it consciously. A look of melancholy shot across her face as she regarded her own skin, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

“A friend of mine is a big fan of flowers and she felt this would look better on my arm than a big, ugly scar. I got hurt a while back on the job and she insisted I get my skin fixed. This is entirely her design,” Alex said, one side of her mouth lifted in the attempt of a smile as she held out her arm for Kara to examine.

It was true. Now that she was closer to the tattoo, she could see the irregularities in the skin beneath it - the jagged edges of a scar covered up by the green and red ink. It wouldn’t be noticeable from further away, which Kara guessed was supposed to be the point.

“Can I?” Kara asked as she held out her hand, hoping to be able to touch the skin, to feel the lines of color. The different shades were intensely vibrant, even in the low light of the restaurant, the flowers looking as though they were actually growing on Alex’s forearm. She counted four stems with more than a dozen buds, the petals tinged a deep, beautiful crimson. The color reminded Kara of red kryptonite.

“Yeah sure, go ahead.” Alex held out her arm a little further, Kara’s fingers making contact with the smooth skin. One hand held Alex still as she swept her forefinger over the stems of the gorgeous flowers with the other. She was gratified to feel the goosebumps rising under her touch.

“What kind of flowers are these?” Kara asked, annoyed with herself that she didn’t know them. She’d painted a multitude of flowers since she’d come to Earth, but some still eluded her. She wondered if these particular flowers held any special meaning to Alex’s friend, if there was a reason she’d chosen them. What they represented.

“They’re gladioli. I don’t know anything about flowers, but my friend said they stand for strength, faithfulness and honor. But who knows, maybe what they actually mean is something else and she’s just messing with me.” Alex’s gaze turned fond as she clasped Kara’s hand on her arm, now tracing the fine intricacies of the flowers together. It was obvious she cared about this friend of hers very much and Kara wondered if she should be jealous. She dismissed the thought almost as soon as it rose. This wasn’t something to worry about while she was on a _date_ with Alex.

Jerking her thoughts back to the moment, Kara’s eyes roamed the detailed flowers again.

“Well, they’re gorgeous, so they definitely suit you,” Kara said without thinking, blood shooting back into her cheeks and body freezing in terror at her own words.

“Thank you,” Alex said, squeezing Kara’s hand warmly. “You look especially beautiful tonight.”

Swallowing hard, Kara was flushing for an entirely different reason.

-

Alex didn’t remember much about the night Pam had surprised her with the tattoo. She hadn’t exactly been honest with Kara about how she’d gotten it. Pam hadn’t pestered her about it and the scar hadn’t been old. In fact, it had been all too fresh.

She remembered the pain stabbing through every fiber of her being, the alcohol sloshing through her veins and the feeling of fire shooting up from her arm, her wound having gone uncleaned and unchecked for a week. She’d kept the bandage on, unwilling to face the dirty, festering gash that reminded her of what had occurred only a few days ago.

She hadn’t been back to her apartment for at least six days, running through the streets of Gotham with nothing but some cash, her gun and her anger.

Every night, she’d found herself in another bar with another bottle of scotch, drinking away the memories of that awful night she wanted to forget. Sleeping was out of the question, too. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the blood, saw the destruction, felt the pain of watching it over and over again.

The alcohol numbed her emotions, fueled her anger and drowned out the pain screaming at her to go home and deal with what she’d lost. To see her mother, comfort her in any way she could.

She didn’t listen to her voice of reason.

When a week had gone by (Alex clinging to her sanity by the skin of her teeth) and she’d finally been close to getting what she wanted, her friends had shown up to drag her home. She’d fought, she’d shouted, she’d spat at their feet, but they hadn’t let her go. She didn’t remember the sedative, didn’t remember falling into Selina’s arms or Harley carrying her back to Pam’s lair.

She didn’t even recall waking up a full two days later, the alcohol drained from her system and her body truly rested for the first time in days. All she knew was the squeezing grip of _remembrance_. The blood, the pain in her left forearm, the feeling of her insides crawling out through her mouth as she watched his face. There one second, gone the next.

She’d been chained to the bed, Pam taking no chances with her.

They’d washed her and fed her, cleaned her wound.

Alex noticed the tattoo for the first time as she tried to struggle free from her restraints, the green and red color on her pale arm standing out starkly in the bright light of Pam’s lair. She’d stared at it uncomprehendingly for moments uncounted, her arms trembling, her eyes crying and her teeth clenched so tightly she was worried they’d break under the strain.

Had she screamed, then? Alex couldn’t be sure. Maybe she’d yelled instead, yelled profanities and words she didn’t mean that made the sentient flowers around her cower in fear and concern. But Pam hadn’t come running, Harley hadn’t made a snarky comment from somewhere off to the side and Selina hadn’t curled herself around her.

She’d been alone with her grief.

In the end, Alex had been grateful for it. None of the things she’d screamed had made any sense, had held even an ounce of truth. They’d been yelled out of a feeling of desperation, after _the incident_ had brought Alex to her knees, had finally been enough to break her.

She’d struggled against the restraints for over half an hour, astounded that the wound on her arm hadn’t started bleeding again, until of course she realized why that was. The skin had healed over, leaving a jagged scar behind under the flowery ink. Alex had been sure Pam had used one of her healing concoctions on her.

The wound was gone, but the pain still lingered.

As she lay there, panting, Alex realized the pain might never go away. If the wound had healed, it meant the pain was all in her head now. A phantom pain fit to accompany her on her way, just like the hole _the incident_ had left in her life, never to be filled again.

Her blood still felt as though someone had set it on fire and she relished in the stinging, hoping it might help her drown out the feelings her brain was gathering like trophies, trading back and forth between relief, sorrow, anguish, sadness, and desperation. The hunger for revenge. The mourning. She hated herself in this moment, hated her own arrogance, her foolishness, her hope. If she’d been more careful, if she had paid more attention, _maybe_.

Alex remembered how she’d looked back down at the tattoo then. At the vibrant colors, the beautiful intricacies, the petals, blossoming as though it were forever summer on Alex’s skin. Looking at it then, she’d felt comforted, though without recognizing the feeling for what it was at first, her head clouded with all the other emotions vying for attention. Guilt seemingly winning out above all others.

Survivor’s guilt.

When Pam had come in two hours later, almost like a vision in her white lab coat and beautiful red hair with a look of concern plastered all over her kind face, Alex knew she would never again be allowed to self-destruct. Knew her friends would be there for her, would help her through it. She also knew it had hurt them, seeing her like this. It was that thought more than anything that rattled Alex to her core.

In that moment, Alex knew she’d never again _allow_ herself to self-destruct.

-

Slowing down her breathing consciously, Alex pulled her hand away from Kara’s as the waitress arrived with their menus. It was a Latina woman with long, dark brown hair pulled back into a bun, a friendly smile gracing her features. She greeted them and asked them for their drink orders. Alex looked to Kara.

“Do you like wine?” Alex asked, trying to still her rapidly beating heart. Their conversation about her tattoo had brought forth a rush of memories she’d rather not dwell on. Especially not tonight, while Kara was sitting right in front of her, smiling.

“I’d love some wine. Red?” Kara’s hand was still stroking Alex’s arm slowly, her pointer finger drawing circles, her soft skin pressed gently against one of Alex’s most horrifying experiences.

“We’ll take a bottle of red, please, dry. And two glasses of water as well,” Alex said, glancing at Kara again for confirmation, unwilling to push Kara into anything she might not want. Kara’s smile only brightened as she nodded her assent, her fingers sliding down Alex’s arm, and finally leaving the scar.

“Of course,” their waitress said, jotting everything down on a notepad, “I will be right back with your order. Please, take your time with perusing our menu.” With another smile, the woman was off towards the kitchen.

With Kara’s hand away from her tattoo and instead curled around Alex’s fingers, the feeling of anxiety started to lessen. If she was lucky and focused on her breathing, she wouldn’t need to start counting her guns again.

“So,” Kara started, adjusting her glasses with her free hand and looking at Alex shyly from under her lashes, “is Alex short for anything?” It was obvious she was trying to move the conversation along. Maybe she’d noticed Alex’s weird behavior, maybe she could feel Alex’s rapid heartbeat through their joined hands, or maybe she was just unwilling to let their conversation come to a stumbling death. Either way, Alex was grateful for the distraction.

“It’s actually short for Alexandra, but my mom only calls me that when she’s angry with me, so please, _please_ , don’t ever call me that. It triggers a fear response,” Alex said, squeezing Kara’s hand to show her she was joking. _Mostly_. Kara grinned, her eyes crinkling beautifully. Now Alex’s heart was going into overdrive for an entirely different reason.

Flipping open her menu, Alex thought about what to say next. Talking about work was easy, but she didn’t feel like inviting Maxwell Lord into her date right now. Besides, she’d complained about him enough to Kara already. She didn’t want Kara to think he was the only topic of conversation she could come up with in a pinch.

Eyes scanning the entries, Alex watched out of the corner of her eye as Kara opened her own menu, fiddling with her glasses again. The mannerism was ridiculously adorable and Alex took a second to admire Kara’s face in the glow of the lamplight.

The first thing she noticed was the tiny scar slightly above Kara’s left eyebrow. Alex imagined a younger and smaller Kara, running into the edge of a cupboard, or quite possibly into a door handle. Next, her eyes followed that perfectly sloped nose to those elegantly drawn, red lips. Her heart rate slowed back to a normal rhythm as she focused all of her energy on committing Kara’s face to memory.

When Alex’s gaze moved back to Kara’s, their eyes locked and Alex found herself drowning inside an ocean of blue. For a second, she was too stunned to speak as they held eye contact, and she was pretty sure a blush was crawling up her neck and to her ears.

Regaining her composure, she fretfully searched for something a cool person would say, a person in control of their emotions. Not a person so immensely gay a rainbow was dangerously close to bursting from their chest like a baby Xenomorph.

“Sorry for staring, I’m just usually in such a hurry at the coffee shop, I never really get to look at you,” Alex said, mentally high-fiving herself for the suave line. Her voice was low and probably more alluring than appropriate for a restaurant setting, but she couldn’t help herself. The flush spreading all over Kara’s face was more than worth it.

Kara’s eyes flew back to the menu in front of her as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

Alex smiled to herself at the endearing gesture. Kara truly was too cute to be true.

Looking through the rest of the food choices, Alex felt a comfortable silence settle around them. They were both busy picking their meals, their hands locked in between them, Alex’s thumb stroking along Kara’s knuckles.

Just being in Kara’s presence was nice.

When they’d ordered their food and the waitress had brought them their wine, they both pulled back from their hand-hold, Kara reaching for her glass.

“To a successful first date,” Alex said, clinking her wine with Kara’s and trying on a charming smile. She was never quite sure if what she was doing was actually charming, obnoxious, or downright ridiculous, but she at least had to try. Kara returned the smile. “So, Kara, tell me about yourself, I feel like you already know a lot more about me than I do about you. What do you like to do when you’re not working the counter at CatCo Coffee?”

Sipping slowly at her wine, Alex’s eyes swept across Kara’s as she waited for an answer.

-

Kara had felt Alex’s heartbeat becoming irregular at the discussion of her tattoo, so she didn’t press the issue further. Something truly awful must have happened, for Alex to react so strongly to a mere conversation about the circumstances. However, now wasn’t the time to think about what had taken place; now was the time to ensure that Alex would want Kara around for long enough to tell her in her own time.

Chancing a shy glance upward at those beautiful hazel eyes, Kara refrained from fiddling with her glasses again. She knew it was an annoying mannerism; one she would need to work on fixing at some point. Maybe once she actually got around to not being awkward anymore.

“I’m actually a freelance artist when I’m not at CatCo Coffee. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love working there, it’s a great job and it pays a lot better than a lot of other jobs I could do on the side, but my heart has always been in my art…” Taking to fiddling with her wine glass instead, Kara’s eyes flit back down to the candle in front of her. She’d always had trouble holding eye contact as she talked about herself.

“You’re an artist? That’s so cool; I’m pretty sure I can’t even hold a paintbrush right side up, but I’ve always been fascinated by art. What kind of art do you make?” Alex’s voice was excited and as Kara’s eyes shot back up, she watched with chagrin as the dreaded dimples appeared in those cheeks again. Those dimples, the bane of her existence.

“I do hyperrealistic painting,” Kara started, voice animated and hands still for the first time all evening, “I sometimes make portraits, too, but I only really do those because they make more money than other stuff. But, what I love to draw most is, uh.“ She stopped for a second, thinking about how best to frame her next words. She couldn’t very well come out and say that she liked to paint hyperrealistic depictions of Krypton, her _actual_ home planet. “Landscapes. Of foreign worlds, I guess. Alien worlds, mostly.”

Alien to anyone else but _her_ , at least.

Alex’s eyes lit up at her words, her wine glass completely forgotten as she leaned forward in her seat.

“You don’t happen to have any pictures of your paintings, do you? I’d love to see them. I am such a huge fan of hyperrealism as a movement,” she said, mouth spread into a delighted grin. Kara smiled back bashfully, grabbing for her coat and pulling out her phone.

“I have some pictures. Of course, the low resolution doesn’t really translate well to how they actually look. I mean, you’d have to stand in front of them for that to work,” Kara said, unlocking her phone and scrolling through the folders in her gallery, looking for the album with her artwork. She usually liked to send Lucy updates about it, seeing as Lucy was the one who contacted the art galleries about showing off Kara’s paintings at the local vernissages.

“Well, if you invited me round to your apartment to come look at them, I certainly wouldn’t say no,” Alex said, winking roguishly and then laughing at herself a moment later. Kara was unbelievably charmed by all of it.

Holding out her phone, Kara showed Alex one of her latest paintings, the view from her old childhood bedroom of Krypton’s beautiful red sun and the buildings illuminated by its rays. Alex’s eyes roamed over the picture, her hand stretching out towards the phone.

“May I?” She asked, eyes switching between Kara’s face and her depiction of Krypton.

“Sure.” Kara handed over the phone with a small smile. She valued her art more than most things on this planet, and to have Alex be so excited about it was giving her butterflies all over again. “There are more pictures from different works that I’ve done over the years. You’ll see them if you swipe right. This is my most recent one.”

She watched as Alex zoomed in on the picture, studying the small intricacies and details Kara had added from memory. There was a lot she’d forgotten over the years, small things she’d never be able to put her finger on but would forever miss, but she remembered her hometown clearly, remembered her parents’ house. _Her_ house.

“What are you calling this one?” Alex asked, eyes glued to Krypton’s red sun.

“Home,” Kara said, lifting her right shoulder in a shrug. “It’s a bit sentimental, I know, but this is what I see when I think of home. The _feeling_ of being home, I mean. Not my actual home; my actual home is on Earth, in Smallville, Kansas. Definitely not on any foreign planet.” Kara laughed awkwardly for a few seconds before she cleared her throat uncomfortably. Alex didn’t seem to have noticed, her finger hovering over the screen, swiping right, obviously excited for whatever other paintings Kara could show her.

She watched for several moments as Alex swiped between pictures, answering any questions the detective had about her artwork, becoming more and more impressed by Alex’s knowledge on the topic and her obvious interest and awe. It was like Kara had stepped into another dimension, where the woman of her dreams had walked directly into her life and wasn’t straight, taken, or otherwise unavailable.

Plainly put, Kara was just waiting for the other shoe to drop any second now.

“Oh, I especially love this,” Alex laughed as she showed Kara the painting she was talking about. It was a portrait she’d done of Lucy. “I bet she was all over this one. From what I’ve seen and heard, she seems just the type for stuff like this.”

Kara smiled as she looked down at her work, at Lucy seated on a massive throne, a beautiful red cloak draped over her. She was wearing a crown and a look of fierce determination, the space around her filled with gold, crystals and other treasures. Long story short, Lucy looked like a _queen_.

“It was a birthday present. She said something off-hand to me about making her look like the queen she actually is and I just thought it’d be a fun little idea to surprise her with. You should’ve seen her face when she opened it, it was priceless,” Kara said, reaching out again and bringing her hand back on top of Alex’s, their fingers interlocking instantly. “I think she would’ve cried if her sister hadn’t been there. They have a complicated relationship, it’s not important right now.”

Kara was rambling, but she couldn’t stop, and Alex’s smile was encouraging.

“Anyway, she hung it up above her couch, directly in view of the front door. So now, anytime someone comes by to visit her, there is this gigantic painting of her as a queen and it’s just, it’s so incredible. I made it extra big for her.” Kara reveled in Alex’s laugher, preening inside at her achievement.

“And she said this really great thing about it… Wait, I want to make sure it’s verbatim, it was so good,” Kara continued, thinking back to what had happened. “Okay, so she’s hung up the painting and she’s standing there with this scary smile on her face and she says to me: ‘If James isn’t here to worship me, I’ll do it myself.’ I thought that was just such a great moment. Oh, James is her husband, by the way. He spends a lot of time away for his job.”

“Lucy has a husband?” Alex asked, lowering Kara’s phone to the table, her face interested.

“Yeah, they’ve been married for about nine years now. It’s crazy when I think about it. They got married when they were both pretty young and, uh, they’re working through some issues right now, so he’s barely in National City anymore, but… I don’t know. I want to say that they’ll get through this, but at this point, I’m just not sure,” Kara said, fiddling with the tablecloth as she spoke.

Maybe she shouldn’t divulge this information on a first date, but Alex’s face was so earnest, she couldn’t help herself. “Lucy hasn’t been happy for a long time and it’s so difficult to watch sometimes, because I know she loves James, he’s her best friend, but I also know that it’s not working.”

Alex nodded solemnly.

“Have you talked to her about it? Maybe all she needs is a push in the right direction?” The screen of Kara’s phone had gone dark by now, their conversation drifting away slightly from her artistic proclivities. Kara sighed inwardly.

“I haven’t said anything to her and I don’t know if I should. Lucy talked to me about it once, but she was seriously drunk at the time and I don’t know if she even remembers it, to be perfectly honest. Something about her dad and the pressures of being less talented than her sister? I don’t know, it’s just… sad.” Kara gestured with her left hand, before pushing her glasses back onto her nose. She’d gone on a tangent again, but she didn’t regret it as much as she usually did. Alex did seem thoroughly concerned for her best friend’s troubles and it warmed Kara to see her worried expression.

“Well, from what you’ve told me, she sounds like a great person,” Alex said, handing Kara’s phone back to her as their meals were placed in front of them.

Turning to the waitress, Alex thanked her and gave her a kind smile. At this point, Kara was basically goo inside - Alex’s enthusiasm for her art and her sympathy for Lucy was more than enough to thoroughly butter her up. She just hoped Alex felt as good about their date as she did.

The waitress returned the smile and wished them an enjoyable meal, before returning to another table.

-

Alex was completely enraptured by Kara’s artistic talent.

What she’d told Kara wasn’t a lie; she was interested in art and certainly in hyperrealism, but the pictures on Kara’s phone still floundered her. She sincerely hoped that Kara’s work was being shown somewhere, because if not, it was a serious loss for National City and its artistic community.

After relinquishing the phone, Alex hoped she’d get to see some of those paintings up close and personal someday - maybe in Kara’s apartment after she’d been invited over. Hopefully, Kara considered this date just as successful as Alex did.

“Is your art being shown anywhere? Is there a way for me to see it without breaking into your apartment and looking around for it?” Alex grinned to emphasize that she was joking.

“I have two pieces on display in one of the art galleries downtown, I don’t know if you know it, it’s run by a good friend of mine, Siobhan Smythe. It’s called _The Silver Banshee_. Lucy actually introduced us to one another. Lucy’s sort of my manager. I’ve sold a few pieces, too, but not nearly enough to give up my job at CatCo Coffee,” Kara said, picking up her fork and poking around in her side salad, spearing a tomato and sticking it into her mouth.

“How long have you been working at CatCo’s?” Alex asked as she started in on her own side salad.

“I’ve been with _this_ CatCo Coffee for about four years now, that’s how I know Lucy, too, she started about six months before I moved here. Before that, I worked for CatCo Coffee Metropolis for two years. They actually recommended me. Ms. Grant is a lot pickier about whom she hires for her home office.” Kara seemed proud at this explanation, her face lighting up briefly at the mention of her boss’s approval.

“You must have done a really great job, then. I’ll definitely have to go and check out your work at _The Silver Banshee_ . Maybe, if tonight works out, we can go there together sometime?” It was a risky move, asking Kara for a second date before the first one was even over, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was _right_. That she was meant to be here and that Kara wouldn’t be turned off by her forwardness. And even if it didn’t work out romantically, Alex still wanted to stay friends with Kara.

A beautiful smile spread over Kara’s lips at the suggestion, her entire demeanor opening up even further, filling Alex’s chest with relief. It was like someone had hit the light-switch to let out the sun and Alex found she couldn’t look away from the breathtaking sight.

“I’d love to take you there. It’s a magnificent gallery, I’m sure you’ll love it. Siobhan is amazing and she’s got a great eye for unique pieces.” Alex breathed a quiet sigh of relief at Kara’s words. Maybe she was finally doing this whole dating and being charming thing right. It was one thing to flirt with Kara over a counter at a coffee shop, but to actually hold a conversation for more than a few minutes with a woman she found attractive? Much more difficult.

They spent a few minutes eating in comfortable silence, Alex reveling in the knowledge that Kara had said yes to taking her to her friend’s art gallery.

Today was going just as well as she’d hoped.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to ask something else, she startled as she heard the shrill sound of her phone blaring from her jacket pocket. It wouldn’t have been so embarrassing if it had been her usual ringtone, the one she’d set as she moved to National City. The one she figured she’d be able to _keep around_ for once, because there wasn’t anyone around to mess with her phone.

Only, of course, someone _had_ recently found a way to get their hands on it.

She was going to _kill_ Selina the next time she saw her.

She fumbled with her jacket as the loud, distinctive sounds of the song ‘Fucking You Tonight’ by The Notorious B.I.G. continued to blare into the restaurant on the loudest setting. Her face was growing hotter and hotter by the second, as she desperately tried to grab the device.

“I am _so_ sorry, a friend of mine messed with my phone a few days ago,” Alex explained hurriedly to Kara without looking at her, her fingers finally closing around the plastic of her phone case.

 

> _You must be used to me spendin’, and all that winin’ and dinin’, well I’m fucking you tonight_.

She was going to _strangle_ Selina.

Triumphantly, she pulled her phone free and pressed the ignore button, relief flooding her veins as the device finally stopped singing inappropriately. Chancing a glance around her, Alex was annoyed to see that most of the other patrons were looking at their table while trying to be inconspicuous, but there was nothing she could do about that now.

The relief was short-lived, as her phone started singing again, Harley’s name flashing on the screen. Before she could think better of it, she pressed the accept button, regretting it almost instantly as the sound of the song was replaced with the sound of moaning.

Alex startled comically, almost dropping her phone into her noodles, Kara’s face having grown an unhealthy shade of red.

Pressing the phone to her ear, Alex held up her finger to Kara, mouthed an excruciatingly painful _I’m sorry_ at her and headed quickly towards the bathroom, her hand gripping the phone so tightly she was afraid it’d break under her grip. She could feel Kara’s eyes following her as she went, probably wondering what the hell was wrong with her.

“Harley, what the _fuck_?!”

-

Kara was watching Alex’s stiff back as she briskly stalked towards the bathroom, the moaning still clearly audible even as Alex hurried away. She was _baffled_ more than anything else. First, the explicit ringtone and then the _clearly_ sexual phone call?

She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations, especially since she had an unfair advantage with her super hearing. But instantly, Lucy’s face came into her mind. Lucy always reminded her that just because nearly no one else had super hearing, didn’t mean that Kara had to stop using it, especially in situations where _not_ using it could result in more harm than good. She was on a _date_ with Alex, and if there was anything untoward about her, Kara needed to know about it before they took things any further.

Grabbing her napkin and fiddling with it, Kara tuned her super senses to Alex’s retreating form, watching her intently as she pressed the phone to her ear.

“Harley, what the _fuck_?!” Kara heard Alex whisper furiously, her right hand pushing open the door to the bathroom, the moaning continuing.

Kara trained her x-ray vision on the wall of the bathroom, watching Alex stop in front of the mirror and looking at her own reflection angrily, clearly frustrated with the situation. Another voice joined in the mix as at least part of the moaning ceased momentarily.

“I know you said to screw Selina, Supercop, but I hope- Ah- I hope Red is good, too!” Kara watched as Alex brought her right hand to her face and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance, baring her teeth in a snarl.

“I _told_ you, Harley, I am in a fucking meeting, why are you calling me right now?” Her shoulders were hunched forward slightly and Kara was fascinated by this other version of Alex she hadn’t seen before, a much more uncontrolled version of the one she’d gotten to know over the last month.

“Just checking in, ya know, making sure you’re having a good time with the girl. _Ah, Red, right there_. Making sure you didn’t forget about us, what with all yer new National City pals,” the female voice on the other end of the line said, tone clearly mischievous and challenging.

“Us?” Alex asked, eyes closed, a vein throbbing at the side of her head.

“Well, Red is here, duh. But she’s kinda, oh- occupied right now. Just calling to remind you- oh! Of what Gotham has to offer, just in case yer new girl isn’t interesting enough for ya.” Kara’s heart sank at those words. Did Alex have a girlfriend – or, by the sounds of it, multiple girlfriends – in Gotham City? And if she didn’t, why would this woman be calling her during sex? Lucy had pulled some weird stuff over the years, but she’d certainly never crossed that boundary.

Kara watched as Alex ground her teeth, her right hand gripping the edge of the bathroom counter so tightly, Kara wondered briefly if it would break under the strain. Alex certainly looked angry enough at the disruption, but that could be for all kinds of reasons. Maybe she was just angry this possible girlfriend of hers was salting her game? Kara grimaced at the thought. She really liked Alex, she didn’t want her to turn out to be a cheat and a liar.

“Why the fuck do you always call me when Pam is between your legs? I mean Jesus fucking Christ, Harley, if this ruins my da- I mean, _my meeting_ , I will have you shot, do you hear me? God, you are the _worst_ friend in the history of all friends,” Alex seethed, hand back at the bridge of her nose. Well, Kara thought, she’d called the woman her friend, so maybe there wasn’t anything going on between them after all? She listened to the woman cackle on the other end of the line.

“Love you, too, Supercop. So much. I hope you sweep this girl off her feet, if she makes ya so passionate. Makes me sorta jealous. Red, too, I’m sure. She’s still, _ah_ , _baby_ , _right there_ , she’s still a little busy right now, y’know.” The incessant moaning was causing more and more blood to shoot into Kara’s cheeks, but this woman’s words reassured her. It was clear they were just friends, even if they had a unique friendship Kara would probably never understand. She was sure this woman would get along fabulously with Lucy, though.

Alex sighed heavily, her head hanging low and her shoulders sagged.

“I’m serious, Harl, please don’t do this again, okay? I really like her and I know you mean well, but I don’t need this right now.” The words made a different sort of flush crawl up Kara’s chest and into her cheeks. Alex really liked her! The words repeated themselves in Kara’s mind, three exclamation points added for emphasis.

“Oh please, Supercop. If she likes you, she’s not gonna care about yer weird, eccentric friends. And if she does, she’s not worth yer time. Y’need someone cool, someone who can gel with all of this goin’ on here.” Kara was impressed at the amount of words the woman could speak while she was clearly being eaten out by this Red Pam person, but her words also gave her pause. She thought Alex needed someone cool? Kara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She’d been called many things throughout her life, but _cool_ had never been one of them.

Alex seemed like a person someone would call cool.

She watched as Alex’s hand went to the bridge of her nose for a third time.

“The first d- _meeting_ isn’t the place to test your theories, Harley, can you please reserve stunts like this to the fourth or fifth? I’d appreciate it. Or better yet, never call me during sex ever again, how does that sound?” Alex turned her back on the mirror and leaned her waist against the sink, her right hand slipping absent-mindedly over the tattoo on her left forearm. She was beautiful in this moment, her body language completely unguarded, her facial expression lax. Kara thought it unfair how good someone could look in a casual pair of skinny jeans and an ultramarine sweater.

“I make no promises whatsoever, my tiny Supercop. You know how much I _love_ listening to you complain, nothing gets me off quite as fast.” The woman’s laughter cut off suddenly as Alex pressed the end button on her phone, finally lowering the device from her ear, expression less than pleased. Then, unbidden, a smile shot across her face and she shook her head, obviously amused at her friend’s antics, even if she didn’t want to admit it to herself.

She heard another drawn out sigh from Alex and watched her shake out her shoulders.

Putting the phone on vibrate, she pushed it into her pocket. Then, for a moment, Alex looked at herself in the mirror, before apparently deciding she’d need to face Kara sooner rather than later.

Reigning in her super senses, Kara looked back down at her food, waiting patiently for Alex’s return, her hands still fiddling with her napkin. This conversation was going to be interesting. She wondered how Alex would try to explain this weird encounter, especially considering that she had no idea Kara already knew exactly what had taken place.

From their conversation, Kara had ascertained that Harley, whoever she was, had apparently known about Alex’s date and had decided to prank call her. Though, to be fair, her prank was more intense than any Kara had encountered before.

Finally leaving the restroom, Alex’s face looked nervous and unsure of herself. Kara hated seeing this expression on her. She much preferred the confident and suave Alex Danvers, maybe even the angry and annoyed Alex she’d just witnessed in the bathroom. This version of her looked worried Kara was going to tell her to get lost.

Kara gave her a small smile, trying to be encouraging, and Alex smiled back hesitantly.

-

“I am so sorry, Kara, I have terrible friends,” Alex said as she sat back down at their table, her phone vibrating in her pocket with an incoming message. No doubt Harley, telling her off for hanging up on her. Or maybe Pam, apologizing for Harley’s phone call. Either way, Alex wasn’t going to look at it. “I know this looks awful, but I swear, my friends were just trying to play a trick on me and get me into trouble. Trust me, this is not the first time they’ve tried to do something like this and I am so, _so_ sorry.”

Alex worried her bottom lip with her teeth as her left hand shot forward and latched onto Kara’s, holding it tightly. She was worried Kara would throw her wine in Alex’s face any second now and declare her a lunatic cheater. Anything was possible at this point. Just because Kara had smiled at her didn’t mean she was out of the woods.

“You sure have interesting friends. If Lucy tried to pull that on me, I don’t know what I’d do,” Kara said, squeezing Alex’s hand kindly. “What exactly was all of that about? Why was there so much moaning? It sounded like someone was streaming a porn video on your phone.”

Alex sighed, rubbing her face. How to explain the many facets of weirdness surrounding Harley Quinn?

“My friend Harley has a complicated sense of humor. She thinks I need to loosen up more, so she likes to call me at inappropriate moments to get a rise out of me. You know, the whole stick in the mud, straight-laced cop kind of thing. I just didn’t think she’d be shameless enough to actually call me while I’m on a first date. I probably shouldn’t have told her.” Alex wasn’t looking at Kara and instead studying her half-eaten plate of food. If she was going to get the boot, she’d rather not look into those beautiful blue eyes as it happened.

Kara’s reaction so far had been better than expected, but Alex still worried.

When Kara laughed, Alex’s eyes shot up immediately.

“I’m sorry,” Kara said, wiping her eye, “I’m sure it’s a very serious situation, but I was just thinking about how amazingly awful it would be if your friend ever met Lucy. I don’t think the world would survive.” Kara was still grinning, her grip on Alex’s hand tightening, obviously extremely amused at her own thought experiment.

Alex chanced a small smile.

“I actually have _three_ friends who would probably get on too well with Lucy,” she said, biting her bottom lip again. “Just a heads up. If you plan on dating me, they’re probably going to be around a lot. I’ve been trying to shake them loose ever since I found them, but their grip on me holds strong and steady.” Then, realizing how that sounded, Alex jumped to reassure Kara. “Not that they’re not kind and wonderful friends, they’re just—you know, a handful. And if we were to embark on anything… _romantic_ , they’d come with the package. My package.”

Kara looked as though she was trying very hard not to break into raucous laughter.

Hesitating for a second, Alex thought back to what she’d just said, blood shooting into her cheeks.

“That came out wrong. I wasn’t trying to make a lewd joke, I—I was trying to say that we’re all a package deal, not--” Alex groaned, facepalming with her free hand. “I am just going to shut up now, before I make it any worse than it already is.”

Alex was dying inside; she couldn’t believe she’d just said all of that. This date couldn’t possibly get any worse than it already had.

First, she was going to _strangle_ Selina and then she was going to _break Harley’s legs_.

Kara chuckled, gently prying Alex’s hand loose from her face so she was holding on to both of them. Her face was kind, her eyes a sparkling ocean blue. Alex was completely smitten and completely terrified. Kara seemed like the type to let people down easy.

Alex braced herself for the inevitable let-down.

This was it, the other shoe. It would drop any second now.

“Alex, relax,” Kara said, her thumbs stroking along Alex’s knuckles. “I like you, and I don’t mind that your friends are a little on the demanding side. I’m sure they’re lovely once you get to know them; I’m not worried about that.” Her voice sent relief through every atom of Alex’s body, her tense shoulders relaxing automatically.

Alex was pretty sure she was staring at Kara dreamily now, but she didn’t care. She felt at ease for the first time since her phone had started blaring. Kara wouldn’t kick her to the curb, the date was still on and she could still salvage this.

“However,” Kara started, just about giving Alex a heart attack, “I’d love to know how you met them. I mean, where do you even _find_ people like that? How long have you known them? Must be a long time, if they’re comfortable with prank calling you on a date.”

Heaving a sigh of relief in her mind, Alex tried to slow her breathing back into a normal rhythm so she could tell Kara the story of how she’d gotten herself into all of this mess in the first place. To her relief, it really wasn’t that difficult of a story to tell.

“Well, I don’t know if I mentioned this, but I worked in Gotham for a few years before I moved here. My friends still live there now, actually, when they’re not camping out on my living room couch or in my kitchen,” Alex said, smiling shyly. “I was twenty-one and I’d just graduated from Gotham’s police academy about a month before. I was out on my first night as a beat cop, when my partner Stef and I got a distress call on the radio.”

-

Alex remembered everything about that night.

It was her first night out, her first night as an official officer of the law.

Stef, a lanky blonde woman with a fierce face and twenty years on the force under her belt, had responded to the radio immediately. It was a distress call, a woman locked in a building with no recollection of how she’d gotten there. The police department had zeroed in on her position, determining that Stef and Alex were closest to the scene.

They were there in less than five minutes, the building abandoned and dark. Alex was sweating slightly in her new uniform, excited but also terrified of her first night out on the job. With all the gear she had to carry, her duty belt was ridiculously heavy. That was definitely something she had yet to get used to.

Stef was acting cool, as she always was.

They both exited their vehicle simultaneously, Alex’s hand resting casually on the gun at her side, ready for anything. Stef radioed in their position, requesting back-up.

“I’m sure you know this area is popular among the—I can’t believe I’m about to say this right now—among the _supervillains_ and their caped vigilante hero friends,” Stef said, coming to a stop next to Alex and gripping her bicep tightly. “And you know what the company policy is right now. Do _not_ engage with the caped people unless you absolutely have to. If they’re fighting each other, you stay _out of it_ , you got it? Even if it looks like the bad guys might be winning, that’s not a fight _you_ can win. You’re too young to get yourself killed.”

Alex nodded, swallowing nervously. She knew exactly what the company policy was; her father had helped draft it, after all. Sure, if she’d been in his position, it wasn’t the choice she would’ve made, but at least they weren’t being told to actively work against their heroes.

“I get it, no running into situations I’m not absolutely sure about,” Alex remembered herself saying to Stef, just before they’d both heard a gut-wrenching scream from inside the building that froze Alex’s blood to ice. Her first instinct told her to run inside, but then the police part of her brain interfered before she had the chance.

She could still hear the voice of her instructor, telling her to stop and think before she made a rash decision that could have disastrous consequences. She had no intention of getting herself or Stef killed tonight. Or any night, for that matter.

“We’re going in there, right?” Alex asked, watching as Stef walked around the car.

Stef nodded.

“But we _stay_ _together_ ,” she emphasized, her hand resting on her gun as she slowly started walking towards the building, flashlight gripped tightly in her left hand. “We stay together, we survive together. Remember the buddy system, kid.”

Swallowing hard, Alex gave Stef a quick nod and pulled out her own flashlight.

It was pitch-black inside the old warehouse, their two cones of light the only thing illuminating the floor and walls.

Alex could hear her own heartbeat thundering in her ears as they walked slowly through the corridors, looking for anybody inside. She just hoped they would be able to find their way back through the dark, seemingly never-ending tunnels.

She sensed the movement to her right much more than she saw it, but she still moved out of the way instinctively as a wrench came whizzing through the air, missing her arm narrowly. Ducking her head, Alex ripped her baton from her belt with her right hand and smacked the wrench-holder in the stomach with it, a groan of pain filling the otherwise still air as his legs buckled. Bringing her knee up, she heard jawbones crunch under the force of her kick as the man went down, unconscious.

“Danvers, you alright?” Stef asked gruffly, grabbing Alex by the arm as they both looked down.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good,” Alex replied, wiping sweat from her brows. She didn’t have long to catch her breath as she heard footsteps in front of her, two other men coming towards them, carrying flashlights of their own.

The first thing she noticed was that they were overgrown with vines, their faces flushed red with adrenaline. Alex knew what that meant; she’d read through plenty of her father’s reports.

Neither one of them had a gun, so Alex kept her own where it was, since she didn’t particularly feel like filing a report about why she’d discharged her weapon on the very first night. Besides, drawing her firearm was a last resort, and Alex knew she could take them down without it.

They weren’t attacking them out of their own free will anyway.

“One each?” Alex asked, clicking off her flashlight and readying her baton.

“Yes,” Stef replied, also getting into position. “But after that, we should get out of here. Just looking at these guys, I can tell you that there’s more going on than the two of us can deal with on our own.”

Before the two men had reached them, Alex heard a grunt to her left, and she looked over just in time to see Stef go down, her flashlight and baton clattering to the ground next to her. Just as the vine-covered man pulled back her wrench to clobber Alex down, too, Alex ducked down and drove her shoulder into his gut.

His head hit the wall, making him lose consciousness, and she rolled out of the way as the other two reached her.

“Shit,” Alex whispered to herself, desperate to check for any sign of life from her partner, “shit, shit, shit.” Stef wasn’t moving, which hopefully only meant that she was knocked out cold, rather than seriously injured. The last thing Alex wanted was for her to have a skull fracture, or something even worse.

Trying to calm herself down, Alex gripped the baton harder as she charged forward, disarming the first man with a well-placed hit to his forearm. The next blow hit the other assailant square in the face, causing blood to spurt from his nose.

She moved seamlessly, finding back to her sense of calm with every well-placed punch and hit. Her father was a big fan of the single stick, and his influenced showed in her use of the baton. By the time the two men were down, crumpled at her feet, the physical exertion was solely responsible for her heavy breathing.

Now she could check Stef for injuries.

Breathing in deeply, Alex reached for her flashlight—as a pair of hands closed around her eyes, paralyzing her.

“Would you look at that, _a fresh one_ ,” a sweet, beautiful voice purred into her right ear, the clean scent of roses filling Alex’s nose. “I was waiting for our bat-friend to show up, but his little helper will do just as well.”

Alex’s skin felt prickly and uncomfortable where the woman was touching her, like her fingers were giving off tiny electric shockwaves. She knew immediately who this was; she’d read about her in the newspaper and had heard her father rant about her on more than one occasion. She also knew that touching this woman wouldn’t end well for her.

“Poison Ivy,” Alex breathed, arms lowering against her will, her hand pushing her baton and flashlight back into their holsters. She’d lost control of her body, she couldn’t move, it was like her muscles were no longer her own.

“That’s right, little daisy. And what do you call yourself? I must admit, the uniform threw me off for a second, but I can tell. I can always tell.” Poison Ivy let her hands slide down Alex’s neck, leaving a trail of fiery prickles in its wake, all the way down her uniformed arms, before finally taking her right hand and leading her further into the dark.

“Alex Danvers,” Alex said, unsure as to why she’d responded to the woman. She’d read about Poison Ivy’s uncanny ability to make people do whatever she wanted. Maybe it was some sort of mind control administered through touch? Maybe it was something in the air? “Where are you taking me?”

“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know? It’s a surprise, Alex Danvers. I am ever so glad to be meeting our bat’s newest friend, and such a handsome one at that.” They walked in the dark for a few more minutes, Alex wondering what the hell was going on and whether or not Stef would be alright. And where the fuck was their backup?

More importantly, she had no idea what Poison Ivy was on about.

“What do you mean, our bat’s newest friend?” They were finally nearing the light at the end of the corridor. Maybe there she’d find out what the hell was going on and whether she was going to be surviving this night. Strangely, she didn’t feel afraid. Maybe this mind control also messed with her emotions somehow?

“Oh, don’t play dumb, little daisy, you look far too gorgeous and smart to play dumb.” They’d reached the light, a large room overgrown with all sorts of gigantic flowers and vines, a huge hole in the ground and a chair standing at the far side of it. The room smelled like wet earth and pollen and Alex thanked the gods that she wasn’t allergic to anything plant-related. Still, she had no idea what this woman was talking about.

Leading Alex over to the chair, Poison Ivy forced her to sit down, Alex’s hands on the armrests at her sides. Alex knew what was coming before she’d even settled in. Vines slung themselves all around her, binding her to the chair. At least now that the woman wasn’t touching her skin anymore, she could feel her muscles respond to her again, and she struggled futilely against the vines for a moment before giving up.

Now there was fear, too.

“What do you want with me?” Alex could finally look at her captor, now that there was more light around. She was a slender, red-headed woman, skin tinged slightly green, a dress made of flowers and vines clinging to her body. She was beautiful, no doubt about that, but Alex’s muscles didn’t loosen. This woman was dangerous.

“Relax; I’m not going to hurt you. We’re just going to wait for our mutual bat-friend to show up. He took something from me and I want it back. I just need someone who will play hostage for me, if he doesn’t want to give it up. I mean, I wouldn’t have dreamed of actually catching his latest apprentice. You are very good with that baton of yours; he must have been hiding you for a while. Harley is going to be so pleased to have a new toy running around.” Alex was lost. She had no friends with connections to bats and she most definitely wasn’t anybody’s apprentice.

This woman couldn’t be talking about Batman, could she? Alex had never even met the guy. And she was in her goddamn police uniform, too. It wasn’t like she was running around in spandex and a cape.

“Lady, I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about,” Alex said, feeling uncomfortably warm under her collar as Poison Ivy draped herself over her lap and wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck, toying with the small hairs at the back of her head.

Alex craned her neck as far away from her as possible. She wasn’t being mind-controlled now, though it was steadily becoming harder to breathe, as though the other woman’s mere presence was constricting her airwaves somehow. She could also feel the prickling again, spreading out from where Poison Ivy’s arms were pressed against Alex’s skin. Alex had heard her father talk about cases where a simple touch had caused grown men to faint and die only a few hours after they’d been in contact with her.

The fear was nearly overwhelming now.

“Please, call me Ivy,” she purred, pressing her nose against Alex’s cheek and smiling widely. “You’re such a pretty little thing, much nicer than the boys he usually settles with. I think we should take a picture, so we can both remember this wonderful moment of our acquaintance.” Slipping her phone out from somewhere beneath the vines, Ivy tapped around on the screen for a few seconds before she held up her arm, the camera app opened.

Alex’s throat was almost completely closed now, her hands gripping the armrests as she tried frantically to _breathe_. She looked at herself on the tiny phone screen, body tied up in vines with a strange, green woman sitting on top of her. This certainly wasn’t how she’d imagined her first night on the job. This wasn’t how she’d imagined her death.

What would happen to Stef once Alex was gone? And what would happen to Stef’s wife? To their five children? Would backup find her, or would they run into a trap of their own? Alex hoped to whatever deity was up there that her partner wasn’t in desperate need of her help.

“Say cheese.” Ivy said, taking Alex’s lips in an exuberant kiss as the camera on the phone went off with a small, barely audible click.

It was almost like the kiss brought Alex back to life, air rushing into her lungs and the prickling in her skin vanishing almost immediately. Her hands relaxed and her chest heaved as she breathed slowly through her nose, Ivy’s lips pressed onto her own, forming a grin.

“Oh, Harley will love this,” she said, chuckling to herself as she started typing.

It took Batman roughly fifteen minutes to make an appearance.

Poor Stef was left with a concussion and a murderous headache.

-

Kara couldn’t believe her ears as Alex explained her first meeting with her friend _Pam_.

Pam, a.k.a. _Poison Ivy_.

“Wait, wait, wait, hold up. You’re _friends_ with Poison Ivy, even though she tied you up, nearly killed you, and then sexually assaulted you?” They’d finished with their previous dinner meals and had moved on to dessert, two pieces of chocolate cake with whipped cream. Kara stared at Alex as they ate.

Poison Ivy.

Poison Ivy and _Alex_.

Kara had heard all about the supervillains from Batman, her cousin’s good friend. And wherever Poison Ivy went, so did…

Alex shrugged, unperturbed at the questions.

“That’s just who she is, you know, who they all are,” Alex said, face apologetic.

They, Kara thought, _they_ . They, meaning… who exactly? Alex had spoken to a ‘Harley’ on the phone, but that certainly couldn’t have been Harley Quinn, could it? No, Harley Quinn was crazy dangerous, emphasis on the crazy part. At least, that’s what Batman had said. But if it _was_ Harley Quinn… and Alex called her a friend… she couldn’t be that bad, could she? After all, Alex had worked with Batman himself, which immediately granted her the status of ‘good guy’, at least in Kara’s eyes.

And who was that third friend Alex had mentioned? Some other dangerous criminal?

“They get overexcited easily, and it’s not like she hurt me or anything, she just wanted Batman to give her back those seeds he’d taken from her. Pam’s a little particular about what she creates, I really don’t blame her,” Alex said, licking her fork clean and stabbing into the cake again.

“But she kidnapped you, didn’t that make you angry?” Kara was flabbergasted. She’d known about the whole Batman-thing from Lucy’s research, but she hadn’t in a million years considered that Alex might know _other_ super-powered people. The fact that she hadn’t made her feel foolish. They would definitely be picking up this line of questioning at their next date.

Alex shrugged again.

“Well, yeah, at first, sure. I was furious, but that was six years ago, you know? We got to know each other over the years; she’s really not a bad person once she takes off the supervillain veneer, she’s just had a lot of bad shit handed to her. It’s hard to explain. I know she’s screwed up a lot, but she’s past that now. Mostly. I won’t say she’s totally reformed.” Alex chewed thoughtfully on another bite of cake.

Kara still couldn’t believe it.

“Wow,” she said, staring at Alex’s face. “Wow, I had no idea you had so many high-profile friends. Almost makes a girl feel jealous.” The longer they sat there together, the more comfortable Kara felt in Alex’s presence. She was still nervous, but the feeling had transformed more into nervous excitement over the course of the evening.

Alex snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Trust me, Kara, there is nothing to worry about. We’re all just friends and I like it that way,” Alex said, winking at Kara over her fork and slipping her free hand over the table, palm up. Rolling her eyes, Kara returned the gesture, her fingers curling around Alex’s wrist and stroking the steadily thrumming pulse gently. They both smiled.

-

“I had a great time tonight,” Alex said as they stood outside of the restaurant together after having paid. It was closing in on midnight and Alex was dreading the moment they’d actually have to part ways. “I hope my crazy past and present didn’t scare you off too much.”

Kara smiled, shaking her head softly.

“I had a great time, too, Alex. And don’t worry, I have plenty of crazy past and present things you don’t know about yet; trust me.” Kara leaned down slightly, pressing a tender kiss against Alex’s cheek. Alex swallowed hard, hoping to distract herself from the sudden feelings of _want_ that rose within her.

“I can’t wait to get to know them,” Alex breathed, cheeks feeling hot. “How are you getting home? Did you drive here?”

She watched as Kara’s eyes flit briefly to the sky before returning to her face.

“I walked here, actually.”

“Do you want me to drive you home? I have a spare helmet in my bike,” Alex said, gesturing awkwardly to her motorcycle without making eye contact. She felt shy now, she hardly ever took anyone riding on her monster.

Kara seemed to ponder the idea for only a second before she nodded excitedly.

“I’d love that. Thank you, Alex.” Kara hooked her arm through Alex’s and they made their way to the other side of the street. It was much more deserted now than it had been only a few hours prior. It took Alex about a second to pop open the trunk of her bike and to pull out both helmets, handing one of them to Kara and slipping the other one on her own head.

“You need to hold on tightly to me, okay? Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle before?” Alex swung her leg over her bike and watched as Kara shook her head. “Alright, well, it’s really not as difficult as it seems. Just hop on and wrap your arms around my waist.”

Kara obliged her, wrapping her arms securely around Alex and holding on tightly, the flats of her palms pressing against Alex’s leather-clad abs. Alex clenched her jaw as that same feeling of desire from earlier reared its ugly head again. Her body needed to take a chill pill; Kara and her would most definitely _not_ be having sex tonight, no matter how much Alex might want to go there.

After Kara had told her where she lived, Alex brought the bike to a roaring start and peeled out of her parking space, already mentally mapping out the fastest way to Kara’s apartment. It wasn’t terribly far away from Alex’s own home, a fact she filed away for later examination.

It felt glorious, having Kara wrapped around her body, feeling her thighs pressed against her own, being almost blanketed by Kara’s slender body. It was a feeling she could get used to, and fast.

It didn’t take them more than a few minutes to reach their destination.

Kara’s apartment building was huge and white and Alex parked directly in front of it. She wouldn’t be leaving her bike here for long, anyway.

When both of them were back on their feet, Alex contemplated her next move for a second before she decided on a plan of action. Locking down her bike and stowing the helmets away in their proper compartments, Alex smiled awkwardly and gestured to the entrance of the apartment building. “I’ll walk you to your door.”

Her hands were sweating as they made their way over, Alex sticking them into her back pockets, hopefully the only sign that she was nervous about this situation. What would be protocol for this moment? Would Kara expect a good night kiss? Would she even want one? Alex certainly wouldn’t say no to a good night kiss.

They faced each other as they reached the door, Kara taking her keys from her pocket and fiddling with them absent-mindedly. Unbidden, the movie _Hitch_ came to the forefront of Alex’s mind. Fiddling with the keys was a good sign, wasn’t it?

Alex’s eyes darted down to Kara’s lips briefly before she brought them back to Kara’s ocean-blue gaze. There was a shy smile on Kara’s face and Alex had a feeling Kara knew exactly what she was worried about. The thought was reassuring.

Scraping together all of her confidence, Alex leaned forward ever so slightly, waiting for Kara’s response. She didn’t have to wait long. Meeting her halfway, Kara pressed her lips gently against Alex’s, bringing her hand up to cup Alex’s cheek. Chastely, they traded small kisses back and forth, mouths closed, enjoying the feeling of their first kiss over and over again.

Alex’s chest was filled to the brim with excitement, her head tilting slightly to the side to get a better angle on their kiss, Kara’s hand warm and lovely on her skin, her thumb softly stroking back and forth.

-

Kara was in heaven.

Alex’s lips were soft and pliant as they moved against her own, their kisses long and languid as Kara fell deeper and deeper into the abyss of this moment. Alex’s cheek was soft, too, Kara’s senses going into overdrive at the feeling of her detective being so close to her.

Sliding her free hand onto Alex’s shoulder, Kara gripped the worn leather of her jacket gently, pulling Alex with her as she pressed herself against the door behind her. She could feel Alex getting on her tiptoes to keep kissing her properly, Alex’s hands flat against the door next to her waist, careful not to touch her.

Kara just enjoyed the feeling of having Alex pushed so tightly against her body, her kisses insistent but never overly demanding.

Capturing Alex’s bottom lip in between both of hers, Kara sighed happily into their kiss, the hand on Alex’s shoulder sliding into her hair instead. Alex shuddered at the feeling of nails running along her scalp, goosebumps breaking out on her neck.

Alex pulled back from their kiss, biting her own bottom lip. Kara opened her eyes lazily, seeing with delight that Alex’s eyes were still closed in bliss, breathing only slightly heavy. Kara’s entire body felt flushed with blood, her cheeks hot, not to mention what was going on below her belt. Their kiss hadn’t even involved any tongue, but it had easily been one of the most erotic things Kara had experienced in her lifetime.

“I should go,” Alex murmured, eyes half-lidded, lips especially red from their kiss.

“Mmm,” Kara hummed, pulling Alex back into another kiss, this one just as tender as the last. Kara was unwilling to let her go, she was enjoying herself far too much. Holding Alex’s face tightly with both of her hands, Kara tilted Alex’s head up a little so she could lavish more love onto that sinfully gorgeous bottom lip of hers, wrenching a lovely little mix between a whimper and a sigh from the strong detective. It was thrilling.

And definitely dangerous.

Finally pulling away, Kara felt gratified to see Alex’s dazed facial expression, as though someone had slammed a very heavy object into the back of her skull. She saw Alex swallow hard, eyelids fluttering rapidly for a second before she regathered her composure.

Kara kissed her again, just one last time. A peck, a goodbye.

“Call me tomorrow, okay? And text me when you get home,” Kara said, her hands placed on Alex’s shoulders and a goofy smile on her lips.

Alex nodded dumbly, her eyes only partially back to their usual hawk-like focus. Clearing her throat, Alex straightened her shoulders and smiled as well.

“Yeah, I’ll call you. Thanks for the great date, Kara.”

Kara knew she needed to go inside _now_ , or else she’d end up kissing Alex all night. While that did sound awfully nice, she didn’t want to end up sleeping with Alex on the first date.

“Great, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then,” Kara said, turning away from Alex and unlocking her front door. Alex stepped back from Kara, ran a hand through her hair, and then gave Kara a roguish smile. She was devastatingly handsome and Kara needed to _get inside_ ** _right now_**.

“I’ll see you around, Kara,” she said, back to the catchphrase she liked to use at the coffee shop. Kara smiled, her cheeks still flushed from the incredible kiss.

“Goodnight, Alex.”

Closing the door behind her, Kara pushed her back into it and breathed a sigh of contentment. Biting her bottom lip, she contemplated only for a second on what to do next. Lucy would be waiting for her upstairs, but Alex was still outside.

Narrowing her eyes, Kara turned around and looked through the solid door with her x-ray vision, finding, to her surprise, that Alex was still standing in the exact same spot she’d left her in only a moment ago.

Alex was staring dreamily at the door, the dazed look back on her face.

Kara had to fight with herself to stop the giggles from erupting. There was no doubt she’d left a lasting impression on the detective if her unmoving form was anything to go by.

Kara watched as Alex breathed out slowly, pinched herself and then shook her head.

“I’m so fucked,” Alex whispered to herself, eyes closed and lips pressed together. “Shit, I’m such a fucking goner. _Fuck_.” It was supremely adorable. Only a moment later, Alex turned on her heels, shook out her shoulders and marched back to her motorcycle, a distinct spring in her step.

Kara sighed dreamily from behind the door.

The hot, _hot_ police officer wasn’t the only one who was a goner.

Finally allowing herself to squeal, Kara super sped up the five flights of stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, wasn't that just the sweetest? Our kids truly are the best. Especially Harley. Also, time to ask one all-important question: Which lesbian character from a different TV show did I incorporate into the fanfic as a cameo this time?
> 
> See you next Saturday! Let me know what you think. 
> 
> This chapter was beta-d by the lovely Coara and beaglesinbowties. Bless them - all remaining mistakes belong to me.
> 
> Find me on tumblr @goshdarnitjay.


	4. Dinner with The One™

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara is having the time of her life; Alex constantly feels like someone is hitting her over the head with a heavy object.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes okay fine this chapter is later than usual. Do I have an excuse? Not really. Unless Skyrim counts as a reason to delay this behemoth any further.
> 
> I hope you have a good time!

Kara had to remind herself that she was in a semi-public space as she super-sped up the stairs. On the third floor she finally managed to slow herself down, dancing up the last two flights instead, nearly crashing down five times on extravagant dance moves. If she hadn’t been so concerned about her neighbors seeing her, she probably would have  _ flown _ up instead.

The date had been weird, and wonderful, and completely unexpected, and Kara had loved every second of it. Even the part where Alex had been forced to take an uncomfortable phone call had turned out better than expected. Because Alex liked her, and she liked Alex, and everything was absolutely wonderful in every conceivable way.

Kara moonwalked the final steps to her apartment door, squealing quietly to herself, so as not to awaken any people who were already asleep. It was rapidly closing in on midnight, after all.

Though it was late, Kara knew that Lucy would be waiting for her with bated breath. Kara doubted Lucy had seen them pull up on Alex’s motorcycle, but as soon as Kara’s keys touched the lock, Lucy would probably be on her like white on rice. And by  _ Rao _ , that motorcycle. Being curled around Alex as she drove them both home had been an altogether singular experience. She couldn’t wait to get herself back on that bike. Or, quite possibly, the woman who owned it.

Taking a few seconds to dance in circles by herself, Kara breathed out a steady breath and readied her apartment key. She couldn’t wait to tell Lucy all about what had transpired between her and Alex.

Lucy would  _ explode _ .

To raise the suspense further, Kara opened the door extra slowly, drawing out the moment.

Her first glance went to the couch, where she knew Lucy would be waiting for her. Since James was in Metropolis, Lucy spent most of her time in Kara’s apartment, using the couch as her makeshift home when she was feeling particularly crummy about her husband-situation.

Lucy’s expression made it seem as though she was ready to burst, her glass of red wine clutched firmly in her hand and her eyes glued to Kara’s face.

“And?” Lucy asked, setting the wine down on the coffee table just in case.

Kara took the time to close the front door behind her before she burst into squeals, bringing her fists up to her face and screeching in excitement.

Face breaking into a smile, Lucy jumped up from the couch and joined Kara in her squealing.

“That good?” Lucy’s face was delighted – if slightly mocking – as she waved Kara over to her eagerly. Kara felt as though she was on cloud nine as she spread out her arms and twirled on the spot, her eyes closed.

Emitting a dreamy sigh, Kara flew over to Lucy and wrapped her in a tight hug, squishing her friend’s head to her chest and bringing them both off the floor in her excitement. Lucy clutched at Kara’s back, most likely worried she would be dropped any second.

“Is this what it feels like to have dinner with The One? God, Lucy, she’s just, she’s so…” Kara sighed again, floating back to the ground and letting go of Lucy, who mimed a gagging motion.

Kara had never felt this happy after a date before.

“Alright, Kent, I get it, she’s this super amazing person, but you need to  _ spill _ , okay? I need to know the details! Did you get to feel her up at all? What did you guys talk about? I need to know,” Lucy said, sitting back down and reaching for her wine. Kara let herself fall back on the couch, her feet in Lucy’s lap.

“It was just—we just  _ clicked _ , you know? And she’s so kind and so—lovely. And so  _ attractive _ , ugh,” Kara said, grabbing one of her throw pillows and pushing it over her eyes, her glasses pressed against her face. The darkness only gave her more incentive to fantasize about those muscled forearms and that beautiful, dimpled smile.

“And again I ask you, did you at least feel her up?”

Kara hummed contently as she thought back to their kiss, to the softness of Alex’s lips and the feeling of her body pushing Kara against the door. Drifting into the memories, Kara barely noticed Lucy slapping her shins and demanding more information.

“I don’t know how she managed to look so good in jeans and a sweater, but she just, she really made it work. How can one person look so hot, Lucy? How? I don’t understand it.” Kara’s face was still hidden under her pillow, but she was sure Lucy would be able to hear every word. She could also imagine Lucy rolling her eyes at her words, but she didn’t care.

“The woman has excellent genes, my friend,” Lucy supplied, stopping the soft slaps to Kara’s shins. Instead, Lucy started working on Kara’s shoes, trying to get them off. Kara appreciated the help. “Did you at least kiss her goodnight, if you didn’t feel her up for me? Or were you too busy staring at her to do anything about it?”

Lucy’s question sparked Kara’s memories of the kisses all over again. Alex’s soft skin and hair, her luscious bottom lip, that dazed look on her face. Another dreamy sigh escaped from under the pillow, Kara’s fingers gripping her own blouse so hard she was afraid she’d end up ripping it.

“Oh, Lucy, the kiss. The  _ kiss _ ,” Kara started, legs wiggling on Lucy’s lap. “It was magical. I swear, I saw fireworks, it felt better than flying.”

“Oh, gag,” Lucy replied, adding some very realistic sounding vomiting noises to her comment, but Kara ignored her. She was used to her needling. This was nothing compared to some of the other things Lucy had said to her over the years.

“And her skin is so soft. How can somebody’s skin be so soft, Lucy?  _ How _ ?” At this, Kara ripped the pillow from her face and pushed herself onto her elbows, staring seriously at her friend. Lucy looked at her for a second, obviously wondering whether Kara actually expected an answer to her question.

“You’re fucking gross,” Lucy quipped instead, but Kara knew that she was hiding a smile under her comments, most likely pleased all the way to the moon and back about how happy Kara was with the date.

With yet another sigh, Kara let herself drop back down on the couch, staring dreamily at the ceiling.

“I think I’m in love,” she said, letting her eyes rove over the white paint above her and thinking of Alex’s smiles during dinner. Her laughter, those awful, beautiful dimples. Truth was, she wasn’t sure if she was kidding or not. She’d never felt this strongly about someone before, especially someone she barely knew.

“Goddamn you’re sappy, Kent. I mean, I knew you were a hopeless romantic, but, damn,” Lucy teased her, finally slipping both of Kara’s shoes off her feet and letting them tumble to the ground. When her friend’s face grew serious, Kara knew she was in for a splash of cold water. “You know, it’s great that you’ve found someone you like so much, but be careful, okay? I don’t want to have to hunt this woman down to give her a piece of my mind. I might get arrested.”

Kara rolled her eyes playfully, but sat back up on the couch, face only slightly chagrined and holding out her pinky finger.

“I will, I promise,” Kara said, linking her pinky with Lucy’s and squeezing gently. “But, I really think it’s different this time. You weren’t there, it was… I don’t know, it’s like she really  _ gets _ me, you know? And I feel like I get her, too. Being around her, talking to her, holding her hand, it all felt so… natural, like I was supposed to be there with her. It felt right.”

Kara watched as Lucy’s eyes turned sad, and she could tell that Lucy was thinking about how it had been with her and James at the beginning. How she’d been happy once, too. Kara wondered if Lucy had ever raved about James as  _ she _ currently was about Alex. If she had, Kara hadn’t been privy to it in all the time she’d known her best friend.

Once again, Kara worried for Lucy, trapped in a marriage she’d long since outgrown. Maybe Alex was right; maybe she should raise the subject with Lucy, talk to her about the options laid in front of her. Kara knew that Lucy and James had been to couple’s therapy before, but that it hadn’t done much for them. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to look at your spouse of nine years and feel that slow fade of love.

But tonight wasn’t the time to talk about this.

“Alright, so, are you prepared for a complete rundown of what happened tonight?” Kara let go of Lucy’s pinky finger and grabbed the remote for her stereo. She needed to put on some music if she was going to be describing every last detail of the date to her friend.

Lucy grabbed for her bottle of wine. This was going to be a long night.

-

> [Alex Danvers]: Managed to get home in one piece! Thanks for the amazing night, Kara. I had a really great time :).  _ Sent 12:05am _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: So did I! Glad you got home safely!  _ Sent 12:06am _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Maybe I’ll see you on Monday? At CatCo’s?  _ Sent 12:09am _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: It’s a date. See you then!  _ Sent 12:10am _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: :).  _ Sent 12:11am _ .

-

When Alex entered her apartment, the first thing she did was call Pam. The phone was in her hand before she realized what she was doing. She ignored the five text messages from Harley and went directly into her contacts. As she was yet again reminded of the chaos Selina had wreacked on her phone, Alex figured she should probably get to changing her contact names back into their original states sometime soon. Batman couldn’t stay [Brooding Stick in the Mud] forever.

“Alex, my morning glory, how was the date? I’m sorry Harley tried sabotaging you again, but you know how she is,” Pam said as she answered the phone, her tone amused. Alex didn’t buy for a second that Pam was sorry, but she didn’t care. There was only so much reforming you could do with someone like Pam, and that was fine with her. This time, thankfully, there was no moaning in the background, meaning that whatever Pam and Harley had been doing in bed, they were very likely finished. Alex’s chest filled with relief.

“I’m only going to tell you, if you promise not to tell Selina or Harley anything about it. I don’t want them to get their grabby little hands all over my personal life again.” Her words weren’t completely serious, but it was a game they’d been playing for quite some time now. Alex tried to keep Selina and Harley out of the loop for as long as possible and enjoyed the way they got angry about it. Then again, once she told one of them, they’d all know within a matter of minutes anyway.

Pam snorted, but acquiesced.

“Of course, my tiny larkspur. I wouldn’t dream of telling them about anything,” Pam said, her voice only slightly mocking. Alex rolled her eyes but leaned her back against the front door as she closed her eyes and thought back to her date with Kara. Kara, the cutest barista she’d ever met.

“Honestly, Pam, you’d love her. You should see the plants and flowers she can paint. She’s an artist, and she is so good. She does hyperrealistic paintings, and they’re awesome. I’ve never seen anything like it. And the worlds she paints, Pam, I swear, I’d plaster my whole apartment with her paintings if I could.” Alex’s voice was fast and excited, her right hand absent-mindedly going to her tattoo and following the lines on her skin.

“Well, you’ll have to send me some pictures at some point. I want to see them! It sounds like you had a good time, my little lavender, I am so glad to hear it. Is she pretty? You should send me a photo of her, I want to know what she looks like.” Pam sounded just as excited, and though Alex couldn’t see her face, she could imagine her wide grin.

“She’s beautiful, Pam. I think she might be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life. You should see her  _ smile _ . Man, so sweet and wide, and she’s got those amazing, blue eyes.” Alex had a lot of trouble keeping the dreamy sigh contained in her chest. Raving about Kara to her friend was one thing, but having Pam tell the others that she’d  _ sighed _ was out of the question.

Pam giggled, obviously loving this entire exchange far too much.

“She sounds like a great girl, pumpkin. Though I’m a little offended, too. Clearly,  _ I _ am the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen. Rookie mistake, Alex, rookie mistake,” Pam said teasingly, her voice full of affection. She seemed very pleased for Alex, despite her words.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Pam.  _ Of course _ , how could I forget. Forgive me for this oversight.” Alex’s tone dripped with sarcasm. She felt more relaxed than she had in a long time. Going out with Kara had put her into a dreamy state of bliss, one she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to leave. She was already dreading the fist of reality inevitably punching her in the face.

“That’s better, you scoundrel.” Pam laughed, unbothered by Alex’s sarcasm. “Did you kiss her goodnight? Cause if you didn’t, I might have to come down to National City to beat some sense into you. From the way you’re acting, it sounds like you should marry the girl on the spot.”

Alex huffed.

“Of course I kissed her goodnight, who do you think I am?” Alex wondered briefly if she’d be more comfortable on the couch for this conversation, but her body was still so wired from the intense kissing that she didn’t think she’d be able to sit still. Standing was much better. “Though, to be fair, it was more that  _ she _ kissed  _ me _ goodnight.” Again, she had to fight with herself to suppress the dreamy sigh. “I don’t think I’ve ever been kissed like that.”

“Don’t let Selina hear that. I don’t know what she’d do. Probably try to one-up the poor girl.” There was something odd about Pam’s voice now, like she was fucking with Alex more than she was letting on. Maybe it was a sign to end the conversation.

“Sure, Pam, I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for listening to me rant about this, I’ll tell you more about the actual date once I’ve calmed down, alright? I still can’t believe all of that really happened tonight. I can’t wait to go out with her again,” Alex said, hoping against hope that the end of the conversation could be brought about quickly.

“Of course, my sweet honeysuckle, anytime. I love how excited you are about this one. Harley and Selina say hi, by the way. From their expressions right now, I’d say they’re also very thrilled your first date went well and you found yourself such a keeper,” Pam said, voice mischievous, and Alex realized she’d been played yet again. So much for Harley and Selina not finding out about anything she’d said. They’d probably been listening in to their conversation from the very beginning.

“I hate all of you. Tell Selina and Harley I hate them especially,” Alex grumbled, rolling her eyes at herself. She should’ve known there was no escape. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow, Ivy.”

“Of course, Alex, talk to you soon. Bye, love you!”

With a snort, Alex ended the call and slipped her phone back into her pocket. As her phone blew up with yet more text messages, she figured she might as well get ready for bed. Though… maybe, she should text Kara first. Let her know she got home safely, check in with her. Tell her again how much she’d loved their time together.

Ignoring the now ten text messages from Harley and three new ones from Selina, she opened up Kara’s text window and started writing, happy about the quick response and short back and forth about meeting up for coffee on Monday. Her stomach filled with warmth at the little smiley face Kara had sent her.

Finally walking into her living room, Alex allowed herself that dreamy sigh and scooped up a sleeping Trish from Selina’s black kitten-blanket. Trish grumbled and meowed disgruntledly (she’d been  _ sleeping _ , thank you very much, her facial expression seemed to say) as Alex held her in her arms and twirled around the room.

“Baby, you wouldn’t believe what an excellent night I’ve had. You’re going to love Kara so much, she is such a great person, she’s just, she’s so cute, and so nice,” Alex sing-songed as she pressed a series of kisses against Trish’s face, pulling away just quickly enough to avoid her tiny, clawed paws. Unperturbed, Alex pressed her face against Trish’s belly and inhaled her clean scent.

“She’s an artist, sweetie, I bet she could paint you really well, if you ever stayed still long enough.” Trish meowed again, trying to squirm away as Alex held her up like baby Simba in  _ The Lion King _ . When she danced by her window, Herbert lifted his head and opened his maw, letting his little plant arms wave to the tune Alex was now humming. Alex laughed as she watched her plant dance in excitement. Herbert probably had no idea what Alex was so excited about, but she appreciated the moral support nonetheless.

When she’d made her third lap around the entire living room, she set Trish back down on her blanket and smoothed a hand over her head apologetically, glad when Trish started purring, setting aside her ill-will for some petting. As Alex lowered herself down next to her on the couch, she heard the distinct sound of a flowerpot scratching against the floor. Herbert was joining them on the couch for some cuddles.

The first time Herbert had moved from his place on her windowsill in Gotham, Alex had nearly shot the plant with her gun. She’d seen a shadow move in the corner of her periphery and she’d already been jumpy about being back in her old apartment. Herbert had been with her for three days at the time (Ivy had dropped him off personally, a tender look on her face).

Herbert slung his little vines around Alex’s arm and pulled himself onto the couch, pushing Trish half off the new blanket. Alex laughed as she watched the two squabble. Picking up her remote to turn on Netflix, Alex reveled in the perfect ending to a perfect night. Trish settled on the blanket next to her, and Herbert draped over her legs, raining small pieces of dirt onto her couch.

-

Alex spent her Sunday lazing around on her couch, texting back and forth with Harley and Ivy and making headway on her  _ Law & Order _ reruns. She’d called Kara during the afternoon, spending three hours talking to her about everything and nothing.

She couldn’t wait for Monday.

When it finally rolled around, Alex was up by four thirty, her face washed and make-up applied by four forty-five. Maybe, if she showed up to work early enough, she’d have an excuse to take an early lunch. Certainly, Lord wouldn’t have anything negative to say about her work ethic, if she rolled up to work at six in the morning.

When she walked into the precinct, she was pretty sure there was a spring in her step and an uncanny smile on her face. No matter what happened today, she was hell-bent on staying in a good mood. Nothing would be raining on her parade today. She’d finally see Kara again. The Sunday without her had been nearly unbearable.

“Danvers, looking especially fresh today. I love it,” Vasquez called from across the room, waving with their coffee mug. Alex grinned and replied with a thumbs-up, mouthing a ‘tell you later’ at her friend.

Vasquez would be thrilled for her; Vasquez was always thrilled when Alex was in a good mood. She’d have to help them with finding a partner at some point as well. Vasquez was too good and too kind to stay single forever. Alex wasn’t generally one for memes, but she couldn’t help but imagine Vasquez as a small cinnamon roll, too kind, too pure. She shook her head to dislodge the thought. She should stop trolling Tumblr in her free time, it was slowly turning her brain into sludge.

“Good morning, Alex,” Hank greeted her as she sat down at her desk.

Sometimes Alex wondered if Hank ever slept, considering how she always seemed to arrive after and leave before him. Alex had never been at the precinct without him, she realized, in the entire month she’d been here so far. He needed a life. After Vasquez, she was going to help  _ Hank _ find someone.

Reflecting on her thoughts, Alex realized she might be allowing her romantic life to influence the rest of her emotions and choices just a bit too much. She just wasn’t entirely sure if she cared. Being happy was a concept she hadn’t felt for a while; it was dangerous. She’d already grown too attached to this barely developing relationship.

“Morning, Hank,” Alex said, straightening a pen on her desk, “do you ever go home?”

Alex sent him a friendly grin and he rolled his eyes at her.

“Of course not, I spend my nights working out at our gym when you’re not here. I live off the sludge Lord leaves in the coffee machine every morning.” Hank’s voice was deadpan, his expression completely unreadable. Alex rolled her eyes, almost inclined to believe his words out of spite alone.

“You know, if you’re not careful, I might actually start to believe it when you say shit like that.” Alex thumbed through the case files on her desk, annoyed at the fact that they weren’t any closer to figuring out their case about the missing eyeballs.

Hank snorted at her comment, picking up a report and handing it over to her.

“I intercepted this, before it could get to Lord. It’s your flower specialist’s report about murders number five and six. Seems like it got stuck in the mail somewhere. I didn’t read it, I figured you should be the one to open it.” His expression was mischievous as he tacked on something else. “Who knows, might be anthrax in your mail.”

Alex lifted one eyebrow as she ripped into the envelope. Pam hadn’t mentioned anything about her results to her, aside from the fact that she’d sent them, most likely because she’d been distracted by Alex’s date. She hoped whatever Pam’s findings were, that they would help them solve this case. She seriously needed to work on something else. If Lord kept them chasing ghosts any longer, she might just decide to revolt.

She figured she’d be well within her right, considering he was still pushing his annoying hero-menace-agenda. Lord had taken to giving speeches in the precinct, walking around the desks and explaining how and why the aliens and super-powered people living among them were to be mistreated and locked up for the safety of everyone else. Or, as Lord like to call them, normal people.

_ Normal _ , as though anything of the sort had ever actually existed.

The terrible thing was, many of their colleagues actually agreed with him. Though, if she thought about it logically, she had to admit to herself that many of her colleagues couldn’t even deal with humans who weren’t white. She didn’t know why she expected them to act any differently towards people who weren’t even human to begin with.

Slipping out the stack of papers Pam had sent them, Alex started reading. Holding out the papers to Hank, Alex ensured that he could read them as well. Hank moved his chair closer to her and furrowed his brows, making him look momentarily as though he was figuring out a particularly difficult jigsaw puzzle.

“Some kind of poison and acid hybrid, then?” Alex said, sliding her finger over a line in the text. There were several graphs and pie charts as well, no doubt intended for their lab techs. Alex had no idea what any of them meant, but she was sure they were important.

“Looks like it,” Hank replied, moving his finger over one of the graphs. “Also seems like we got lucky with the flowers.” The text explained how the poison, while indeed airborne, decayed immensely quickly by breaking into smaller molecules--thus destroying all evidence and effectiveness. It was also alien in nature, as Supergirl had suspected. Alex had no idea what any of the mentioned molecules were, but she was glad Pam knew about them. She’d have to send her a fruit basket, or quite possibly a gift card to one of those big flower shops in Gotham that Pam liked to visit (to ‘free the plants’, as she liked to say).

The poison seemed to seep into the flowers and bind with them, at least temporarily, slowing down the decay and therefore the process involved in destroying the evidence. Alex suspected the murderers didn’t know about this side effect, or else they would have most likely removed the flowers at the crime scene.

“Great, now we know what killed them. Only we  _ don’t _ know what killed them, because we don’t know what the fuck any of those chemicals are. I don’t even know how to pronounce that one,” Alex said, pointing at one of the particularly long names. Hank hummed thoughtfully, tilting his head and looking down at the data.

“Well, we might not know what they are, but we do know someone who does. Someone you’ve been avoiding,” Hank said, giving her the side-eye. At one of Alex’s glares, he sighed. “For perfectly valid reasons, of course. Perfectly valid.”

“Right, well, you go talk to your super-powered friend and I’ll go read through this report thoroughly and see if Pam included anything else that might be of use. I might call her to check for any explanation I can get.” Alex rolled directly behind her desk and fired up her computer, just in case she needed to google any words she didn’t know the meaning of. Pam’s scientist language could sometimes get a bit confusing.

“I’ll send her a message, see if she’s very busy. If we’re lucky, I might be able to see her today,” Hank replied, slipping his phone from his pocket and typing quickly.

-

When Monday rolled around and Kara made her way into CatCo Coffee at eight in the morning, she wished she’d sent Alex another text message, asking her about when she was planning on visiting Kara at her workplace. More importantly though, Kara wondered about whether or not it would be appropriate for her to kiss Alex in greeting, or if Ms. Grant would consider a kiss as grounds for firing her.

Lucy was already behind the counter, waiting on a tall, well-dressed black man in a pin-striped suit ordering a regular coffee. Kara smiled at her as she walked past the counter and through the door to the kitchen. Winn was working as well, and Kara didn’t disturb him as she made her way into their changing room, grabbing for a clean apron.

Alex most likely wouldn’t be showing up during the morning hours; she usually liked to drop by around lunch or after work, that one morning where she’d actually stopped at CatCo’s for a sandwich notwithstanding.

Maybe Kara could text her about it now?

No, she didn’t want to seem too desperate too soon. She could wait it out. Alex had said she’d come by, and Kara had no reason to doubt her. Besides, work would keep her busy while she waited, that much was for sure.

-

The sixth time she walked into CatCo Coffee, Detective Alex Danvers had a smile on her face and a spring in her step, her hands stuffed into the front pockets of her dress pants. It was lunchtime and she looked just as amazing as Kara had known she would, her police badge hanging over a starchly pressed dark blue button-down with thin white stripes, her eyes accentuated by just the right amount of mascara. Her hair looked slightly disheveled, which Kara figured meant she’d taken her motorcycle.

Kara knew she was staring again as Alex made her way over, hips swinging in an unmistakable swagger, her eyes mischievous and sparkling. Kara’s concentration was so shot by Alex’s beautiful appearance that she nearly pulverized the coins a customer had just handed her. She needed to focus, and fast.

Two customers later, Kara was finally looking directly into Alex’s eyes as she waited for her order.

“Hi, Kara,” Alex said, voice rough as she leaned her hands on the counter and sent Kara a smile. “I’d like a coffee to go, please. Nothing fancy today.” Kara’s heart was doing overtime as she put Alex’s order into the register, still fighting with herself over whether or not she should lean forward and kiss her hopefully soon-to-be-girlfriend.

“Hey,” Kara said, pushing her glasses further up her nose. Now that the initial euphoria from their date had worn off a bit (though, admittedly, not by much), Kara was back to feeling nervous around the beautiful and kind detective. Still, she pushed through it as she slid the order over to a grinning Lucy. “Just a regular old coffee, huh? They don’t have those at your precinct?”

Alex chuckled, eyes rolling in their sockets.

“Cops aren’t exactly known for their coffee-making abilities. Besides, my precinct doesn’t have that one cute barista I’ve had a fantastic date with and want to see all the time,” Alex whispered with a small smile, her cheeks and nose pinkening slightly after her words as though she’d once again revealed too much. Kara melted at her slightly sheepish expression, an itching starting in her fingers to grab Alex by the lapels of her leather jacket and pull her in a for a  _ very _ inappropriate, open-mouthed kiss.

“Lucky for you, we can accommodate you on that,” Kara said, looking down at the register with a grin. She’d need to work on keeping her composure if she didn’t want Ms. Grant to give her the boot. “That’ll be three dollars for a regular coffee to-go.” Handing over a five-dollar bill, Alex waved away Kara’s attempt to give her back her change.

“It’s good to see you again, Kara. This is, without a doubt, the highlight of my day,” Alex said, face tender as her eyes roamed across Kara’s blushing face. She accepted the receipt and slipped it into the breast pocket of her shirt. Kara could feel the blood pumping in her ears as she watched Alex turn away to grab her coffee from where Lucy had set it down. She saw Lucy miming a gagging motion in her direction out of the corner of her eye, but Kara ignored her.

Panicking slightly, Kara acted impulsively, grabbing Alex’s cheeks with her hands and pulling her in for a gentle kiss. Their lips fit together perfectly. Startled, Alex gave off a small, surprised noise, but she didn’t pull away. If anything, she leaned further over the counter, bringing herself closer to Kara’s body.

The kiss lasted for only a few seconds, but it filled Kara’s chest with a feeling of contentment and warmth, her hands tingling where they were touching Alex’s soft skin.

When they separated, Alex looked dazed again, her lips slightly parted and her cheeks flushed red. Kara bit her bottom lip as she glanced at the customers waiting in line behind Alex. There was a young Asian guy with a smartphone, who was thankfully too busy with whatever he was doing to notice the kiss, and a middle-aged white lady who was checking their assortment of cat mugs with interest. Kara breathed a sigh of relief as she looked back to Alex, who had a lazy half-smile on her face now.

Clearing her throat and looking down at her boots bashfully, Alex blindly grabbed for her coffee cup, nearly knocking it over in the process. Kara could hear the unmistakable noise of Lucy stifling her laughter.

“I’ll see you around, Kara,” Alex said, voice breathless and knees jittering. Kara could see Alex nearly trip as she stepped further away from the counter, and she reveled in what a small kiss could turn the tough detective into. It was unbearably adorable.

“Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow?” Kara asked hopefully, smiling at the young Asian boy as he stepped forward.

“I’ll be here. Same place, same time.”

With those words Alex shook out her shoulders, took a sip of her coffee and left CatCo’s, seemingly walking even taller than when she’d first entered the shop. Kara couldn’t contain the pleased little grin on her face as she continued to take people’s coffee and snack orders.

Everything had gone entirely better than expected.

About an hour later, once the lunchtime rush hour had passed, Kara finally allowed herself a moment of true excitement, looking over at Lucy and giving her a wide grin. Lucy rolled her eyes, but walked over, punching Kara in the shoulder playfully.

“Ms. Grant is  _ so _ going to fire you if she ever finds you kissing a customer. She might like you the best, but she’s not going to take your shit forever.” Lucy’s voice was teasing. Kara stuck her tongue out at her. “You guys looked hot, though, macking on each other like that. If you ever do end up sleeping with her, I’m going to need photographic evidence. Send me a few pictures, maybe a video, I’m not super picky.” Her words were accompanied by an impressive eyebrow wiggle, and Kara uttered a long-suffering sigh.

“You are so gross in every conceivable way and I cannot believe I ever befriended you.” With those words, Kara returned Lucy’s punch to her shoulder, careful to completely throttle her powers, so as not to cause any permanent damage.

Lucy still whined like a child.

“Excuse you, Killer-Kent, I still need that shoulder for  _ things _ ,” Lucy said, letting her arm dangle down from her body lifelessly, acting as though Kara had truly done some irreparable damage. “How am I supposed to masturbate, if my masturbation arm is out of commission? Think of the children, Kara, think of the children!” Lucy grabbed her arm with her free hand and shook it ruefully, a look of utter devastation on her face. Sometimes Kara figured Lucy would’ve made a great lawyer with her acting skills.

Rolling her eyes so hard she was afraid they were going to come loose, Kara shook her head at her friend and leaned against the counter behind her.

“You are ridiculous,” Kara finally said. Lucy was still letting her arm wobble around, a small grin on her face, obviously delighted by her own joke.

“I may be ridiculous, but you’re the one who loves me, so… what does that make you?” Finally letting her arm snap back into place properly, Lucy cocked her hip slightly to the side and put her hand on it, sassy pose perfectly completed.

“An idiot, clearly,” Kara replied, straightening her back as a new customer finally entered the coffee shop. Banter time was over – at least for now.

-

Tuesday went by in much the same way as Monday had. As did most of Wednesday. Alex got up early in the morning, too wired to sleep for too long. She spent her evenings with Trish and Herbert and even managed to get a call in with Pam on Monday night, asking her about the alien poison lab results, though Pam hadn’t been able to give her much more than what had been stated in the report. Hank hadn’t found time to meet up with Supergirl yet, so they were still waiting for her intel before they could proceed. Lord had them chasing down suspects that didn’t make a lick of sense, given closer inspection (as always), and Vasquez had taken to sending Alex text messages about the new season of  _ Grey’s Anatomy _ .

And, of course, Alex went to see Kara during her lunch hour.

The two subsequent visits to the coffee shop after Monday’s very successful first attempt had been exactly as wonderful as the first one had been. Kara was radiant, her face flushing in pleasure every time she saw Alex enter the building. It was gratifying as much as frightening. Alex thought about their meetings almost every waking moment, save perhaps for the time she was working.

Two more phone calls had followed the first one on Sunday. Alex couldn’t get enough of listening to Kara’s voice, of hearing about her day, of the shenanigans that Lucy liked to get herself and Kara into.

During the two other times they’d seen each other, they hadn’t kissed again, a fact that Alex only grudgingly accepted, considering how fireworks seemed to explode behind her eyelids every time their lips so much as brushed. She understood on a logical level why they hadn’t, seeing as Kara had been working the other two times they’d seen each other. It was very unlikely that they could keep getting away with locking lips over the counter where Kara was supposed to be a  _ professional _ . Making out with customers while on the clock was most likely frowned upon – especially by immensely successful, self-made entrepreneur Cat Grant.

Which was why Alex found herself pulling up to CatCo Coffee on her motorcycle on Wednesday evening around ten, exactly one week after she and Kara had decided to go on a date. She was pleased to see that a parking space only a few steps away from the main entrance was empty.

Locking down her bike, Alex pulled a hand through her hair and blew out a breath.

“You can do this, Alex. Pulling up in front of her workplace to see her twice in one day is not creepy and not stalkerish at all. Kara is going to be happy to see you,” Alex whispered to herself, feet stuck to the concrete of the sidewalk. “Just go in there and say hi. You can say hi.”

Still jittery, even after pep-talking herself, Alex stuffed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and made her way to CatCo’s front door. Alex had gone home at around six, after another horrifically boring day of chasing down leads that got them nowhere, and had changed into a slightly less professional outfit. Dark jeans and a casual, light blue button-up. She hoped Kara would like the look.

Pushing open the front door, Alex was happy to see the way Kara’s face lit up as she saw who was there. Kara had looked disgruntled for only a moment, clearly not psyched to entertain a customer only ten minutes from closing time, but her grimace turned into a wide smile and she set down the rag she’d been using to polish the counter.

“Surprise, surprise,” Alex said with a smile, her nerves slightly soothed by Kara’s enthusiasm. “I figured I’d stop by, say hello. Maybe take you home, if you want.” Letting the door fall shut behind her, Alex walked over to Kara, leaning over the counter slightly to press a sweet, short kiss against Kara’s lips in greeting. Nothing but a peck, but enough to set off the fireworks and butterflies again. “I also figured I’d help you close up shop.”

Kara’s smile turned tender as she went in for another kiss, running her hands up Alex’s arms. Tilting her head to the side, Kara hummed appreciatively as Alex shifted position slightly, allowing their lips to fit together even more perfectly.

“You’re sweet,” Kara breathed.

Alex probably would’ve kept kissing Kara all night, if a cough hadn’t suddenly sounded through the room, making them spring apart quickly, Alex’s hand slipping to the gun she kept hidden at her back. She’d almost curled her hand around its hilt when she saw who had made the noise.

“Kiera, while it has been a while since I myself worked as a barista to put myself through university so I could fund my massive empire, I don’t quite remember kissing on the job as being particularly productive, especially if it’s past ten in the evening and you’re supposed to be closing up,” Cat Grant said as she rolled her eyes and huffed out an annoyed breath of air.

Alex had never spoken to Cat Grant. She hadn’t even seen her up close before. For such a short woman, she seemed incredibly powerful. Alex hoped against hope she’d never get on Cat Grant’s bad side. Well, any more than she probably already was.

“Yes, Ms. Grant. Of course, Ms. Grant. I am so sorry. Alex- Detective Danvers just stopped by to take me home,” Kara rushed out quickly, walking around the counter. Her movements were swift and precise as she started stacking up chairs, her back ramrod straight. Alex was unsure about what to do with herself, unsure whether or not helping Kara stack the chairs with Ms. Grant present was going to get her hopefully soon-to-be-girlfriend in trouble.

At Kara’s words, Cat seemed to perk up slightly, her eyes turning calculating and sharp as she regarded Alex, who was reminded of a lion stalking its prey. Alex’s back tensed as Cat Grant scrutinized her form critically.

“A detective, Kiera? Really?” she said, holding her bag loosely at her side, still looking Alex up and down. “You don’t happen to work closely with our dearly beloved chief of police, do you?”

Alex felt as though she was being x-rayed by this woman’s intense gaze.

“Um,” Alex said, glancing nervously at a still stacking Kara out of the corner of her eyes, “yes, ma’am, I work for our chief of police. I wouldn’t call us close, though, by any stretch of the imagination.” Alex knew, of course, of the intense animosity between Ms. Grant and Maxwell Lord. She didn’t know why they hated each other, and she didn’t really care. What she cared about right now was to get the hell out of here with Kara in tow and to make out some more somewhere else. Hopefully some place where they wouldn’t be interrupted.

Cat Grant hummed thoughtfully, narrowing her eyes at Alex’s response.

“You seem twitchy, Detective Danvers. If you want to advance in your field someday, as I’m sure you do, you might want to work on your poker face. Granted I am, of course, a formidable presence for any person to be around, but I would expect more from our local police force. Especially if they are defiling my workplace with their romantic entanglements.” Ms. Grant’s words were sharp and left no room for negotiations, so Alex didn’t bother with defending herself and Kara. She had a feeling that would only cause more problems for her not-yet-girlfriend. “Now, go make yourself useful, if you’re going to be standing around here anyway. Help Kiera put everything away, you don’t want the poor girl to work herself to death while you stand around gawking gormlessly, do you?”

Without another word, Ms. Grant walked over to the door.

“Bye, Ms. Grant!” Kara said, face still flustered from being caught. Cat only uttered a small noise of disapproval, and then she was gone.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief, Kara hurrying over to the entrance to lock it behind Ms. Grant’s rapidly retreating figure.

“She is intense,” Alex said, pretty sure she’d just survived a major chewing out by one of National City’s most influential people. “Can you please tell her that I always pay more than I owe you guys? I feel like I’ve made a horrendous first impression on your boss.” If Alex had been wearing a tie, she would have loosened it. Alas, she had to make do with slipping her pointer finger into the collar of her shirt and pulling at it slightly, the gesture all too clear.

Kara sighed, leaning her back against the locked door.

“Sorry, Cat can be a bit weird, but she’s really not that bad once you get to know her.” At Alex’s slightly disbelieving look, Kara relented. “Okay, so she’s exactly as bad as she seems, but she’s got her good moments, too. She’s been mentoring me pretty much ever since I started working here. I’ve learned so much from her over the years and our relationship means a lot to me, which is why I get defensive when people talk badly about her.”

Smiling a little, Alex walked over to the door, placed her hands on Kara’s hips and pulled her close. Kara’s body was firm, her hips clearly muscled and well-defined, thrilling Alex all the way down to her toes. Kara exuded strength from every pore, so asynchronistic to her shy demeanor.

“You don’t have to justify yourself or your positive feelings about your boss to me,” Alex said, leaning up her face and pressing a kiss against Kara’s cheek. “You know her better than I do, and if I have to make do with her presence every time I come here, then I will deal with it, because the alternative of not seeing you is not even an option.” She laid a kiss on the corner of Kara’s smiling mouth. “And now, let’s get this place all cleaned up, so I can take you home. Maybe we can talk about that second date while we’re at it.”

Kara’s face moved forward gently, capturing Alex’s lips in a loving kiss that was over much too soon.

“I’d love that,” Kara said, nuzzling her nose against Alex’s cheek. “I can’t wait to show you my art at Siobhan’s gallery.” The words breathed against her ear put Alex over the edge, her knees trembling slightly, unwilling to carry the rest of her body weight. She forced them to stop, stepping away gently from Kara’s warm, enticing body.

“Let’s do this, then,” Alex said, turning around and walking over to some more unstacked chairs. She was pleased to hear Kara’s happy little chuckle behind her as she went to work. The sound was more than enough to put Alex’s thumping heart back at ease.

-

Twenty minutes later, the chairs had been stacked, the register cleared out and counted, the tables wiped and the work counter organized. Kara had changed out of her apron and had returned to Alex in the main room. Now she looked around, wondering if she’d forgotten to do anything as Alex stood by her side, arm curled lazily around Kara’s waist, her smartphone in her other hand. Kara leaned back into Alex’s half-embrace, furrowing her brow as she thought about anything she could have possibly missed, enjoying the moment.

“I think that’s it, we’re done,” Kara said, uncurling Alex’s arm from her waist and taking her hand instead. It was nice, feeling the small ridges and inconsistencies in Alex’s skin. Her palm was rough in some places, no doubt toughened by years of working as a police officer. Kara loved every callous. “Let’s go home.”

Kara had already started taking the first step when she realized what she’d said. “I mean, my home, not  _ our _ home, we don’t have a home.”

Word vomit, her old enemy.

Alex bumped Kara’s shoulder with her own, gripping her hand more tightly and pulling her along to the door, obviously unperturbed by Kara’s blunder. Maybe she was already getting used to Kara’s certain brand of awkwardness.

“I know what you meant, Kara. We can take my bike, if that’s okay with you?” Alex smiled, waiting patiently for Kara to un- and relock the front door, the coffee shop now dark and lifeless. Kara had never been scared alone by herself in the dark street at ten thirty at night for obvious reasons, but having Alex next to her was still a comfort, though not one of a physical nature.

“I’d love to ride with you, Alex. I had a lot of fun the last time.” What Kara didn’t say was how she’d enjoyed being close to Alex most of all. Flying was still her favorite mode of travel, but curling herself around Alex was an altogether different experience.

The ride to Kara’s apartment didn’t take long, which disappointed Kara to a degree that would’ve been embarrassing, if she hadn’t resigned herself to her fate about five weeks ago, when she’d first laid eyes on her hot,  _ hot _ police officer.

She blushed at her own thoughts.

Alex wasn’t technically  _ hers _ , not yet anyway, but Kara knew they were on the right track. She tightened her grip on Alex’s midriff, enjoying the way Alex’s abdominal muscles flexed under her grip.

Kara truly, desperately needed to get a hold of herself.

Arriving at Kara’s apartment building, they both swung their legs off the powerful machine and removed their helmets. After stowing them away, Alex leaned casually against her bike and smiled at Kara. The words  _ ruggedly handsome _ popped into Kara’s brain, and she nearly rolled her eyes at her own predictability. This entire crush-business was quickly spiraling dangerously out of control.

“Thanks for taking me home,” Kara said, taking both of Alex’s hands and swinging them gently back and forth. “And for stopping by, it was really good to see you.”

Kara was unwilling to let her go so soon.

“Hey, trust me, coming to see you was totally for selfish reasons. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” The bashful expression was back on Alex’s face, a hint of red rushing across her nose. Her words nearly made Kara lift off the ground.

Smiling slightly, Kara closed her eyes and leaned forward, intent on giving Alex a small goodbye kiss. They were in the middle of the street, after all, and though it was deserted right now, that didn’t mean it would remain that way for long.

Releasing Alex’s hands, Kara slung her arms around the detective’s waist, resting more of her body weight against her. Kara’s fingers dug gently into the back of her leather jacket. They kissed slowly for a second, nothing more than the steady sliding of lips, the corners of their mouths turned up.

When one of Alex’s hands buried itself in Kara’s hair at the back of her head, Kara let out a small noise of contentment, her mouth opening slightly. Taking this as an invitation, Alex deepened the kiss, her tongue gliding tenderly across Kara’s bottom lip.

Leaning even closer, Kara felt her right leg slip in between both of Alex’s, pulling a small, barely audible whimper from Alex’s throat as she pressed forward. The noise was encouraging and Kara rotated her hips experimentally. She wanted to hear that whimper again, it was like music to her ears.

Turning her face to the other side to get a better angle, Kara shivered as their noses brushed against one another. Alex’s lips were insistent, but Kara didn’t have any trouble keeping up. She had tried and true Kryptonian lungs, she could go the distance in a kiss like this. Alex’s breathing was becoming heavier though, her rapid heartbeat reverberating through Kara’s hypersensitive ears.

Kara could also feel the arousal pooling in her own pants, a sensation only exacerbated by Alex’s nails raking down the back of her head.

This make-out session was wholly inappropriate for a public space.

Unwilling to break away completely, Kara slowed the kiss gradually, moving her hands under Alex’s leather jacket, her thumbs soothingly moving in circles across the crisp, blue shirt. She didn’t dare touch Alex’s skin, sure that if she did, they would not be leaving this motorcycle anytime soon.

Alex understood her unspoken request, exchanging hot and heavy kisses for sweet and gentle pecks, her hand leaving Kara’s hair and moving to Kara’s chin instead, tilting it up gently to make for a less passionate kiss.

It took another two minutes for them to part, Alex’s lips reddened, her cheeks flush with blood, her eyes heavy-lidded.

Alex bit her bottom lip, her nose brushing softly against Kara’s.

Kara still felt like she was floating.

-

Thursday morning, Alex woke up with a smile on her face.

It didn’t matter that it was five in the morning and she’d barely slept, she was still riding the high of that kiss. Curling herself even further into her comforter, Alex hit the snooze button on her alarm and closed her eyes, reliving the experience of having Kara inbetween her legs while she leaned against her own goddamn motorcycle in full, technicolor detail.

Life was  _ good _ .

The moment was shattered when she registered the music coming from her kitchen and the sound of footsteps walking across hardwood floors. Reaching for the gun under her pillow, Alex pulled herself out of bed quickly, noting to her annoyance that she was wearing her panties, a tank top and not much else.

Looking around for a second, she spotted her shirt from last night and quickly slipped it on, doing up three of the buttons in quick succession. If she had to shoot someone in her own kitchen, she’d rather not be half-naked while doing so.

Tip-toeing to her bedroom door, she raised her arms and stepped around the corner, aiming her gun at…

A dancing Selina Kyle.

“God fucking damn it, Selina,  _ I’ve told you _ ,” Alex raged, instantly lowering her gun to her side and giving off an annoyed sound of disbelief, “you can’t keep breaking in here! What the fuck are my neighbors going to think, if they keep seeing a strange woman climb in through my window at all hours of the night?”

Selina held Herbert in her arms as she danced around Alex’s kitchen to the sound of ‘What’s Up’ by 4 Non Blondes, the tiny plant waving his vines around in excitement. Trish was sleeping on her side on the kitchen table, her tail slapping up and down occasionally, the only sign that she wasn’t as conked out as she wanted everyone to believe.

“I didn’t climb in through your window this time, darling, I picked your lock,” Selina said, winking at Alex and dancing over to her, Herbert reaching out for Alex instantly. Taking the plant into her arms, Alex grumbled at the kiss Selina bestowed upon her in greeting. “Hi, baby, once again I have returned to ruin everything you hold dear. Mainly your panties. Also some other stuff.”

“As long as you didn’t ruin the coffee,” Alex mumbled, walking back into her bedroom to replace her gun and put on some pants. “You’re a pest; why are you here this time? In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been calling and texting everyone, just like you said I should. I even called my mom three times since the last time I saw you.”

Selina snorted, obviously pleased with her friend’s obedience.

“I know, baby, but I wanted to check in on you myself, what with the new girlfriend and everything. I must admit, I’m a little bit jealous that I won’t be the only one enjoying those pretty lips of yours from now on.” Selina pouted, the expression exaggerated to the extreme as she wiped away an imaginary tear.

With an eye-roll, Alex closed her bedroom door in Selina’s face.

“Shut up,” she called, knowing full well that Selina would be able to hear her just fine. Setting down Herbert on her windowsill and slipping on some new underwear, she got ready for work quickly, throwing on her professional clothes and brushing her hair and teeth in record-time. She was done in less than fifteen minutes.

Walking back out again, Alex was pleased to see that Selina had indeed made coffee already and had thought to buy some breakfast waffles and strawberries.

“So, Trish has been telling me all about how excited and smitten you’ve been these last few days. Tell Auntie Selina all about it, Lexie. Did you finally get laid last night? Please, spare me no details. Can I pop the champagne bottles?” Alex scowled as she sat down. The breakfast might be nice, but the company left something to be desired. At least, that’s what she told herself as she dug in, Selina’s legs back on her thighs in no time.

Alex ignored the enjoyable feeling of familiarity and comfort in favor of being annoyed.

-

“I don’t need you to walk me to work.  _ Really _ ,” Alex insisted, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her leather jacket, Selina eyeing her motorcycle with interest.

“I need to scope out the area for any weak spots, Lexie, just in case I ever need to come rescue you from an alien invasion. I’ve heard some stuff about a Kryptonian uprising. I just want to keep an eye out for my favorite Supercop,” Selina said, winking at Alex and letting her hand glide across the shiny metal in front of her. A wistful expression crossed her features. “You had it repainted.”

Alex hummed.

“Don’t worry, I left your hideous cat sticker slash tracking device alone,” Alex teased, stepping forward and opening up her machine, pulling out both helmets and handing one over to Selina. It was no use anyway; she wasn’t going to get rid of her friend until she’d given her exactly what she wanted. “No inappropriate touching while we’re driving.”

Selina smirked.

“What about before and after we’re driving?” Selina wiggled her eyebrows, her hand sliding under Alex’s leather jacket and across her back, searching for skin.

“No!” Alex said, slapping the wandering hand away. “Now put on your helmet and shut up. I won’t be late for work because of you, and I wanted to stop by my favorite coffee shop before I start.”

Selina pouted, but acquiesced.

Alex hadn’t told any of her friends who Kara was, not even her name, much less that she worked at CatCo Coffee not far from her precinct. Oh no, she was going to be keeping that a secret for as long as she could. It was bad enough that they all knew she liked someone, she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of knowing  _ who _ it was she was crushing on.

-

Scoping out the precinct from the outside didn’t take long. Alex and Selina didn’t even bother getting off the bike. Alex was especially glad that she’d stopped far enough away from the precinct that they wouldn’t have to interact with anyone she worked with, as she spotted Maxwell Lord leaving  _ Tribune Tea _ .

A confrontation between Lord and Selina would no doubt end in blood.

After about five minutes, Selina was satisfied with her assessments, her eyes flitting over the different windows, entrances and exits she could spot, no doubt mapping out the multitude of different escape routes. Alex sometimes liked to forget that her friend was a seriously dangerous criminal when she wasn’t spending her free time hitting on her. Selina was more powerful than Alex could possibly comprehend and she was glad she wasn’t on her bad side.

Once Lord was gone, Alex took off her helmet and turned her head around to look at her friend.

“You want a coffee or something before you go?  _ Tribune Tea’s _ pretty good,” she said, hoping that she didn’t sound like she was trying to get rid of Selina. But there was no way in hell that she was going to allow her to come anywhere near Kara before Alex had gotten the chance to explain her complicated relationship with the Sirens in more detail. And she wanted to keep Kara to herself for as long as she could.

To her chagrin, Selina didn't look impressed.

“There’s a CatCo Coffee two blocks from here, Supercop. The least you could do is drive me there,” she said, leaning forward and kissing Alex’s cheek, furrowing her brows when Alex pulled away from her affections.

“Come on, we're in public,” Alex chided her softly, hating herself a little for the hurt expression that briefly flit over Selina’s features. 

“That’s never bothered you before.” Selina narrowed her eyes. “Are you ashamed of me now that you're in this respectable city with all of these respectable people? 

“What? No!” Alex denied the accusation, gripping her own thigh with her free hand. This conversation was not at all going how she’d wanted it to.

“Good, because I’ll have you know that I am  _ very _ respectable,” Selina sassed, placing a hand on her chest. She was joking now, but there was still that underlying sliver of  _ hurt _ , and Alex hated that she’d been the one to put it there. If only Alex had already told Kara more about her friends, then she wouldn't have to worry about this now. “Come on, take me to my kingdom.”

Twisting her face into a grimace, Alex put her helmet back on. If she protested too much, Selina would know that something was up. She should have known that Selina knew the location of each and every CatCo Coffee shop by heart, the goddamn fanatic.

Kicking her machine back into gear, Alex steered them into the direction of Kara’s workplace, equally excited to see Kara again as she was terrified of what might happen. Maybe if she told Selina she’d get her a coffee to go, this would all work out. She just couldn't act too thrilled to get the coffee, or her friend would pick up on it.

Parking her bike at the side of the road, very purposefully  _ around the corner _ , Alex waited for Selina to dismount before jumping down herself, busying her hands so they wouldn’t fidget, stowing away their helmets quickly and efficiently.

“Okay, I’ll get you your coffee. You just stay here. I’ll be right back.” Maybe, if she acted really relaxed…

“Don't be ridiculous,” Selina said, shattering all of Alex’s hopes and dreams. “This is CatCo’s original home office. You think I’m just going to let you go in there without me? Please.”

Grinding her teeth, Alex nodded her head, quickly running out of ideas about how to keep her intense friend away from her new almost-girlfriend. 

“And just so you know, your mom still wants you to marry me. I was over for tea on Monday, and she casually dropped a pile of wedding magazines in my lap. She said, and I quote, ‘just some light reading for you, dear, if you and  _ maybe _ Alexandra ever get any ideas’,” Selina said with a smirk, patting Alex on the butt. “It’s not too late, lover, I’m completely ready and waiting for you. You can still drop your new woman and come to Auntie Selina instead.”

“First of all:  _ Ew _ , that sounds really fucking creepy. Second of all: No,” Alex replied, locking down her bike and scowling at Selina. “My mother has terrible taste in women.”

Trying not to drag her feet, Alex followed as Selina rounded the corner, the CatCo Coffee sign coming into view. It was on the other side of the street, and sparkled almost threateningly in the sunshine. Sweat broke out on the back of Alex’s neck. Fuck, what the hell was she supposed to do? 

“I’m telling her you said that,” Selina threatened, hooking her arm through Alex’s as they walked, her free hand on Alex’s bicep.

“Please do,” Alex replied, voice dead-pan despite her stress. “Mom needs to realize that I’m not going to marry you. Ever. Not in a million years. Not even if you were the last person on the planet and my literal survival depended on it.” She was mostly joking. Mostly.

“Harsh, Detective Supercop. Way to break a girl’s heart.” But Selina was smiling as she spoke, lifting her hand to ruffle through Alex’s hair.

They stopped in front of a dry cleaning business, CatCo directly opposite them. Selina let go of Alex’s arm and smiled up at the big company logo.

“I love CatCo Coffee,” she sighed happily, looking at the customers walking around inside.

“I know,” Alex said, still trying to throttle her rapidly speeding heart. “You showed me your entire CatCo coffee mug collection, even the Special Winter Kitten™ edition. And then you yelled at me when I tried to pick one up.”

“They’re special, Alexandra,” Selina huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, just as a food truck pulled up next to them, obscuring the view to the shop.

“I never said they weren’t, but it wasn’t like I was going to break one.” Alex mimicked her stance, the old argument somewhat soothing her nerves. Maybe she could let Selina go inside without going with her. Maybe Alex should just drive away. After all, Selina didn't know what Kara looked like… and Alex had never shared her name either...

“They’re in a glass case for a  _ reason _ , Lexie. You don’t pick up prized possessions without wearing gloves and without  _ asking _ first.” Selina tutted, sighing at Alex’s obvious lack of understanding. Alex rolled her eyes. 

“Whatever, cat brain,” she said, unwilling to let this conversation escalate any further. She needed to derail this. “I’ve got to hurry, if I want to make it back to work on time, and you need to get your ass back to Gotham. I’m sure the low-level criminals miss you. And by low-level criminals, I mean Harley and Ivy. Tell them I said that.”

“You’re so sweet,” Selina said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “I don’t know how I continue to resist you.”

“Yeah, I don't know either, since I’m obviously a big catch,” Alex grumbled, trying to keep her whole body from tensing up. “But you and I both know we don't have time for coffee, and you've been here before. You’ve seen the original office. Now can we please go? I’m sure there's coffee at the airport.”

A dangerous smile came over Selina’s face.

“You know what, baby? You're right, we're  _ very  _ pressed for time,” she whispered dangerously. There was a worrying glint in her eyes. Then, before Alex could say another word, Selina lifted her hands to both of Alex’s cheeks and pulled her in.

What Alex expected was the usual, short peck on the lips, the goodbye and hello she’d long since resigned herself to. What she got instead was a full-blown  _ kiss _ , Selina’s body pressing against the entire length of her, her hands keeping Alex’s face in place as she tilted her head and continued to press her lips greedily against Alex’s.

Startled, Alex grabbed for Selina’s biceps, trying to pry her off, unsurprised that she couldn’t. Selina was  _ strong _ and obviously unsatisfied with her attempts to prematurely end her assault. Alex pushed harder, her mouth opening slightly in protest, Selina’s tongue gliding over her bottom lip and slipping into her half-open mouth in response.

Alex felt the irritation bubble up in her chest as she tried to wiggle out of this situation. 

When Selina finally pulled away, a grin slid over her face as she winked at Alex, whose face was flushing with anger and annoyance. She was used to Selina’s weird ticks and oddities and her occasional toeing of the line drawn  _ very firmly _ in the sand between them. But this? This wasn’t a toe over the line, this was the entire foot.

“I should charge you for sexually assaulting an officer of the law,” Alex said, a scowl taking over her face, her hands shaking with exasperation. “Seriously, what the fuck was that about?”

Selina just winked again.

“Oh, you know, now that you’re going out with this other girl, I figured I might not get another chance to do this anytime soon without you and her getting your panties all bunched up,” Selina said, grabbing the lapels of Alex’s leather jacket and pulling her closer again, placing a gentle kiss against the corner of Alex’s mouth in parting.

“You’re gross,” Alex grumbled.

“Love you, too, Lexie. I think I’ll revisit this CatCo Coffee sometime else, when you aren’t being such a sourpuss. Maybe you can introduce me to your new wife the next time we see each other, mh? I think that’d be nice.” Without another word, Selina let go of Alex, spun around and walked off, her hand in the air in a wave. “See you soon, baby.”

Alex scowled harder, then consciously relaxed her facial muscles. It wouldn’t do well to dwell on her friend’s weird behavior now, not when she was so close to seeing Kara again, hearing Kara laugh and seeing her smile. The thought filled her chest with warmth, the annoyed feeling of before pushed to the side, no longer important.

Sticking her hand through her hair to fix any damage done to it by Selina, Alex wiped her face and then her lips, annoyed when she came away with Selina’s dark red brand of killer lipstick. Her friend just  _ loved _ leaving her mark. 

Huffing in resignation, Alex turned back towards the street, rounded the truck, and walked towards the coffee shop. The sunshine was almost blinding and she had to weave herself through the throngs of people on their way to work. Finally reaching the door, she pushed it open with a smile on her face.

She froze as she saw Lucy behind the counter instead of Kara.

-

Thursday morning started off amazingly for Kara.

When she and Lucy walked into work at seven, there was a spring in her step, and a smile permanently fixed on her face. Lucy knew why she was so happy, of course, falling back on her usual response of miming gagging noises and vomiting motions every time Kara started squealing excitedly.

 

Kara figured Alex would show up around lunchtime, the way she’d done for the past three days in a row, and she was content with waiting the few hours that separated her from the woman she was rapidly falling for.

She wouldn't have admitted it to herself, but even tho she knew Alex likely wouldn't come in until lunch, she still kept an eye out for her on the street outside. Her Kryptonian eyes were more than helpful in that slightly desperate endeavor.

When she spotted a bob of brown hair walking around the corner, Kara focused on it, using her x-ray vision to look through the cars and people in front of the woman she soon realized was Alex. The sight of her made Kara’s heart give a lurch in her chest.

“Alex is here,” Kara whispered to Lucy, a feeling of warmth spreading through her veins.

“Detective Danvers, more like Detective  _ Damn _ vers, am I right?” Lucy whispered back, laughing about her own pun. “You get it, Kara? Get it?” Lucy nudged Kara’s ribs with her elbow, poking and laughing, Kara smiling and rolling her eyes.

“Yes, I get it, Lucy,” Kara responded, suppressing a chuckle.

“Sounds like our young detective has decided seeing you at lunch would keep you guys separated for too long,” Lucy needled, a teasing lilt to her tone. “You’re both ridiculous.”

Kara didn’t respond, watching with a small grin as Alex stopped in front of the dry cleaner on the other side of the coffee shop, just as a food truck pulled up and stopped. It would have obscured Kara’s gaze if she hadn’t been a Kryptonian.

Only now did Kara take note of the fact that Alex wasn’t by herself. A beautiful woman was standing in front of her, dark hair cropped short and arms crossed over her chest. She was slightly taller than Alex, though not by much, and her face was  _ achingly _ gorgeous. Kara watched in fascination as Alex mimicked the woman’s stance, their lips moving in conversation. She didn’t use her super hearing this time, unwilling to encroach on Alex’s personal life.

“She isn't by herself,” Kara said quietly, wondering if this was one of the friends Alex had told her about. “Her friend is really gorgeous.” If there was a hint of jealousy in her tone, that couldn't be helped. The woman looked unfairly attractive.

“A hottie with your girlfriend?” Lucy asked, walking closer to Kara. “How do you think they know each other? They probably met on Hot-People-and-Other-Hot-People-dot-com.”

Kara snorted, rolling her eyes.

Still, there was a sudden sense of foreboding in her chest, and that old, familiar feeling of doubt creeping into her bones. Alex could have any woman she wanted; why would she choose to be with Kara?

She watched in horror as her worst fears were made flesh, the strange woman placing her hands on Alex’s cheeks and pulling her in for a passionate kiss. Kara dropped the rag she was holding, her eyes glued to the train wreck taking place in front of her.

The woman was pressed closely to Alex, their lips fused together tightly. She could just imagine the noises of enjoyment the woman was making, the slight slip of her tongue clearly visible to Kara’s powerful gaze.

Unbidden, Kara’s eyes filled with tears as she watched Alex’s hands grip the woman’s arms tenderly, apparently only pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. One of the woman’s legs popped up into a ridiculous Hollywood-like pose, as she and Alex continued to share a loving embrace.

Kara felt like a fool.

Of course it hadn’t been real. It had all been too good to be true to begin with, hadn’t it? Alex Danvers, perfectly polished police officer, showing up in Kara’s coffee shop, drenched to the bone, amazingly handsome and kind.  _ Of course _ there had to be a catch. Why hadn’t Kara noticed it before?

“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked, suddenly alarmed.

Kara shook her head, her throat thick with emotions.

“What did she do?” Frowning deeply, Lucy grabbed Kara’s arm, shaking her gently. “Kara?”

“She--” Kara couldn’t say it. She could hardly  _ breathe _ . “She-- they-- they’re kissing.”

For a second, Lucy was quiet. Then, she was fire.

“I am going to  _ murder _ that piece of shit,” Lucy said, voice dangerously calm as she walked over to the small window behind them, separating the main room from the kitchen. Kara couldn’t look away from the kiss, her heart feeling as though it was trying to drown itself in blood and devastation. “Winn? Give me the biggest fuck-off knife you can find,  _ right now _ .”

Kara barely registered Lucy’s words, her eyes watering further, the tears never spilling. Kara pulled her hands to herself, bringing them together and wringing them in front of her body, her lower lip quivering as the woman finally pulled away from  _ her _ Alex.

No, not hers.

Never hers.

“I mean, we didn’t talk about being exclusive, but I- I thought…” Kara said, voice scratchy and small, Lucy back at her side with a comically huge knife clutched in her left hand. Kara didn’t laugh. She wasn’t sure she’d ever laugh again. “I really thought she—I thought she liked me, Lucy, I—“

She continued to watch as Alex’s face twisted in anger, her flushed cheeks belying the pleasure she no doubt felt after such a kiss. Maybe she was angry the woman had kissed her  _ here _ , where Kara could see, where Kara could discover what a liar and a cheater Detective Alexandra Danvers truly was. The thought left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Let’s switch, Kara. Come on, honey, let’s switch,” Lucy said, gently pulling at Kara’s trembling arm.

Really, Kara’s whole body seemed to be trembling now.

She tried for a shrug, unsure of how well it worked out for her.

“It’s no big deal, Lucy. So she’s got a girlfriend. I mean look at her, of course she does,” Kara tried, lying more to herself than to her friend, her voice defeated, her eyes glassy and on the verge of spilling over. She was unsure as to exactly who she was trying to fool.

“Then why the fuck did she go on a date with you? I’m going to go over there and I’m going to shove that police badge down her throat, along with my fist.” Lucy was shaking now, too, her small body filled with rage on Kara’s behalf.

“Please don’t, it’s really not worth it…” Kara tried for a smile, her lips quivering dangerously, her eyes glued to Alex’s face, unable to look away. It only seemed to make Lucy angrier, her tugging on Kara’s arm becoming more insistent, until finally, Kara obliged her, stepping over and into the workspace Lucy usually occupied.

The woman outside smiled widely and winked at Alex, the gesture sending a fresh stab of pain through Kara’s body.

What had she expected? That Alex and her would ride off into the sunset together? That Alex would be her girlfriend and they could go look at Kara’s art together and spend lazy Sundays feeding each other their favorite snack foods while they watched Netflix together on her couch? Had she imagined them moving in with one another, Kara finally getting to meet that adorable cat Alex had shown her pictures of? What else had she imagined, how much more of a fool could she make of herself?

When the first tear fell, Kara quickly wiped it away, reaching for a napkin and drying her eyes. By the time she felt secure enough in her eyes’ ability to stay dry, the woman was pressing a farewell kiss to the side of Alex’s mouth. The gesture of a lover, maybe. Or a girlfriend. A wife.

Kara didn’t know what she should feel now.

She wanted to feel angry, but all she could identify was sadness and disappointment. And that ever-lasting feeling of  _ just not being good enough _ . She wasn’t as successful as Superman, she wasn’t as successful with her art as she wanted to be, and now she wasn’t even successful at being Kara Kent.

She didn’t dare touch anything around her for fear of breaking it.

Lucy was standing next to her at the counter, staring daggers at the door as the other beautiful woman swaggered away, her hips sinfully attractive. To Kara, it looked as though Alex was following her hungrily with her eyes.

When Alex turned around to walk towards the shop, Kara watched as Lucy gripped the knife in her hand tightly, obviously ready to intimidate the ever-loving daylights out of her.

Good, she thought, she wasn’t going to stop Lucy this time.

Truly, she was afraid she would start crying again if she so much as opened her mouth to  _ breathe _ .

Kara looked away as Alex walked towards the counter, a big grin on her face, though she didn’t look away fast enough. She’d spotted the leftover smudges of lipstick around Alex’s mouth, the entire awful spectacle making Kara choke up again, imagining how  _ she’d _ been the one to kiss Alex just last night. How Alex had whimpered under her touch, become pliant under Kara’s insistent tongue and hands. How she’d felt, pressed against Kara, her hand stroking along Kara’s chin, telling her how happy she was.

Kara didn’t want to believe it had all been a lie, but actions spoke louder than words.

She wished she’d never met Alex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well, that escalated quickly. Let's be real, you all saw the angst coming, right? Why don't we wait and see where this cliché ending takes us. Also, please, no mean words about sweet Selina, who was trying to get a rise out of Alex and had no idea Kara was hanging out in the coffee shop. Shhh. You can be angry at me all you want, however! Hit me with your best shot!
> 
>  **Edit** : Also yes, what Selina did wasn't cool. It was in character for her, but that doesn't make it okay. And this discrepancy will be addressed in later chapters! Don't you worry. 
> 
> This chapter was beta-d by the lovely Coara. And the wonderful beaglesinbowties (who gave up on this story after the cliché of the final scene, bless her soul)
> 
> If you feel like yelling at me, you can find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo 
> 
> See you Wednesday! Hopefully!


	5. All I Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy has a knife and Alex isn't sure what the deal is. Until she does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see how this all plays out, shall we? 
> 
> I loved all of your responses to last chapter! And the differing opinions and discussions! :) I hope you enjoy the rest of the story and how this mess is going to be resolved! And don't worry, it's not going to stretch across the next 24 chapters. Promise! 
> 
> **Note** : Mentions of heavy alcohol usage.

Alex didn’t know what was wrong as she walked up to the counter.

There was no one else waiting to be served, so she stepped right up to where Lucy was waiting for her with a chilling, slightly manic grin on her face. She was even more worried as she spotted the huge knife on the counter, Lucy’s hand lying casually next to it, as though she might grab it to slash Alex’s throat at any moment.

“Detective Danvers, what a pleasure to see you today. And so early, too,” Lucy said, both of her hands placed flat on the counter between them, a dangerous glint in her eyes. Alex felt as though she’d just entered an episode of the  _ Twilight Zone _ .

“Hi, Lucy, I figured I’d stop by before work,” Alex said, her eyes searching for Kara’s gaze. “Hey, Kara.” She could feel her own voice warm considerably as she said the name, her eyes no doubt turning dreamy again as she looked at the back of Kara’s head. She stopped smiling when she noticed the shake in Kara’s shoulders. She frowned. “Hey, Kara, are you okay?”

When she tried to walk along the counter to get closer to her, Lucy made a quick grab for the knife next to her and stuck it out sharply so Alex couldn’t pass her by.

Alex startled hard enough to almost lose her footing.

“Eyes on me, Paul Blart,” Lucy snarled, terrifying Alex to a degree that should not be possible, given all the things she’d seen and done. She almost didn’t have the time to be offended over the  _ Mall Cop _ reference, because her eyes had zeroed in on the knife hanging in front of her and Lucy’s hand on it. “Come on, Danvers, order something. That’s why you’re here, right? To take whatever you want?”

“What is wrong with you?” Alex asked, grabbing Lucy’s hand and gently shoving it further away from her jacket. “Kara, what the hell is going on?”

She watched in horror as Kara flinched at those words, her shoulders shaking worse than before.

Lucy looked seconds away from flinging herself over the counter and strangling Alex right then and there, right where she stood.

Clutching the knife tighter, Lucy twirled it through her fingers, her eyes sharper than the weapon.

“No, seriously, Alex, order something. I’m not kidding. You’re here for coffee and we’re here to  _ serve _ ,” Lucy said, the knife twirling faster now, Alex slightly afraid Lucy would end up cutting herself. When she hesitated, Lucy smoothed her face into a pleasant smile again, obviously fake. “I’m waiting, detective, and I don’t have all day.”

“Look, this is ridiculous. Kara, come on, just tell me what’s going on here,” Alex said, pleading with her voice. She was confused, and scared, and angry now. She wished someone would just tell her what the problem was.

“Just do what she says,” Kara whispered, voice rough and barely audible, still with her back turned to Alex, standing over the to-go cups, her shoulders shaking. Alex didn’t know what to do.

“You heard the lady,” Lucy said, eyes hard. “ _ Order _ .”

“I have no idea what has gotten into you both, but fine, whatever.” Alex crossed her hands over her chest, returning Lucy’s icy stare with one of her own. “I’ll take a coffee to go, please.”

Lucy busied herself with the register, refusing to let go of the knife as she typed.

“One meager coffee to go for the detective with the unoriginal jacket and boots combo, coming right up. That will be three dollars,  _ please _ .” Lucy’s voice was  _ venom _ , though her face was still distorted into what passed for a smile.

“Keep the change,” Alex said as she slid over a five-dollar bill. She tried to get a glimpse of Kara’s face as she prepared Alex’s coffee, though Kara’s hair – down for once – was obscuring Alex’s view. Her heart was stuck in her throat and she felt awful, swallowing harshly.

She jumped as Lucy slammed a handful of change onto the counter, the sound reverberating through the main room, making Alex reach for her gun instinctively. She gawked as Lucy pushed a handful of quarters at her.

“You can keep the change,” Alex repeated, the sinking feeling in her stomach amplifying as she looked down at the coins. She hated carrying around loose change, which she suspected Lucy had overheard Alex mention to Kara.

“Oh no, detective,  _ I insist _ ,” Lucy snarled, her teeth bared. “And the next time you come in here, you might want to wipe your mouth first, slick.”

Alex’s mouth fell open at those words, her hand going to her mouth instinctively.

_ Selina _ .

Of course, they must have seen. Oh no, Kara must have…  _ Kara _ .

“Kara, I swear, it wasn’t what it looked like,” Alex said, walking the two steps to where Kara was working, trying frantically to rid herself of the rest of Selina’s deep red lipstick. Shit, she should have checked for any residue before coming in. If Kara had seen the incredibly inappropriate kiss, that meant she thought… Alex needed to fix this right now.

“Isn’t that what they all say.” Lucy left the knife on the counter as she stood in front of Kara, her tiny body positioned into a fighting stance. “You know, if Ms. Grant didn’t frown upon blood on her counters, I’d slice you open like a piñata.”

Alex’s face fell.

She was on the verge of jumping over the counter to gather Kara in her arms. How could she not have known this would happen, how had she not foreseen this?

“You misunderstood, Kara, you’ve got it all wrong, I swear.” She felt like a walking cliché, but she didn’t know what else to do. Her throat felt as though it was collapsing in on itself. It was getting harder to breathe. She felt like she was having one of her panic attacks.

“Oh, of course we misunderstood,” Lucy mocked her, face openly angry now. They were all still talking quietly, trying not to make a scene. “Who the hell do you think you are? Who the fuck gave you the right to do this to her, what is wrong with you?”

“ _ No _ , God, no, Lucy,  _ shit _ . It’s not like that. Kara, she’s just a friend! I swear, Kara, please, she’s not my girlfriend.” Alex was getting more frantic with every second, her hands balled into fists, unsure of what she should be doing in this situation. No matter what she said, it all sounded wrong and contrived.

“Oh, how swell, so you’ve got multiple women to kiss and cheat on, do you? So, who’s your  _ actual _ girlfriend, then, Alex? Does she even know what a lying, cheating bastard you are? Or do you want me to tell her, ‘cause I can totally do that for you,” Lucy said, voice dripping in sarcasm and contempt.

Alex’s heart shattered as she heard a small sob break forth from behind Kara’s hand.

Without looking up, Kara hurried past Lucy and through the kitchen door, her hand pressed to her mouth, her face stained with tears. Alex wanted to take her gun and shoot herself on the spot. No matter what the truth, she’d  _ done _ this to Kara.

Clenching her jaw muscles, Alex started towards the door herself, intent on making things right between them, needing desperately to  _ explain _ . To tell Kara that she was the only one that Alex wanted, that Alex wanted to curl up with Kara on rainy Wednesday afternoons after work, that she wanted to wake up next to Kara every morning, that she  _ needed _ her.

Lucy slipped in between Alex and the door before she could reach it.

“I’m so sorry, Detective Danvers, no  _ studs _ allowed past this line,” Lucy growled, poking Alex in the chest harshly and crossing her arms over her chest, like a tiny, angry bodyguard.

Alex didn’t know what to do.

“You need to let me go after her, Lucy. I swear to whatever is good and holy that I did not cheat on Kara,” Alex said, her eyes stinging dangerously. Seeing Kara so devastated had broken something inside of her. It made her want a drink.

“Tell that to someone who’s going to believe your lies,” Lucy spat out, not budging even for a second. Then, as though she wasn’t done with her tirade, her eyes seemed to be getting impossibly harder. “She  _ trusted _ you, Alex. Fuck, she told me you might be  _ the one _ for her, do you not understand how huge that is? How much of a fucking dumbass do you have to be, to cheat on someone as  _ good _ and  _ kind _ as Kara Kent?”

The words were like a punch to the gut.

No, worse.

Like having her insides ripped right out of her body.

“I need to go to work,” Alex said, voice hollow. She was already late. She didn’t care. She didn’t care about anything. “Tell Kara I’m sorry. Please. The woman that kissed me was just a friend and I know what it must have looked like, but I swear  _ on my father’s grave _ that it wasn’t what I wanted. Kara is all I want.”

She knew Lucy would never believe her, wouldn’t tell Kara anything but that she was a low-life cheater who didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as Kara. She didn’t begrudge Lucy her decision. If she were in Lucy’s position, she’d be doing the exact same thing.

Still, she needed to fix this.

Somehow.

-

Kara was still sobbing by the time Lucy came to find her twenty minutes later. Someone had been forced to stay behind to man the counter before Lucy could call Hayashi and convince him to come over and take Kara’s shift.

Kara still felt like she was bleeding out on the inside, her heart beating much too irregularly for a Kryptonian body.

She’d never felt so betrayed in her entire life.

It took her over forty-five minutes to calm herself down enough to get back to work, with Lucy rubbing her back and wiping away her tears and holding her tightly. Kara had never been so grateful for their friendship. She had no idea what she would have done if Lucy hadn’t been there to help. She probably would have broken down even more in front of Alex.

Still, when she’d washed her face, straightened her apron, and walked back out into the main room of the shop, there was a twinge of disappointment at the  _ lack _ of Alex. The disappointment was immediately followed by anger, mostly about her own reaction. She still felt too heartbroken to be angry about what Alex had done.

She wished more than anything to feel empty inside, wished she didn’t want to see Alex’s face again, wished she didn’t desperately want to believe what she’d said.

Kara tried on a smile as she glanced at Hayashi, whose face looked about as concerned for her as she’d ever seen. They didn’t have a particularly close friendship, not like her and Lucy, but she respected and liked him and he felt the same. Kara hoped Lucy hadn’t supplied him with any details about why he’d needed to come in so quickly.

“Thanks for doing this,” Kara said, voice rough from the crying. “I’m sorry it was on such short notice. I’ll get you back for that, I swear.”

Hayashi waved her words away.

“Anything for you, Kara, you know that,” he said, smiling kindly at her and giving her a warm side-hug as Lucy continued to take orders. “I can take the whole afternoon, if you need some time. I don’t mind.”

Kara almost started crying again, this time for an entirely different reason.

“No,” she whispered, “I need to work right now.”

If she didn’t work, she would think. If she started to think, she’d see Alex and _that_ _woman_ outside again, over and over. In this moment, she hated her nearly photographic Kryptonian memory, wishing desperately she’d forget what she’d seen. More than anything, she hated herself for wishing she hadn’t found out about Alex. She’d been happy, hadn’t she? Ultimately, what had this revelation given her? Pain, regret, and a reminder she’d always play second fiddle to someone else, no matter what part of her life she was talking about.

“If you’re sure,” Hayashi said, hesitation coloring his voice.

“I’m sure. I’m okay.” She tried on another smile.

I’m okay, she thought, I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay.

Maybe if she said it enough, she’d actually be able to fool herself into believing it.

-

Alex was not okay.

After the episode with Kara, she’d driven to work, her hands shaking, her eyes stinging with the thought of leaving Kara alone in that shop, thinking Alex didn’t care for her. Kara crying, Kara  _ sobbing _ , because she thought Alex loved someone else. The thought made her want to vomit.

She wouldn’t call what she felt for Kara love, they didn’t know each other well enough for that, but she’d been falling quickly, with no ground in sight. She had to admit to herself that what she felt in her stomach every time she looked at Kara felt damn close to what she imagined love to be like.

As she rolled up to the precinct, she sloppily locked down her bike and walked into the building, her hands still shaking, her nerves raw and all over the place. She was so beside herself she didn’t even notice Vasquez’s raised hand, poised for a high five.

She wanted to go back to CatCo’s.

She wanted to go back, find Kara and make her  _ see _ .

She wanted to call up Selina and yell at her, she wanted to go back in time, wanted to make sure this morning never happened. She wanted, she wanted, she wanted, and she wasn’t going to get any of it.

But that’s how it went, wasn’t it?

People like her didn’t get that happy ending. They never did. Hadn’t she learned anything in her twenty-seven years of life?

Alex plopped down at her desk and buried her face in her hands for a moment, breathing slowly and methodically. She was doing it wrong, she knew. She was panicking again and she needed to keep her eyes open and focus, but she  _ couldn’t _ . All of her coping mechanisms went out the window as she imagined Kara’s shaking shoulders and the  _ tears _ spilling down her face.

Alex would have thrown something if she hadn’t been at work.

“What’s going on, are you alright?”

Alex recognized the voice immediately. It was Vasquez, obviously concerned for her. Alex wanted to curl in on herself. What she needed was to punch something.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Alex said, lowering her hands and sending Vasquez a reassuring smile. She was not fine. She wouldn’t be fine until she fixed this. She had no idea how to fix this.

“Are you sure? We can talk about whatever it is, if you want. Hank is out running some errand and I’m not due for my shift for about thirty minutes.” Vasquez was a good person and if Alex had been the type to share, they would have been the person to turn to. Sadly, Alex was the type to drink herself into a stupor by herself, either in a bar or alone in her apartment. Worse, she wouldn’t even know what to say about the situation.

Alex sent them a genuine smile of thanks.

“No, Vas, thanks for the offer, but this is something I’m going to have to figure out by myself.” Alex rubbed her left temple as she felt a stress headache coming on, her breathing still slightly out of control, her heart hammering away in her chest. If the symptoms wouldn’t go away, she would have to start counting her guns again. She needed to do something else.

“I’m just going to go to the gym, get a good work-out in. Always helps me clear my head,” Alex said, clapping Vasquez on the shoulder and squeezing gently. “Thanks again, I appreciate the support.”

Vasquez nodded, obviously still unconvinced, but Alex didn’t give them time to ask again. Striding away quickly, Alex didn’t dare look back at Vasquez’s worried expression. If she saw it, she might start bawling, and she couldn’t afford to have her reputation tarnished like that. No, she needed to come up with a game plan on how to convince Kara that what she’d seen had been entirely out of her control.

She wished she didn’t feel so guilty about it on top of everything else.

-

Working tirelessly, Kara almost managed to convince herself that maybe this had all been for the best. It was better that she realized who Alex truly was  _ now _ , before they’d spent more time together, before she’d had the chance to grow even more attached.

There was only one small problem, throwing a wrench in her carefully laid out plans: She was already attached to Detective Alex Danvers, police officer and part-time art enthusiast. Friend of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, hater of Maxwell Lord and supporter of the super-powered people. She loved Alex’s laugh and her dimples and those boots she always wore. She loved her tattoo and her hazel eyes and that gorgeous hair. She loved her gentle kisses and her kind words, loved how she used to work with Batman and didn’t hide it from the public.

In all her life, she’d never understood how people in movies and books reconciled with cheaters. All her life, she’d wondered why they didn’t kick those lying, cheating bastards to the curb, why they continued to put themselves through this situation over and over and over again.

But she understood it now.

Regardless, no matter what she felt for Alex, no matter how much she liked her and might have grown to love her, even, she would not be one of those people. She’d been hurt enough in her life. She’d lost her entire planet, had lost her civilization and her home, and had lost her aunt to the dark side. She’d been forced to work with her mother’s lifeless avatar, she’d even lost baby Kal-El to time and space. She would not put herself through this loss, too, on top of everything else.

Even if Alex did show up again, there was nothing she could say that would make Kara change her mind. She was done. It was over. Alex and that woman could ride off into the sunset together for all she cared.

Kara wished she was better at lying to herself.

Even now, hours later, she still felt like a fool.

Especially when lunchtime rolled around and she expected Alex to show up, to come by and get her usual coffee to-go, because she didn’t have time to stay. She was disappointed and relieved in equal measure when no Alex walked through the door.

On her own break, she stared down at her phone, considering for a minute if she should delete Alex’s number, delete their conversations and be done with all of it. Alex wouldn’t be showing up here again. She’d been caught and they’d barely even had a relationship. Kara told herself that Alex would move on now, that she would be fine.

Kara told herself she was the only one slowly bleeding out on the inside.

-

Alex left the precinct at four in the afternoon, intent on driving home and breaking in her secret stash of cheap scotch she liked to keep around. She hadn’t felt the urge to drink ever since she’d come to National City. Gotham made her want to have a drink all the time now, no matter where she was in the city, but National City had been a fresh start for her.

Now, though, she stood in front of her fancy liquor cabinet where she kept her fancy wine and stared down at the three bottles of scotch normally hidden behind a partition. Her hands had stopped shaking sometime during the morning, sometime during the hundredth bench press.

Alex bit her bottom lip as she grabbed the first bottle, pulling it free from the cabinet.

She wanted it, knew it would help her forget Kara’s broken stature. If she drank enough, she could pass out on the couch, perfectly sedated. What did she care about any possible headaches the next morning? A headache and a slightly queasy stomach were a small price to pay for a few hours of oblivion.

She thought back to  _ the incident _ , her father’s relieved face flashing across her mind’s eye, but she pushed it aside. This wasn’t the time; this wasn’t about that. This was about how Alex had royally fucked up one of the best relationships she’d ever had. Or almost had.

Uncapping the scotch, she set the bottle against her lips.

Oblivion.

If she finished the bottle now, she’d be passed out on the couch by five, unconscious for hours. She’d likely wake up in the wee hours of the morning, upon which she’d drink again, sleeping until it was time to get up for work. She’d reek of alcohol all day tomorrow, but she wouldn’t be the only one. She knew plenty of people at the precinct who had too much to drink at times.

Alex had almost tilted the bottle up high enough to taste the first sip when Kara’s smiling face broke like a torrent over her mind.

She set down the bottle.

If she drank now, she’d be passed out on the couch by five, unconscious for hours. She’d likely wake up in the wee hours of the morning, upon which she’d drink again, sleeping until it was time to get up for work. She would not be able to talk to Kara, she wouldn’t be able to fix what she’d broken, she’d feel miserable, she’d be alone.

Alex recapped the scotch, placing it back behind the partition and sliding it closed.

Drinking was out of the question tonight.

-

Kara stayed until closing time again, unwilling to go home to her apartment, where she knew she’d be alone. James was in town for two days, which meant Lucy was at home with him. She’d offered to stay with Kara after the emotional gut punch she’d been forced to swallow today, but Kara had sent her home to her husband. Maybe tonight would be the day they finally worked it out or decided against staying married altogether.

Kara had hope. At least for them.

As she locked the doors to the coffee shop (Ms. Grant had left half an hour before), she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps coming closer. She knew who it would be even before she looked over. As her heart started beating wildly, she was angry with herself once again.

The first thing Kara noted about Alex’s appearance was that she looked  _ awful _ .

Her face was drawn and her hands were buried in the pockets of her leather jacket. Even like this, she looked beautiful to Kara. She was in street clothes again, in ripped jeans, a blue button-up and her usual boots and jacket combo. Her hair looked wind-blown, as though she’d walked here. The sight made Kara want to run for the hills.

“Can we talk, please?” Alex asked, voice rough and defeated, as though she’d already resigned herself to her inevitable fate. Kara didn’t know what to feel.

“I don’t want to talk,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away from Alex’s forlorn expression. Every fiber of her being wanted to run to Alex, to comfort her and tell her it was okay, that she believed her. She bit her tongue to stop the words desperately trying to fly from her mouth.

“Please,” Alex begged, her shoulders hunched as she took another step forward. “Please, Kara, let me  _ explain _ .”

God, her tone of voice was slicing Kara open all over again. This was torture.

She contemplated for another moment, before she relented.

_ Pathetic _ , she thought to herself.

She sighed, waving her hand around, telling Alex to go on without actually having to say the words. The hatred for herself bubbled back to the surface, the disdain for her own weakness. She hoped this would be over soon.

“Okay,” Alex said, pushing her hands further into the pockets of her jacket, “so, first off, I swear that she is not my girlfriend and that I am also not sleeping with her, nor have I ever slept with her, or will ever sleep with her.”

Alex rushed the words out quickly, as though the thought of Kara thinking otherwise were causing her physical pain.

“I swear, Kara, she’s an old friend from Gotham and she’s extremely affectionate. She’s one of those three crazy friends I told you about. I- She- I can’t imagine what it must have felt like for you to see that kiss, Kara, and I am so incredibly sorry. I did not plan on having her kiss me, I did not  _ want _ her to kiss me, I only want you to kiss me,” Alex spoke, words tumbling into one another. She sounded desperate. Scared, even.

“Kara, please, I really like you and I don’t want this to screw us up.”

The words stung.

Kara kept staring down at Alex’s boots, her keys clutched tightly in her hands as she listened to Alex’s explanation. She felt conflicted, incredibly so.

If what Alex had said was true, then this was all a gigantic mistake and misunderstanding, unknowingly perpetrated by Alex’s ridiculous friend. But if she  _ wasn’t _ , if Alex was making this up just so she could keep two-timing Kara, Kara would be doing what every other cheating victim had been doing since the dawn of time.

She should know better.

Just because people looked sad and distressed about a situation didn’t mean they were actually sorry for it or telling the truth. No matter what Alex had said, there was simply no way of knowing for sure. She glanced up at Alex’s face for only a millisecond, too quickly for Alex’s human eyes to register.

Alex looked destroyed, as though she were crumbling on the inside.

But then again, wasn’t that what cheaters always looked like?

-

Alex was panicking.

She’d said her piece, she’d told the truth, she’d tried to make Kara see reason, but Kara still wasn’t  _ looking _ at her. She kept staring down at Alex’s feet, unwilling to make eye contact. It set the hairs on the back of Alex’s neck on edge. She needed Kara, she’d accepted it. She had no idea what she’d do if Kara told her to leave.

Alex thought back to the phone call she’d had with Selina a few hours after she’d come home from work. She hadn’t planned on calling her friend, but she’d been sitting on her couch, staring at the blank TV and wondering what to do, when a feeling of unquenchable rage had taken over her body.

She knew Selina was only partly to blame.

Alex hadn’t told her Kara worked at the coffee shop. Selina had had no way of knowing that Kara was in there, most likely watching. Alex should have been smarter, she shouldn’t have taken Selina there, she should have anticipated that her friend would pull something like this. If Selina had known Kara was there, she probably would have marched right in and planted a big one on Kara, too, for good measure. Maybe then the entire situation wouldn’t have been so fucked up.

Alex thought back to the things she’d shouted at Selina over the phone, venting her rage and her anger for herself and her friend with the vengeance of a thousand open wounds. Selina hadn’t cared that she’d yelled. Maybe she’d been concerned for a moment, but Alex hadn’t stuck around on the phone long enough to let her get fussy.

_ Aw, darling, should I come around and kiss your little sweetie, too, to make it all better? _

Alex had ended the call after that, only barely keeping herself from hurling the phone across the room, shattering it in her rage. Again, she recognized, she was angriest with herself. She figured Selina knew this as well.

Raking her hands through her hair, Alex wished Kara would just  _ look _ at her.

Maybe if she looked at her with those beautiful, blue eyes, Alex would know what to do and say.

At a loss, Alex closed the rest of the distance between them and took one of Kara’s hands in her own and squeezed it desperately. When their eyes finally met, Alex almost sobbed. Kara looked confused for a moment, mouth open as though to say something, but then closing it again, obviously at a loss, too. Alex clenched her jaw, a feeling of despair choking her.

“Kara, I swear to you, I did not go behind your back. I did not kiss Selina because I am romantically involved with her, I have no interest in pursuing anything with her. You’re the only one who has been on my mind for weeks. I don’t want anybody else.” Alex’s words were tinged in desperation, her hands clammy from the stress, her feet shaking in her boots.

“But—how can I believe that, Alex, we barely even know each other,” Kara said softly, her face just as distraught as Alex’s, her eyes misting over slightly.

And now Alex was unsure again, because what else could she possibly say to convince Kara of her honesty?

She wasn’t even sure what  _ she _ would do in this situation.

If she’d even believe herself.

-

Alex’s lips broke into a tremulous smile, her eyes conveying how sorry she seemed to feel, letting go of Kara’s hand and pushing her own into the back pockets of her jeans. Kara had long since figured out that this stance was a sort of defense mechanism, a way to tell when Alex felt unsure of herself. The smile didn’t reach her eyes. It looked more like a painful grimace.

Kara’s throat felt as though it were closing in on itself, making it hard to breathe.

What if she was making the wrong decision?

What if Alex  _ was _ telling the truth?

If only Kara could read minds, if only she was Martian.

She knew what Lucy would say to her in this situation. Lucy would tell her to run and run far, tell her to get out while she still could. Kara loved Lucy for her protective nature, but what if she followed her advice, let Alex go, and it had all been a big misunderstanding? What if Kara was letting go of the one she was supposed to be with? It had certainly felt that way to her. Being with Alex was unlike anything she’d ever felt.

“I need some time,” was what she finally said, her hands now clasped in front of her body. The unsure feeling persisted, but the knot in her throat loosened slightly. “I’ll call you, okay? I just, I can’t look at you. I can’t, I keep seeing you—with her, I—I can’t do this right now.”

Alex’s nose was red.

Maybe from the cold, maybe from the sorrow she was holding inside, but she nodded, her face still a crumpled mess of emotions. Kara still wished she’d never met Alex, wished she hadn’t fallen for her so rapidly, so she wouldn’t have to feel this way. She wondered briefly if Alex felt the same as she did about their bond, if she was telling the truth.

“I understand,” Alex said, slowly backing away from Kara, quite literally giving her space, that destroyed look overtaking nearly every square inch of her face. She was still trying desperately to keep her smile intact, though she was obviously failing. “I’m sorry, Kara, I really am. I never meant to hurt you.”

Kara swallowed hard, worried she’d crush her keys if she kept holding on to them.

She nodded briskly, still weary.

“Okay,” Alex mumbled, breathing in heavily. “I guess, I’ll… see you around?”

The familiar phrase sent a new wave of acid up the back of Kara’s throat, and she wanted nothing more than to wrap herself around Alex and never let her go. Staying away from Alex was going to be hard. She needed to get out.

“Goodbye, Alex,” Kara said, finally, turning around without another word, uncaring that she was walking in the opposite direction to her apartment. She could fly, what did she care about a slightly longer commute? All she needed was to avoid passing Alex, to avoid that heavenly scent and those big, tragic eyes.

“Bye, Kara,” Alex whispered. Kara could hear the other heartbeat stay exactly where it was, rooted to the spot. It was doing overtime, pumping rapidly.

Kara didn’t look back.

-

Entering her apartment, Kara planted herself face down on the couch, her glasses falling to the floor as she tilted her head to the side and stared at her blank TV. She felt too emotionally exhausted to cry, her body unwilling to respond to her sadness.

Huffing slightly, Kara tried to forget Alex’s downtrodden face and her glistening eyes. She’d made the right decision; she  _ did _ need time to think about things.

Though, she wished she didn’t have to be alone.

Lucy was with James, and Kara and Siobhan didn’t have the kind of close relationship where she’d feel comfortable divulging all of her feelings to her. Kara liked spending time with Siobhan, and loved her enthusiasm, but her friend could also be sharp and unkind at times. Kara wondered who else she could possibly turn to.

In this moment, Kara desperately missed Shelby and Bailey, the Kent family dogs, one a beautiful and kind golden retriever that had died about five years ago, and the other a fluffy and young German and Australian shepherd mix. She thought back to how she used to curl up with Shelby on nights when she felt especially alien and alone, or how she used to play with Bailey during her breaks from college, teaching the tiny puppy tricks and cuddling with her on the couch.

She missed Aunt Martha and Uncle Jonathan, too. It had been far too long since she’d called them, and even longer since she’d been to see them. Martha and Jonathan understood, of course. They knew how busy she could be, what with her being Supergirl and everything.

Still, the more she thought about it, the more Kara wanted to see them.

They’d become her family when she’d lost everything to Krypton’s destruction, taking her into their family after Kal-El had found her, giving her their name. They were like a second set of parents to her, though she’d never called them mother and father. She knew they loved her as their own and she’d never questioned herself and her worth when she was with them.

Contemplating her next course of action, Kara slipped her phone from her pocket and stared at the screen for a moment.

First things first.

She texted Hayashi about taking her shift tomorrow and the day after, to which he complied without question. She thanked him and switched chat windows. She stared at Lucy’s name on the screen for multiple seconds, contemplating on whether or not to text her about what had happened with Alex. Lucy would be pissed that Kara didn’t write her immediately, but on the other hand, what if Lucy and James were actually having a good time? Kara didn’t want to interrupt any possible bonding time they might be having, just because she was sad about her own failed almost-relationship.

No, she’d text Lucy first thing tomorrow morning.

Finally, she pressed the number three on her speed-dial. It was almost half-past ten at night, but Kara knew they’d still be awake.

When she heard Aunt Martha’s voice on the phone, the constant squeezing in her chest eased ever so slightly.

“Kara, honey, it’s so good to hear from you. How are you doing?” Martha sounded delighted, a fact that filled Kara with warmth. Second only to Clark, Martha had been the first person on Earth to hug her after her arrival. Kara had been too scared to hug her back, for fear of accidentally breaking the older woman’s back, but the touch had been immensely welcome regardless.

After her surprise appearance at the Kent farm, Martha had sat her down at the kitchen island, where Kara had been too afraid to even rest her hands on the wood for fear of demolishing it. In record time, Martha had whipped her up a chocolate pecan pie, setting a still steaming slice of freshly baked, gooey goodness in front of Kara, accompanied by a glass of fresh milk. Kara hadn’t dared to touch anything, her hands shaking in her lap. Aunt Martha had smiled kindly, slipping a bright blue bendy straw in her milk, encouraging her to take a sip.

To this day, the pie was Kara’s favorite dessert.

For the first time since the morning, Kara smiled genuinely.

“I’m actually not that great, Aunt Martha. I was wondering if I could fly over tonight and stay with you for the next two or three days,” Kara said, half of her face pressed into the couch again. All she wanted was to curl up on the Kent couch, stuff her face with Martha’s fantastic food and listen to Uncle Jonathan complain loudly about whatever TV show they were watching at the moment.

“Oh, sweetie, of course,” Martha said, voice concerned immediately. “Jonathan will get your bedroom ready for you. Do you want me to draw you a bubble bath? I’ll make you some breakfast for dinner.”

Kara sat up, glad she’d made the call.

“I just want to curl up on the couch with you guys. Please don’t put yourself out for me, I know this is seriously last minute…” Kara rubbed her pants, hoping she didn’t sound ungrateful.

Martha tutted disapprovingly.

“None of us plan on feeling badly, honey, but that doesn’t mean we don’t. You just pack up your things and fly over here. We can put on the food network tonight, if you like.” Martha’s voice was quiet and kind and Kara could hear Jonathan already moving up the stairs, no doubt having listened to their conversation and ready to prepare Kara’s bed for her.

Kara’s body filled with love.

“I’ll be there soon. Thanks, Aunt Martha,” Kara said, standing up from her couch and walking into her bedroom. She wouldn’t need to pack much.

“Of course, Kara. I’ll see you soon. I love you,” Martha responded.

“I love you, too.”

Hanging up the phone, Kara pulled out a duffle bag from the back of her closet and began grabbing clothes, starting with her fluffiest pajamas. She couldn’t wait to get out of her apartment and be back with people who loved her no matter what she did. Who had always supported her and had never let her down. Who had defended her decision to reveal herself to the world as Supergirl three years ago when Clark had told her to think twice about it.

Zipping up her bag and texting J’onn about leaving town, Kara ignored the stabbing feeling of pain as her thoughts returned to Alex and what she might be doing right now.

-

The first bottle of cheap scotch sat on Alex’s glass coffee table.

It was empty.

-

Kara arrived in Smallville about half an hour later, surveying the area around the Kent farm for any late-night stragglers or strangers, before setting down on the front lawn in her Supergirl outfit. She breathed in deeply, taking in the fresh outdoor smell of the farm. She listened for the rustling of the trees and the creaking of the barn, closing her eyes for only a moment.

She was home.

Satisfied with centering herself in this moment, she scanned the house next. Again, there were only a pancake-flipping Aunt Martha and a blanket-hauling Uncle Jonathan. Bailey was asleep on the living room floor while the TV blared in the background. Kara took a second to watch them work, letting the feeling of seeing them again wash over her before she’d make her way inside. Before she’d have to explain why she was here.

They’d respect her privacy, if she didn’t want to talk about what had happened to her, but Kara didn’t want to keep her pain a secret from them. Besides, Martha and Jonathan Kent were two people who’d always given Kara excellent advice.

Smiling sadly, Kara walked up the three front steps and pulled out her house key. She inhaled the smell of fresh pancakes sizzling on the stove as she opened the front door.

“Kara!” Jonathan called from the living room, dumping a pile of fluffy blankets and pillows on the couch. Kara smiled as he rushed over to her from the other room and gathered her up into a hug, Bailey hot on his heels. Swinging her arms around him, Kara closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her family surrounding her.

When she felt Martha’s arms envelop both of them, one of her hands stroking Kara’s hair, Kara allowed herself to cry for the first time since this morning. Cradled by her surrogate parents, she felt the stress of the day melt away for a moment, leaving her crying but happy. She felt Bailey nudging her legs insistently, waiting to be petted.

“I missed you,” Kara sobbed, keeping her eyes closed and the outside world far away from her.

“We missed you, too, honey,” Martha spoke soothingly, pressing a motherly kiss against the crown of Kara’s head.

“Come on, kiddo, Martha’s made us some breakfast for dinner,” Jonathan said, squeezing Kara tightly for a moment longer, obviously reluctant to let her go now that she was crying.

“What do you mean ‘us’? Those pancakes are entirely for Kara,” Martha said, voice teasing, her hand moving from Kara’s hair to her back. “If you wanted some, you should have told me.”

Jonathan scoffed.

“You hear that, Kara? Your aunt is starving me again. You should move back in here; I get no justice around this house without you.” Kara could imagine the pout taking root on her uncle’s face.

Kara chuckled through her tears, soothed by the old, familiar banter.

“You can have some of my pancakes, Uncle Jonathan,” Kara said, disentangling herself from her family and wiping her face with both hands. She felt planets lighter already, now that she could focus on something aside from Alex and this fucked up situation. She let herself fall to her knees in front of Bailey, who tried to lick her face enthusiastically, ecstatic now that Kara was here. “Can we have the pancakes in front of the TV?”

Kara felt like she was thirteen again, asking them both something for the very first time.

Martha smiled, smoothing a hand over Kara’s hair.

“Of course, honey. You grab the syrup and I’ll get the plates,” Martha said, walking over to the stove. Jonathan moved to the refrigerator, hand closing around the milk, as Kara got up and walked over to the pantry.

When they’d all settled on the couch with their plates of pancakes and their glasses of milk (Kara having taken a tiny detour to change out of her Supergirl outfit and into her pajamas), Kara relaxed her muscles for the first time that day. Alex seemed very far away, at least for the moment. She still hovered in Kara’s mind, with her sad eyes and that awful kiss. But the presence of Martha and Jonathan kept the anxiety at bay, giving her a few moments of peace. Bailey was curled up at her feet, snoring contently.

She’d tell them all about her situation tomorrow.

-

Alex awoke at five in the morning to the sound of her alarm clock, the biggest fuck-off hangover she’d felt in a very long time skulking through her body. She was still on the couch in her jeans, though she’d somehow lost her shirt over the course of her bender. She’d managed to take off her bra, too, as well as her shoes and socks.

Groaning, Alex buried her head in her hands and breathed slowly in and out, still feeling mildly tipsy from the bottle of scotch she’d started drinking around eleven thirty. She’d held out for nearly an hour after her conversation with Kara, but finally, she hadn’t been able to take the silence anymore.

She’d contemplated calling Harley and talking to her about it. Or, more accurately, she’d contemplated calling Dr. Harleen Quinzel, certified psychiatrist.

In the end, the thought of having to relive the worst moment of her life in over a year hadn’t sounded particularly appealing, so she’d fallen back on something she’d sworn to herself she’d never do again. Drink herself silly and pass out on the couch.

The last time she’d been this drunk, she hadn’t been home for a week.

She had no intention of repeating that particular experience.

Pushing herself to her feet, Alex swayed for a moment, her head feeling like someone was trying to pry it open with a pair of steel plyers.

Trish meowed at her, obviously concerned, and Alex got on her knees in front of her, scooping the tiny animal into her arms and squeezing it tightly to her chest. It was a testament to how worried Trish was that she didn’t try to squirm away, purring loudly instead. Alex buried her nose in the tiny feline, a small smile breaking over her face. She was glad to have Trish by her side.

Getting back to her feet, Alex set her cat down on the kitchen table and staggered over to her bedroom, stripping off her white tank top as she walked into the ensuite bathroom. At minimum, she’d need to down at least two painkillers if she wanted to make it through work today. At least it was Friday and she didn’t have to come in tomorrow.

She’d have the whole weekend off.

Plenty of time to feel sorry for herself.

An hour later, Alex still felt awful and no matter how long she showered, she couldn’t shake the thought that she was sweating alcohol from her every pore. She gritted her teeth at the feeling, but there wasn’t anything to be done about it now.

She didn’t regret drinking last night.

If anything, she regretted any possible reactions her colleagues might have, but even that didn’t factor into the grand scheme of Alex’s sadness. She had no illusions that Kara would actually call her. If she was honest with herself, Alex wasn’t sure she was worth calling anyway. With all the things she’d seen and done, she’d just end up dragging Kara down with her.

Alex pulled into the precinct at six thirty in the morning.

Her stomach shifted queasily as she swung her leg off her motorcycle.

Now she  _ did _ regret drinking, just a little bit. Maybe she should’ve taken some sleeping pills instead, they most likely would’ve knocked her out just as quickly and just as efficiently. Then again, sleeping pills didn’t burn down your throat with every sip.

Alex sighed as she walked into the precinct, making sure her steps were steady and sure. Heaven forbid she somehow stumbled on the stairs or bodily ran into anyone.

Hank was sitting at his desk, typing away quickly at his computer as she approached. Vasquez was nowhere to be seen, which either meant they were out on patrol, at the gym, or with Lord in his office, getting told what to do. Alex rolled her eyes at the thought of Lord. If she ran into him today, there was no guarantee as to what she would do.

Alex rubbed her temples as she sat down at her desk, the painkillers not working as well as she would have liked them to.

“Morning,” Alex said, voice rough and tired.

Hank looked up at her, screwing up his face in mild disgust.

“Where are you hiding it?” He asked, eyes sharp as he surveyed her appearance. Her shirt was freshly starched and her pants were immaculate, but she knew she looked tired around the eyes and her hair hung limply from her head.

“Where am I hiding what?” She asked right back, shoulders stiffening at whatever he was implying with his question.

“Where are you hiding the bar? In your jacket pocket?” His face was blank now, carefully composed, most likely to hide his anger. She knew he could tell she’d been drunk off her ass last night, he could probably see it in her posture and general demeanor.

She was too tired to play his games.

“What?” She asked again, the fingers of her right hand drumming on the desk in front of her.

“You smell,” he said, the corners of his mouth sliding down. “You reek, in fact. It’s none of my business what you do in your free time, but I hope you’re not going to be letting it affect your work today.”

Alex scowled at him.

“You’re right, it is none of your business.”

They worked in silence for the rest of the morning.

-

Kara woke up in her old bedroom, cuddled into a comfy hand-knit blanket and clutching one of her old stuffed animals to her chest. Jonathan and Martha had kept her bedroom mostly intact, right down to some of her old posters and decorations. The familiarity relaxed her, pushing everything else out of her mind for at least a moment longer.

Checking her phone, Kara noticed that she’d missed a call from Lucy, though her friend had followed it up with a text message telling her the phone call hadn’t been of an urgent nature. Lucy most likely just needed someone to vent to about James. Kara was used to that by now.

Opening the chat window, Kara started typing.

-

> [Kara Kent]: Alex came by the shop last night to talk. I'll stay in Smallville for the next two days, just a heads up.  _ Sent 07:27am _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: Why didn't you text me????  _ Sent 07:27am _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: I didn't want to interrupt your alone time with James.  _ Sent 07:28am _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: I told Alex I needed time and that I'd call her.  _ Sent 07:28am _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: Nothing to interrupt, tbh.  _ Sent 07:29am _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: You okay?  _ Sent 07:30am _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Not sure. Will keep you posted.  _ Sent 07:32am _ .

-

Rolling onto her back, Kara stared wistfully at the ceiling.

Breathing in deeply, she closed her eyes and thought back to the night before. Now that she was far away from National City, far away from Alex and the drama, she felt like her mind had slowly unclouded itself. Being in National City after what had happened had been like trying to breathe glass shards instead of air, a feeling Kara wasn’t all too keen to repeat.

To her chagrin, she still didn’t know what to think.

The same dilemmas remained, even in Smallville.

She was obviously falling for Alex, that much was clear. And she wanted to be with her, even now, even after what Alex had done. Or, as it were, maybe  _ hadn’t _ done.

The root of the problem was trust. Mainly, that Kara didn’t have any – which, she guessed, was a problem all unto itself.

How could she trust Alex not to hurt her again, even if what she had said was true?

Deciding that thinking about it now wouldn’t get her anywhere, Kara jumped out of bed and opened her bedroom door, taking a quick detour into the bathroom next door to do her business, before walking downstairs.

Aunt Martha was puttering around in the kitchen, Uncle Jonathan reading the local newspaper, some 80s song blaring from the radio, based on its sound and rhythm. She guessed Bailey was running around outside. Martha smiled when Kara walked down the stairs, Jonathan holding up his hand for a high-five, his reading glasses having slipped down his nose.

“Good morning,” Kara said, returning Martha’s smile and Jonathan’s high five.

“Morning, did you sleep well?” Martha set a place for Kara on the kitchen island and brought over a freshly baked chocolate pecan pie. Kara beamed when she saw it. Her aunt stroked her back for a second before she walked back over to what she had been doing before.

“I slept like a stone, don’t think I even woke up once. I forgot how nice this bed is.” Sliding a slice of pie onto her plate, Kara dug in happily, devouring the piece in four strategically placed bites. It was as good as she remembered.

Martha sat down next to her, a cup of coffee cradled in her hand, and a crossword puzzle open on the table in front of her. She was wearing her reading glasses now as well, the three of them sitting in comfortable silence for a moment as Kara ate.

When she’d happily demolished two more slices, Jonathan cleared his throat and looked over at Martha. Immediately, Kara knew what was coming.

“Kara, honey, you know we love having you here. Really, you’re not here enough,” Jonathan started, taking off his glasses and slipping them into his shirt pocket. Kara was sure he’d forget they were there until they fell out of his pocket later during his work on the farm. “But we’re worried about you. If you don’t want to tell us what happened, that’s fine, but if we can help you in any way, you know we’re here for you.”

Kara almost started crying again. How did she deserve to have such amazing people as the Kents in her life? She was scared to think about what would have happened to her if Clark hadn’t found her and brought her to his parents.

Sighing, Kara put down her fork and looked at them for a moment, gauging how much she should tell them. She wanted to talk to them about it and get their advice, but she was also afraid. What if they told her to let Alex go? What if they told her to stick around? Which one would she rather hear?

“I do want to talk about what happened… I’m just—I don’t know what to think about it all myself, and I’m scared of what you’re going to say,” Kara said, fiddling with the napkin on her lap and biting her bottom lip nervously.

Martha reached over, squeezing her left bicep gently.

“Don’t be scared, honey, you know you can tell us anything.” Her aunt’s words were encouraging, though Kara’s nerves still felt raw and exposed. She took Martha’s hand off her arm and clasped it tightly in both of her own, needing the reassurance.

“It’s—Well, I met a woman at work,” Kara started, staring down at the table cloth. Breathing deeply, she started to tell them all about Alex. How she’d gotten to know her, how she’d come into CatCo’s once a week to order hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon, how Alex had smiled at her and made her feel truly  _ seen _ .

She started crying around the time she talked about their date, big drops of water sliding down her face and onto her pajamas. Jonathan jumped up from his chair and walked over to her side of the table, gathering her up in his arms as she continued to cry and talk about Alex and her barely blossoming relationship.

When she got to the kiss she’d witnessed, she was barely coherent.

She had thought she’d reconciled herself with what had happened yesterday morning, but clearly she’d been wrong. Reliving it, describing it to her family, was like seeing it all over again. Being there, behind that counter, seeing the woman she fell for kissing someone else.

“And, it’s—I, I barely even know her,” Kara sobbed, letting go of Martha’s hand so she wouldn’t accidentally crush it, Jonathan’s arms holding her together. “But—“ She could barely get out the words, her hands coming up to her face to wipe away the tears. “I still care about her.”

Martha moved her chair closer so she could reclaim Kara’s hand.

“Oh, Kara, what you’re feeling is perfectly normal,” she said, squeezing Kara’s hand gently. “She obviously means a lot to you. Just because you saw her do something awful and terrible doesn’t mean that just goes away overnight.”

Kara sniffled, gratefully accepting the tissue Jonathan was holding out to her so she could blow her nose.

“Did this Alex woman have anything to say for herself?” Jonathan asked, pulling up his own chair and sitting down, his left arm still draped over Kara’s shoulder, comforting her in ways he’d never truly understand.

Kara sniffled again, telling them what Alex had said to her in front of CatCo’s last night.

“She looked so… incredibly sad about the whole thing,” Kara spoke quietly to herself, staring at the used tissue in her hand, remembering Alex’s face for the umpteenth time. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person look this sad, not since I came here.”

Unfortunately, Kara had seen far greater sadness in her life before she’d been forced to flee to Earth.

Martha hummed softly, her thumb stroking Kara’s forearm kindly, a concerned look on her face.

“I don’t know what to do,” Kara said, face stricken. “About any of it. If she’s telling the truth, then I’m keeping us apart for no reason, but if she’s lying, then…” She didn’t want to finish the thought. If Alex was lying, there’d be no telling what Kara would do. No one had ever cheated on her before. Granted, she hadn’t had too many relationships – save for a boyfriend, a girlfriend, and some flings during college – but she didn’t think she could take the feeling of not being good enough for her partner.

Jonathan rubbed his hand over his mouth and chin, obviously thinking about what to say.

Martha was looking at Kara intently.

“What does your heart say?” Martha asked, voice as gentle as she could possibly make it. “In your heart of hearts, do you believe she’s lying to you? Do you think she wants to be with someone else?”

Kara looked over to her aunt, swallowing thickly.

“No,” Kara whispered, scared about her own admission. “No, I don’t. That’s what terrifies me.”

-

> [Selina Kyle]: Since I haven’t heard from you, I guess you’re still mad at me and don’t want to talk. Just wanted to let you know, I hope everything works out between you and your girl.  _ Sent 11:34am _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: You’re right, I don’t want to talk to you.  _ Sent 11:34am _ .

-

Alex left the precinct at lunchtime, unwilling to spend any more time with a surly Hank. On a purely logical level, she knew his anger was born of concern for her own well-being and safety – on the job and off. But on a purely emotional level, Alex was pissed that he wouldn’t let it go. It wasn’t like she’d ever shown up to work hungover before.

Taking her motorcycle, Alex contemplated on where to go.  _ Tribune Tea _ was still a no-go, considering Lord could be skulking around there, but CatCo Coffee felt just as dangerous now. She’d promised to give Kara space, give her time to figure things out, even if Alex still doubted Kara would choose to contact her ever again.

Alex knew of a few other coffee places in the area, but she didn’t feel like frequenting any of them.

Maybe if she just drove by CatCo’s without actually stopping or going in?

Alex clenched her jaw as she kicked her bike into gear, the powerful machine taking her through the busy streets at lunchtime. She wondered briefly if what she was doing could be considered stalking, promising herself that no matter what she did, she would not leave the house tomorrow on her day off just to check up on Kara.

Pulling into a parking spot around the corner from CatCo’s, Alex locked down her bike and started walking, trying to look as inconspicuous as humanly possible. Employing some of her police training, she walked along the sidewalk opposite the coffee shop, stealing glances at the windows out of the corner of her eyes, holding her phone to her ear so her arm covered most of her face to any onlookers inside the shop.

To her astonishment, she saw that Kara wasn’t there.

Instead, an Asian man Alex had seen in the shop only once before stood behind the counter, smiling kindly at an older black man with a cane as he took his order. Lucy stood where she always did, preparing drinks and snacks.

Alex wondered whether or not Kara’s disappearance had something to do with her.

She certainly hadn’t meant to push Kara out of her working environment. Then again, she hadn’t meant to do anything to Kara when she’d taken Selina to this spot just yesterday morning. She couldn’t believe all of that had taken place barely a day ago.

Making up her mind, Alex put her phone away, stuffed her hands into her pockets and hurried across the street, dodging cyclists and other pedestrians on the way. What would it hurt to talk to Lucy, she thought to herself, though she wondered briefly if that was the residual alcohol in her blood talking. But that didn’t matter now, since Lucy had looked up and made eye contact with Alex even from inside, her face breaking into a sneer and a thunderously angry expression.

Alex sighed.

Pushing her way inside, Alex got into the long line of customers and thought about what to say to Kara’s best friend. She watched silently as Lucy leaned over to the Asian man behind the counter and whispered something to him. Something which made him look over to Alex and nod ever so slightly. It unnerved Alex, but she tried to concentrate on coming up with a game plan. Unfortunately, by the time Alex had ordered a coffee to-go with two extra shots of espresso, she was no closer to figuring out what to say to Lucy than before.

When she slid over a five-dollar bill and told the man to keep the change, she somehow wasn’t surprised when he slid a pile of coins her way, ignoring her wishes. Alex wanted to argue, but one look at Lucy stopped her in her tracks. Gritting her teeth, Alex picked up the pile (she could’ve sworn she saw a few one-cent coins in there) and stuffed it into her jacket pocket. The metal seemed heavier to her than it was.

Lucy slammed the coffee cup down on the counter behind her, a permanent scowl attached to her face.

“Have a horrible day, and choke on your coffee, asshole,” Lucy whispered harshly, so as not to be overheard by any other customers or the Asian man who was working the register.

It took every ounce of strength Alex possessed not to say anything about Lucy’s obvious hostility, the rest of the scotch from last night not helping in the slightest. She tried to remind herself,  _ once again _ , that she would be acting the same way, if someone had messed with one of her friends like that. Taking the coffee cup into her hand, Alex realized that Lucy had written  _ Detective Dumbass _ on the side. A muscle in Alex’s jaw twitched.

“Is Kara okay?” Alex asked, trying not to squeeze the coffee too hard for fear of breaking it and spilling it on herself.

“That’s none of your business,” Lucy retorted through gritted teeth, turning around to prepare another coffee for yet another customer, a small, wispy-haired white lady with a travel bag clutched in one hand.

Alex put down her own coffee again, crossing her arms over her chest. In retrospect, it had been a terrible idea to come here, and an even  _ more _ terrible idea to walk inside, to make conversation with a woman who might like nothing better than to shank her with a shiv she’d made out of an old coffee spoon.

“I’m worried about her,” Alex said, trying to deescalate the conversation as she gave a forced smile at the old, wispy-haired lady picking up her coffee. Alex was in the way, as per usual.

Her fingers were starting to shake again, and she stuffed them into her jacket pockets to still them. The anxiety was choking her now, too, crawling up her stomach and into her throat, making it hard to focus on Lucy’s angry face.

Glock 43, standard-issue for law-enforcement, serial number  _ D 4 K 5 5 6 _ . AK-47 assault rifle, hidden under her bed, serial number  _ 2014 D N 1 5 4 7 _ . Tactical semi-automatic handgun, twenty-two calibers- Alex started to recite in her head, Lucy’s voice pulling her back to the moment.

“You look like shit, Danvers, get a grip on yourself, before you wrap yourself around a tree. For fuck’s sake.” Lucy’s voice was barely audible as she leaned over the counter, eyes burning holes in Alex’s face with their intensity. Alex scowled, opening her mouth to retort something, only to be interrupted by another cutting remark. “Do you want to break Kara’s heart even more by killing yourself? And here I thought you cops had some kind of honor.”

Alex could feel her control slipping, could feel the angry words crawling up her spine.

“Mind your own business, Lucy,” Alex said instead, back tightly wound and jaw clenched to the breaking point.

“I’ll mind my own business when you stop fucking up my best friend,” Lucy sneered back, eyes raking over Alex’s no doubt pitiful appearance, despite the fact she’d put on perfectly fine, clean clothes this morning. Some things you just couldn’t hide behind a starched shirt. “Kara told you to stay the fuck away from her, unless or until she calls you. So don’t bother coming by here again, you hear me? Kara is out of town for a few days anyway, thanks to you.”

Seeing Lucy’s face pale ever so slightly, Alex realized she’d said more than she wanted to. She probably hadn’t planned on divulging that last tidbit of information to Alex, about Kara leaving town. Alex swallowed thickly. Kara had likely wanted to be as far away from Alex as possible.

“Fine,” Alex said, picking up her coffee again, “if you talk to Kara, please tell her I’m sorry. I’m not going to bother her again.” Cradling the cup in both hands, Alex took a step back from the counter. To her horror, she could feel her eyes misting over, and she quickly hurried out of the coffee shop, wiping at her eyes only when she’d rounded the corner and could no longer be seen.

The worst part was, there was nothing Alex could do. The ball was squarely in Kara’s court. Alex had tried to talk to her, had tried to tell her the truth, there wasn’t anything else for her to say or do now. If Kara wanted her back, she’d call. And if she didn’t, Alex needed to find a way to deal with it.

She still had two full bottles of cheap scotch hidden behind her expensive liquor. Maybe, after this weekend was over, she’d look into healthier alternatives of coping mechanisms than drinking.

Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that didn't solve anything yet, did it? Hm hm hm. Guess we'll have to wait and see! 
> 
> By the by, remember how I said this story crosses over with Smallville? Yeah, Kara is hanging out at exactly that Kent farm. Only, I chose not to kill off Jonathan, because I loved him very much and Kara deserves more people who love her. 
> 
> Hope to see you Saturday! 
> 
> This chapter was beta-d by the wonderful Coara ♥. 
> 
> If you want to chat to me, find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr.


	6. A Soft Spot for Weird People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara finds comfort at the Kent farm. Alex tries to deal with things by herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to jump right back into the feels! Hope you enjoy! Oh, and like I said, I imagined the Smallville versions of Martha, Jonathan, Clark, and Lois. 
> 
> **Note** : Content warning for heavy alcohol usage.

The rest of the morning, Kara helped Uncle Jonathan with chores around the farm.

She fixed the tractor, lugged hay bales around, repainted the fence, and punched gigantic wooden pillars into the ground. The work was gratifying, even if she didn’t feel the physical strain like a human would.

Before lunch rolled around, she’d also texted Lucy some more about Alex’s visit to her the previous night and had a very short and very disheartening conversation about Kara being too trusting. When clearly, Kara had no trust whatsoever to speak of, and was instead falling prey to a far simpler and yet so much more sinister problem: Falling for a person, even though they might be bad for you.

Martha’s words still rang in Kara’s ears even hours after their conversation had ended.

_You’re faced with a difficult decision, honey. You’ve weighed the pros and cons, and it’s clear that you care for her. There’s no easy fix to this situation. You’re either going to have to decide to trust her, or to let her go._

She knew Aunt Martha was right, had known this was what it would come down to the moment Alex tried talking to her after she’d witnessed the kiss outside. Problem was, all Kara wanted was some form of guarantee, _before_ she made the decision. What she had been contemplating was out of the question, however: Get into her Supergirl outfit, find Alex and follow her around, just in case Kara might be able to catch her in a lie. But that went against every fiber of Kara’s being, and if she ended up following Alex like a creepy stalker, she’d never be able to forgive herself, no matter what she might uncover.

Kara knew she wasn’t ready to make the decision yet, the wound was too fresh, the pain still clawing in the back of her mind every time she so much as thought of Alex. Which was, to her chagrin, all the time.

Playing with Bailey, or, as Kara liked to call her, Bailey Calliope Robbins Kent, in the backyard lifted her spirits, especially when the dog bowled her over and started licking her face. Kara had wanted to name the little rascal after some of her most favorite TV doctors, but Jonathan had put his foot down, so Kara had decided to shorten the name.

After lunch, Kara was running with Bailey through one of their fields, when she heard a car pull into the driveway of the Kent farm. Stopping abruptly, she turned her head towards the noise and used her x-ray vision to see through the high stalks all around her, watching as the red Prius came to a halt and a woman with long, brunette hair stepped out, wearing a knee-long, beige trench coat.

A smile split over Kara’s face as she started running back to the farm, deliberately passing on her super speed, so Bailey could keep up with her.

“Lois!” Kara yelled, arms waving excitedly as Lois turned her head and grinned at Kara, opening her arms wide for a hug.

Kara sped up on the last few meters, throwing herself into her friend’s arms, Lois laughing and swinging her around as though Kara were made of paper, rather than a solid chunk of solar-toughened, Kryptonian muscle.

“Surprise!” Lois exclaimed, hugging Kara ever-more tightly.

“What are you doing here?” Kara asked, immensely pleased. Her smile widened even more as she watched Kal-El step out of the passenger side of Lois’s car, slipping off his glasses and waving at her. He wasn’t in one of his straight-laced suits; he’d opted instead for a blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

“Mom called me last night,” Clark said, walking around the car and joining in on the hug for a moment. “She said you were having a tough time, so Lois and I decided to surprise you.” He clapped her on the shoulder and smiled at her.

“I brought ice cream, magazines and trashy movies. Can someone say _Sharknado_ one through four?” Lois raved excitedly, beaming from ear to ear as she let go of Kara to retrieve the aforementioned articles. “We would’ve been here first-thing this morning, but an electrical station burned down in Metropolis and Mr. Super over there had some saving to do.”

Clark rolled his eyes.

“We would’ve been done even sooner, if someone _else_ hadn’t decided she needed to write an article first, about the corruption taking hold of Metropolis’s electrical companies involving tax fraud,” Clark retorted, sending Kara a meaningful look. Lois scoffed, shoving two portable coolers into Clark’s arms. One was filled with tubs of ice cream, the other held an assortment of wine bottles.

“Journalism waits for no man, woman, or other gender, Clark,” Lois said, shoving a duffle bag into Kara’s arms and placing a fluffy blanket on top.

Kara glanced over to a fondly smiling Clark.

“Did she bring your entire apartment?” She whispered, hiding her mouth behind the fluffy blanket. Lois had learned how to read lips years ago, figuring it would help her with her career in journalism. Kara had learned that the hard way.

Clark chuckled, hiding his own mouth behind the second fluffy blanket Lois had pushed onto _him_.

“You know she worries,” he said, Lois pulling two fluffy pillows from the trunk. “Mom called me and Lois overheard our conversation. I swear, I’ve never seen her pack that fast. She takes ages, usually.”

“What are you guys whispering about? Better not be anything rude,” Lois said, upper body still partially devoured by the trunk.

“Nothing,” Clark and Kara both said instantly, smiling their infamous Kent smiles as Lois straightened up and looked over at them. Lois narrowed her eyes for a moment, before she went back to rummaging.

“I’m going to go inside to say hi to mom and dad, and load off this stuff in the living room,” Clark said, walking over to the front door. He sent Kara a meaningful smile and a nod towards Lois, obviously aware that Kara had always found it easier to spill her problems to his girlfriend, rather than to him.

Kara nodded back.

Leaning against the car, she set her chin on the fluffy blanket and duffle bag in her arms. Whatever Lois was rummaging after, it must have slid all the way into the furthest recesses of the car, since Lois was still apparently grabbing for it.

“Thanks for stopping by,” Kara started, wishing for a moment to be wearing her glasses, so she could fiddle with them. “You didn’t have to come, just because I’m feeling a little sad. I know you guys are busy.” Just as busy as Kara herself, in fact. Kara hoped fervently that National City didn’t burn down while Supergirl was away taking one or two sick days. She knew J’onn could handle himself, but she still worried.

Lois pulled her head out of the trunk, sending Kara an unmistakable look of disbelief.

“Shut up,” Lois said, shoving a stray _Whitesnake_ CD onto the blanket. “Of course we were going to drive up here to see you. Don’t be ridiculous.” Kara chuckled, but nodded. “Good, now, why don’t you tell me what happened that made you sad in the first place.”

Lois sat down on the trunk, the _Whitesnake_ CD apparently what she had been looking for. She patted the space next to her and waited for Kara to sit. Still clutching the duffle and blanket tightly, keeping the CD from tumbling to the floor with her chin, Kara lowered herself slowly so as not to drop anything.

Kara sighed, jiggling her right leg as she looked out onto the fields around them.

“I met this great woman at work, her name is Alex. Or, at least I thought she was great, until I saw her kiss another woman outside of CatCo’s. Only, she said the woman is her friend and not her girlfriend or really anyone she wants to kiss, and…” Kara was talking fast, unwilling to start bawling again. “And I think I believe her, but every time I think about her, I think about her kissing someone who isn’t _me_ , and so now I don’t really know what to do, because I like her, but I need some time to get over what I saw, but I’m afraid that if I wait too long to tell her that, she’ll have moved on, which is ridiculous, because the whole thing happened _yesterday_ , and—yeah.”

It was a solid block of text, the whole story relayed surprisingly succinctly.

Lois hummed thoughtfully, giving Kara a moment to breathe deeply and push back down that feeling of anxiety crawling up the back of her throat again.

“You know what you need? You need a few hours of completely unnecessary, but amazingly gratuitous violence involving sharks and chainsaws. All while eating unhealthy amounts of ice cream and drinking more wine than is socially acceptable,” Lois finally said, getting to her feet and smiling brightly at Kara. “I even brought _Sharktopus_.” She wiggled her eyebrows, obviously hoping to elicit a laugh from Kara. She succeeded.

When Kara was back on her feet, Lois slammed shut the trunk of her car and slung her arm across Kara’s shoulders, the both of them walking up the steps to the front door together, Bailey hot on their heels.

-

 

> [Lucylicious]: Detective Dumbass showed up today. _Sent 4:22pm_.
> 
> [Kara Kent]: How did she seem to you? _Sent 4:22pm_.
> 
> [Lucylicious]: Looked like crap. Figured you’d like to know. _Sent 4:24pm_.
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Thanks. _Sent 4:24pm_.
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Btw, your sister’s here. Thought /you’d/ like to know. _Sent 4:25pm_.
> 
> [Lucylicious]: Great, tell her I said not to tell her hi. _Sent 4:25pm_.
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Will NOT do!!! _Sent 4:26pm_.
> 
> [Lucylicious]: Brat. _Sent 4:26pm_.
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Nuisance. _Sent 4:27pm_.

-

After her conversation with Lucy, Alex took a moment to recompose herself, standing next to her bike and taking some much needed breaths of fresh air.

Before she had the chance to ride back to the precinct, she felt her phone buzz against her thigh. Slipping it into her hand, she unlocked the screen and looked down at a text from Vasquez, informing her about a new murder scene and its address. Two more victims with their eyes burned out of their skulls. Alex sighed, rubbing her forehead. She’d hoped for today to be slow, her hangover taking a bigger toll on her faculties than she’d anticipated.

Looking back down at her phone, Alex smiled at Vasquez’s latest nickname for Lord. It was the first genuine smile she’d managed to produce all day. _Nice one_ , she replied, impressed with her friend’s ingenuity.

 _Zebediah Lordgrave_ fit all too well.

She watched as Vasquez started typing again, sending her a thumbs up emoji, followed directly by a new text, one that washed the smile from Alex’s face.

 _Hank told me you aren’t doing too hot today. Hope you feel better soon! Maybe try calling that new lady of yours, I bet that would make you feel better_.

Alex stared down at the message a moment longer, uncomfortably reminded of the conversation she’d just had with Lucy, telling her Kara had left town because of her mistake. Of course Vasquez didn’t know that Alex was heartbroken over Kara, since Alex hadn’t exactly told anyone from work. Or anyone who wasn’t Selina, really, and only that much because she’d yelled at her over the phone. _Of course_ Vasquez would think Alex’s crankiness could be cured by talking to the cute girl Alex had raved about so madly.

Alex felt the knife in her gut twist sharply to the left, leaving her momentarily breathless.

Without a reply, Alex pushed her phone back into her pocket, got back on her bike, and drove to the address Vasquez had included with their first text.

When she got there, Hank was waiting for her outside, his arms crossed over his chest and a grave look on his face. He had a full water bottle clutched in one of his hands. As she pulled up, he looked over to her and nodded. She nodded back.

Walking up to him, she realized her stomach was acting up. She hadn’t even finished the coffee she’d bought for lunch and her breakfast had been a meager one. She’d barely managed to get anything down at six in the morning, with her stomach feeling like it’d relinquish any food as soon as she’d get it down.

“You look terrible,” he said, forgoing any sort of greeting.

“Thanks,” she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes and mirroring his stance.

He thrust out his arm, the water bottle clutched tightly in his fist.

“Vasquez wanted me to give you this. They were worried you might be dehydrated.” Hank’s voice was stern as he waited for her to take the proffered bottle. She hesitated for a moment, then accepted it, her chest filling with a feeling of warmth at the gesture. Vasquez was a good kid.

“Thanks,” she said again, meaning it this time.

“Drink up.”

She stared at his unflinching visage, the water bottle hanging loosely at her side. She’d planned on drinking it slowly throughout the day, not on downing it all in one go. She narrowed her eyes at him, feeling uncharacteristically stubborn.

“I’ll have some in a bit,” she said, an unfamiliar edge to her voice.

“We’re not going in there until you finish that water bottle, Danvers,” he commanded, tone irked and eyes razor-sharp. He looked like a grumpy dad and Alex did not appreciate that this rendered _her_ the child in this equation. “You’re hungover and you need fluids, else you will be unconcentrated, jumpy, and less attentive. So, drink your water, make Officer Vasquez happy.”

Alex clenched her jaw, once again feeling desperately out of control.

Being treated like a child angered her, even on her good days, but she knew he was right. She was unconcentrated, inattentive and unfocused. Hell, she was way off her game and Hank could see it. Reluctantly, she twisted the cap off the bottle and started drinking, the cold liquid feeling like a soothing balm on her raw nerves and throat.

When she’d finished the bottle, she recapped it and threw it back over to him. Hank caught it deftly, nodded his approval and walked over to his car, stashing the empty bottle in the cup holder. Alex waited on the sidewalk for him, now eyeing the apartment building they were standing in front of.

“Okay, so what’s the situation?” Alex asked, her and Hank walking into the building and waiting for the elevator.

“Another dead couple, two men, discovered a little over an hour ago by their cleaning lady. Mr. and Mr. Leslie. From what little Vasquez could tell me, seems like the crime scene looks about the same as the other ones, though no flowers this time,” Hank explained as they stepped on the elevator. He hit the number four on the display and they rode up in silence.

It was apartment 4D, the entire area decked out in crime scene tape, an army of police personnel and lab people running around, doing their jobs. Alex could feel an even stronger headache than the one she’d already had come on as she watched all of their hustle and bustle. She thought work might help, but all it did was annoy her today. It was even worse than yesterday, when work had actually managed to take her mind off everything with Kara.

Alex was so deeply in thought, she hardly realized she was about to run into someone, when it was already too late. She’d just stepped into the room where the crime had taken place. Her eyes had made contact with the two men, sprawled over their dinner table, dead, when Susie Chang, senior criminalist, had walked straight into her. Or, more accurately, when _Alex_ had walked straight into Susie.

Her first gut reaction was to yell, but she cut herself off before she had the chance to open her mouth. Yelling was out of the question. Alex could handle a reputation of being a bitch (the moniker often carrying with it a sort of grudging respect, no matter how sexist it was), but she could not afford the reputation of being hysterical. She’d seen plenty of men she’d worked with yell at employees, though it never seemed to leave a dent in their reputations. In contrast, she’d seen plenty a ruined career, because a woman let herself get ‘carried away’.

No, Alex would not yell.

But her nerves were rubbed raw, she was weak, and her anger had been boiling inside of her all day, exacerbated by the conversations she’d had with both Lucy and Hank.

“How hard can it be to do your fucking job and get out of my way, so I can do mine, huh?” She said, voice cutting as she looked at Susie, a person Alex usually got on with well. Susie startled terribly, her facial features taking on a hurt expression, and immediately, Alex felt awful. Just because she was going through something, didn’t mean she should take out her anger on unsuspecting colleagues.

“I’m so sorry, Detective Danvers. It won’t happen again,” Susie said, hurrying away from Alex before she could apologize. Alex clenched her left hand into a fist as she watched Susie’s rapidly retreating back. Shit, now she felt even worse.

Behind her, Hank grabbed her arm and pulled her back out of the apartment. Alex didn’t try to fight, letting herself be dragged into the stairwell and away from everyone else. She huffed slightly as Hank yanked her through the open door and closed it forcefully behind him.

His facial expression was thunderous.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you today, but it needs to stop, _right now_ ,” he seethed, his eyes boring into hers. “You’re acting like a child. For heaven’s sake, pull yourself together.”

Alex looked away, unable to keep making eye contact with this man she’d come to respect and like, knowing he was right, but unwilling to give him the satisfaction. She was tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. It seemed unfair. Everyone else fell apart all the time. Why couldn’t she?

“I’m _fine_ , Hank, I just need some fucking peace and quiet,” Alex said, voice about as unkind and uninviting as she could possibly make it. She just wanted him to go away, it wasn’t like she was going to be pouring out her heart to him. He didn’t even know she’d been seeing Kara. He knew nothing, and she wasn’t about to tell him anything now.

“Well, _clearly_ , you’re the goddamn poster child for being fine,” he sassed, poking her in the chest, his shoulders stiff. “I want you to go home and get over whatever it is that’s wrong with you. If you want to talk, I am here for you. If you don’t want to talk to me, talk to Vasquez, they’re worried enough about you as is. If you don’t want to do that, because you’d rather be a stubborn ass, go talk to a goddamn professional. Just get your head out of your own goddamn rear end.”

“You want to say _goddamn_ one more time? I think the message is really going to sink in for me, if you just say it again.” Alex was seething, her fists shaking slightly. She kept trying to calm herself, but it just wouldn’t work. Hank was looking out for her. Clearly, he was trying to take care of her the only way he knew how, but all Alex wanted to do was to punch someone. Maybe herself, if she could.

Hank scoffed, shaking his head in disgust.

“Just go home, I can’t look at you right now. This thing that you’re doing?” He waved his hand around in front of her, gesturing vaguely in her direction. “It’s beneath you. When you get back here on Monday, I want my old partner back, not this—whatever this pity party is that you’ve got going on.” Without another word, he turned around and left the stairwell, leaving Alex angry and properly chastised.

Grinding her teeth, she sat down on the top stair and buried her face in her hands.

She had no idea who she should turn to.

No one at work even knew who Kara was, safe for Vasquez. Selina was directly involved with the problem, and Pam and Harley felt farther away than they ever had. And her mom? She was out of the question; no way was Alex going to tell her mother anything about this. _Ever_. Even Trish didn’t want to listen to her drunken ramblings, running away as soon as she smelled the alcohol on Alex’s breath.

Alex had never felt so alone.

-

Kara threw her head back and laughed as a giant shark landed on an unsuspecting man’s car. The CGI monster looked ridiculous, though Kara was pretty sure it was supposed to be scary. Lois elbowed her in the ribs.

“Don’t laugh, Kara, this is high art!” She said, barely keeping her own laughter in check as she took another generous sip from her glass of red wine.

Kara only laughed harder.

Before they’d sat down to watch the first _Sharknado_ movie, Lois had bundled Kara up into a blanket in the middle of the couch, and stuffed the two fluffy pillows she’d brought with them behind Kara’s head. Then, she’d set a big tub of chocolate chip ice cream on Kara’s lap, and had handed her a spoon. Finally, she’d sat herself directly next to Kara, wrapping herself in the other fluffy blanket. Clark had rolled his eyes at her antics and had sat down on the other side of Kara, grabbing for his own tub of ice cream.

That had been approximately an hour ago and Kara was having the time of her life.

She’d demolished two of the tubs and was working her way through a third one. Kara had also emptied an entire bottle of wine by herself, though it wouldn’t have any effect on her. She simply appreciated the gesture of drinking away one’s sorrows.

Really, the only thing that was missing was the infamous rum cake Lois made from scratch for people’s birthday parties, though Kara was glad she wasn’t being forced to eat it. She still had nightmares about the taste and consistency of the blue cake from the last time she’d had some of it. Still, the cake would’ve perfected the image quite nicely.

Leaning back and cuddling herself into her family, Kara relaxed into the moment.

This was exactly what she needed.

-

Alex was on her couch, a half-empty bottle of cheap scotch in front of her.

It was four in the afternoon and Alex was sitting in her apartment by herself, a glass of scotch in her hand, staring blankly at the wall behind her black TV screen. Mindlessly watching television only entertained her when she didn’t have anything else to think about.

Trish had abandoned her around the second glass, no doubt asleep in Alex’s bedroom by herself. Herbert was curled around her on the couch, his little plant head resting on her stomach, his vines wrapped loosely around Alex’s free, left arm.

She appreciated the plant’s efforts of comforting her, and while it did make her feel less alone, Herbert wasn’t exactly an excellent conversationalist.

Downing the last of the scotch in her tumbler, Alex hissed at the burn and leaned forward to refill the glass. She’d slept for a while after she’d gone home, Hank’s words ringing in her ears, depressing her more than Lucy’s had done. She hated herself for letting it get to this point, but she didn’t want to stop and think about what she’d lost. She didn’t think she’d ever stop crying if she did.

Alex had emptied another quarter of the bottle, when she heard knocks on her front door.

On any other given day, she might have made a grab for the gun taped to the bottom of her couch, but she was drunk and sullen, so she didn’t bother. Barely anyone knew where she lived, so the list of suspects who could be behind that door was fairly small.

Herbert relinquished her as she got to her feet, scotch sloshing over the rim of her glass as she swayed where she stood, the alcohol making the room spin. Her brain felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and her mouth was dry despite the constant resupply of booze.

Staggering over to the door, Alex didn’t even bother checking the peephole. If there was someone behind that door who wanted to do her harm, she’d welcome the pain with open arms. What did it matter now if some old ghost from Gotham hunted her down and put an end to all of this? The thought made her shudder.

Hank’s words rang more true than ever.

She _did_ need to get her shit together.

Still, the door was open before she could think twice about it.

Leaning her forehead against the doorjamb, Alex raised her bleary eyes to the person now standing in front of her. She noticed red hair and green lips first.

“Jesus Christ,” Pam murmured, hands reaching out for a barely coherent and definitely delirious Alex. As her skin made contact with Alex’s cheek, the detective jerked away from the touch so forcefully she almost fell on her butt in her haste to scramble away.

Unbidden, Alex’s body filled with rage at the sight of her friend.

“What, you here to ruin my life now, too?” Alex asked, stumbling over her own feet as she walked back to her couch, almost falling down on top of Herbert as she sat down, knocking back the rest of the scotch in her glass. “Are you going to poison Kara or something? Just shred the rest of my heart while you’re at it?”

Alex was _drunk_.

And possibly projecting.

Pam didn’t scowl, her face taken over by an expression of extreme worry instead.

“Shit, Alex, is this your first bottle, or your second?” She asked, frantically looking for any other alcoholic beverages Alex might have consumed before she’d opened the scotch. Alex scoffed, snatching the bottle off the table and forgoing the glass, letting its contents run directly into her mouth.

“Fuck off, Ivy,” Alex said, swallowing the last drop of scotch and letting the bottle fall to the carpet. “Why the fuck are you even here? I didn’t call you; I don’t want to see you; I don’t want to see any of you.”

Pam picked up the glass and bottle and carried them to the kitchen, obviously unconcerned with Alex’s complaints.

“Herbert pinged me about your shitty behavior,” she said, sitting down next to Alex and setting Herbert onto her knees. The tiny plant curled himself into Ivy’s arms, one of his vines returning to Alex’s arm, holding her gently. “Herb was concerned about your well-being, so he sent me a nine-one-one-call.”

A foggy memory of Pam explaining her connection to plants all over the country surfaced in Alex’s mind, though it was difficult to hold on to, especially considering how angry and drunk she was. She dismissed the memory and tried to sit up.

“You need to go, I need to be alone,” Alex said, trying unsuccessfully to rise to her feet again. She felt tired and sluggish, the room spinning in circles around her. Pam’s face looked weird and blurry around the edges.

“You are going to shut the fuck up and sit your ass down; I need to check you for alcohol poisoning.” Pam’s voice was angrier now than it had been before, her hand curling around Alex’s naked forearm.

Ripping her arm away, Alex pushed herself to her feet, swaying dangerously.

“What about _fuck off_ do you not understand?” Alex said, nearly tumbling to the ground as she walked over to the liquor cabinet, intent on grabbing the third bottle of cheap scotch. She’d need to go grocery shopping tomorrow.

“I think you’ve had enough,” Pam said, at Alex’s side in an instant. “I get that this is a difficult time for you, but this isn’t like when your dad died, Alex, you need to pull yourself together. This is just about some stupid girl and you need to get over it.”

As Pam tried to pull her into a hug, Alex could feel the rage bubbling up inside of her more strongly. She shoved Pam away forcefully, almost pushing herself into the liquor cabinet behind her. Grabbing her head, Alex steadied herself on a shelf next to her.

“Kara is _not_ just some stupid girl, alright?” Alex spat out, eyes suddenly misty. “Kara…” She pushed her hand into her mouth to stop the flood of words from escaping, her eyes spilling over with tears. Alex could hardly see, nothing was working. She wanted to sleep. “Kara is special; she was—she made me feel— _normal_.”

A sob tore through Alex’s throat.

Desperately trying to keep herself afloat, Alex accepted the strong arms wrapping around her, helping her, holding her together.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” Pam whispered into Alex’s ear, pressing a tender kiss against Alex’s sweaty temple and tightening her arms around Alex’s trembling form. “Fuck, Alex, I need you to be okay, please, I need you to be okay.” She pressed another series of kisses against Alex’s face, smoothing her cheek against the detective’s hair.

“I’m—not okay,” Alex admitted, staring emptily off into space. “I don’t know what to do, I don’t—I feel so… ridiculous, because I can’t, I can’t function, I can’t stop thinking about her.” Alex’s eyes went out of focus for a second, her knees giving in ever so slightly. Her body folded in on itself slowly, pushing more of its weight onto Pam.

“I don’t want you to end up like last time,” Pam said quietly, as though she were afraid to say the words out loud. “Always drunk, never home, never sleeping.” Alex almost couldn’t hear the words, her thoughts back on Kara, back on her beautiful face.

“She’s so beautiful when she smiles,” Alex murmured, tears dripping down her nose silently. “I want her back, Pam, I just want her back.”

Slipping her arms around the back of Alex’s knees and shoulders, Ivy hefted Alex into her arms, carrying her over to the door of her bedroom.

“Let’s get you to bed, my beautiful dandelion.”

It was a testament to how drunk Alex truly was, that she didn’t protest to Ivy carrying her. All she could do was wrap her arms around Ivy’s neck and let her head loll around as though it weren’t quite attached to her body.

The bed felt incredibly soft to Alex, though the room was still spinning uncomfortably.

“Will you stay with me?” Alex asked, tears drying on her cheeks and a vulnerable expression overtaking her features. She hardly ever asked for help when she was out of control like this, but she didn’t want to be alone right now. Not anymore.

“Of course,” Pam soothed, turning Alex over onto her right side and bringing her head into the correct position, just in case she vomited up that pizza and scotch combo she’d consumed. Gently, Pam laid Alex’s stuffed animal beaver Billy Bob into Alex’s trembling arms. The toy had been a gift from Harley, and Pam must have suspected it would give Alex comfort. “I’m not going to let you go through this one alone, my sweet, lovely marigold.”

Pulling the covers over them both, Pam slid her arm over Alex’s waist and slipped her leg in between both of Alex’s, blanketing the trembling body with her own. Alex didn’t truly relax until she felt Pam’s face nuzzle into the back of her neck, the puffs of air she gave off calming Alex’s rapidly beating heart. What she needed now was sleep. Maybe if she slept, she wouldn’t keep seeing Kara’s destroyed face every time she closed her eyes.

-

The next time Alex woke up, it was because her stomach was giving her problems. Her mind was foggy and her eyes wouldn’t open properly, but she could feel a tiny head pressed to her chest, vines wrapped around her body.

Herbert.

Alex realized the small plant must have been seriously scared for him to call in Ivy, and she felt bad for a moment for neglecting to notice the impact her drinking was having on her pets.

Alex could also feel the tiny weight of Trish sleeping next to her feet, her purring lulling Alex into a sense of security and calm.

Billy Bob was still clutched tightly in her arms.

When Alex rolled over onto her back, she noticed for the first time that Pam wasn’t curled around her anymore. Squinting through her eyes, she saw Pam’s figure in front of the window, her hand on her ear. No, not her hand, her phone.

Pam was hissing quietly into the receiver.

Alex hadn’t paid any attention to the sound before, but now her brain latched onto the noise, trying to decipher the words in her half-delirious, half-asleep state. In the evening sunlight, Pam’s hair looked on fire. It was beautiful.

“I can’t believe you kissed her like that in public, what the fuck were you thinking?” Pam seethed, body tight and rigid. Alex took note of Ivy’s change in clothing. She’d been wearing a green dress before, but she’d obviously taken it off at some point. Now, she was wearing one of Alex’s white button-ups and a pair of Alex’s boxer shorts.

Alex couldn’t hear what Selina was saying on the other end, but it didn’t seem to satisfy Pam.

“I don’t _care_ that you didn’t know the girl would see you,” Pam hissed, raking a hand through her hair. Alex closed her eyes briefly, the alcohol trying to pull her back into sleep. “You knew she had a girlfriend and I know that’s never stopped you before, but for fuck’s sake, Selina, you couldn’t keep it in your pants just this one time? I mean, really, in front of a goddamn coffee shop?”

Alex opened her eyes again, only to lock gazes with Pam, who was still listening to Selina on the other end of the line. Pam smiled gently at her, sitting down on the bed and caressing Alex’s hair with her hand, letting her thumb smooth out the worry lines on Alex’s forehead.

Turning her face away, her voice quieted even more.

“You need to _fix_ this, Selina. Just because you didn’t intend for it to happen, doesn’t mean it didn’t. You need to get your shit together and apologize to her.” Again, Pam stopped to listen, her hand gliding down to Alex’s face, stroking her cheek and chin. “I don’t know, make her a card, write her a sonnet, steal her something she’d enjoy, _give her a fucking hug_. You’re a resourceful person, figure something out.”

Without another word, Pam ended the call, setting her phone on the nightstand and curling back around Alex, pressing sweet kisses against Alex’s closed eyelids.

“I’m sorry I woke you,” Pam whispered gently, pressing her nose against Alex’s cheek and hugging Alex tightly to herself.

Alex didn’t say anything; she was already drifting off to sleep again.

-

Alex’s brain wasn’t quiet during her drunken state. She wouldn’t remember it in the morning, that much was for sure, not with the amount of alcohol she’d consumed. She likely wouldn’t remember Pam holding her, wouldn’t remember the call, or whatever happened afterwards.

She also wouldn’t remember the vivid dreams she was having.

Completely unrelated to what was going on with her, Alex’s mind would not stop repeating the memories of the first time she’d seen Ivy, Harley, and Selina all together in one place, replaying the scene over and over in her alcohol-addled mind, most likely triggered by Pam’s sudden appearance.

Alex had been a twenty-one-year-old beat cop, fresh from the academy and filled with ideals, hopes, and dreams. She’d also been the best markswoman in her entire class, and she’d excelled at hand-to-hand-combat skills, putting most of the other new cadets to shame. Point was, Alex was an excellent new addition to the force.

Or, at least she would have been, if she hadn’t had a soft spot for the _weird_ people.

Alex’s dreams were vivid as she slept, reliving that first night she’d met Harley and Selina over and over again.

It had been about two weeks since the first time Alex had met Poison Ivy in an abandoned building, looking for a woman whom Alex thought needed her help. The experience had been an altogether terrifying one, but Alex didn’t let it tarnish her excitement of working for the police. She’d _survived_ Ivy, hadn’t she? She’d certainly fared better against _her_ than against an absolutely _livid_ Stef, her old partner.

Still, it was unfortunate for Alex that something about her performance that night, something about how she’d kicked Ivy’s henchmen’s asses, had convinced her friend that Alex was Batman’s latest sidekick. As though Alex had taken on some kind of Robin-type identity, only without the colorful costume and the tights.

To this day, Alex guessed it was the main reason why two weeks after this encounter, Alex had woken up to three sets of eyes looking down at her, watching her as she slept.

-

Alex didn’t scream. Instead, she scrambled for the gun she kept in her bedside drawer.

Sadly for her, she barely managed to slide over onto her side when vines gripped her arms tightly, keeping her from moving altogether, forcing her down onto her back, staring up at the eyes of Poison Ivy and two other women, whose identities Alex had no difficulty discerning.

“You were right, Red, this one’s a keeper,” Harley Quinn said to Ivy, smirking down at a terrified Alex. Harley was in her regular jester get-up, her face painted white and her blonde hair hidden underneath a red and black jester’s cap. Alex tried to squirm away, as Harley walked around the bed and to her side, letting the tips of her fingers run along Alex’s mostly naked legs. She’d been wearing nothing but her boxers and a t-shirt to bed.

“Yes, very nice,” Catwoman agreed, her eyes mischievous behind her goggles, her lipstick a deep red, looking perfectly ready to kill.

“I told you guys. I like this one so much better than the rest.” Ivy flicked her right wrist, the vines vaulting Alex up and out of her bed, leaving her hanging in the air for a moment, before bringing her down on Alex’s leather desk chair.

“What do you want?” Alex asked, arms and legs tied, leaving almost no room to wiggle around. “If you’re here to kill me, just get it over with.”

While Catwoman walked over to Alex’s desk, and Ivy began rifling through her drawers, Harley sat herself down on Alex’s lap, wrapping her arms around Alex’s neck and bringing their faces uncomfortably close together. Alex wanted her to go away, but she couldn’t deny how beautiful the woman’s face looked, despite all of the white clown’s make-up.

“Kill ya? Why would we do that, Supercop? We just found ya, killing you now would be no fun at all,” Harley said, pouting exaggeratedly and patting Alex on the head with one of her hands. “How d’ya like the name, by the way? _Supercop_. Sounds nice, dontcha think?”

Alex tried wiggling out of the ropes tying her body to the chair again, but it was to no avail. She was stuck where she was. All that was left now was to keep these three happy and content until they were done playing with her. Hopefully sometime soon.

“If you aren’t here to kill me, then why are you here?”

Alex turned her head away from Harley Quinn, looking over to Catwoman, who’d booted up her computer and bypassed Alex’s password, looking up an assortment of files. Ivy was busy with Alex’s half-dead houseplants, helping and encouraging them to grow back into their original shapes, the flowers blossoming for the first time possibly ever in their lives. Alex didn’t have a lot of time to take care of the plants her mother insisted on buying for her.

“We wanna get to know ya, of course,” Harley answered, turning Alex’s face back towards her with one of her gloved hands. A smirk flit over her face as she regarded Alex’s unhappy, serious expression. “Y’know, I am a bit jealous Red got to make out with you first.”

Alex knew what was coming before it happened.

Harley Quinn, ex-sidekick of the Joker, hardened criminal, and dangerous part-time vigilante, pressed her lips against Alex’s and gripped her cheeks tightly, keeping Alex in place. It was like being kissed by Poison Ivy all over again. Uncomfortable, because she didn’t know this woman, and slightly thrilling at the same time.

Harley’s eyes were closed, and she made tiny, happy, excited noises as she continued to assault Alex’s mouth with her lips and tongue. Alex kept her eyes decidedly open, though she could feel the flush creeping up her neck, her face growing hot.

Harley kissed her for significantly longer than Ivy had, maybe to make a point. Maybe because Ivy had kissed her first.

When she finally pulled away, Alex forced herself to scowl. The experience left her slightly rattled, unsure of how she should feel about it. She was only human, after all.

“Look what I found,” Ivy suddenly sing-songed, holding up Alex’s police badge. Alex sighed inwardly. They likely wouldn’t rest until they’d searched every square inch of her apartment. What exactly they were hoping to achieve by this, Alex wasn’t sure.

“Oh, gimme, gimme, gimme!” Harley said, not moving even an inch from Alex’s tense lap. When Ivy threw over the badge, Harley pinned it to the front of her outfit and affected a stoic expression, her hands forming a gun in front of her face. “Freeze!” Her voice was consciously deepened, and she almost hit Alex in the face with her finger gun as she swung her arm around. “Wouldn’t I make a hot cop? What’d’ya think, Red?”

She wiggled around on Alex’s lap excitedly, causing Alex to flush even deeper, though her scowl did not falter. She had no idea what she should be doing in a situation like this, but she was absolutely sure that she was partially dying inside.

Seemingly bored with searching Alex’s bedroom, Ivy walked over to the desk chair and came to a stop behind it, letting her hands run up Alex’s neck as she leaned over her and started making out with Harley in front of Alex’s face.

Alex was pretty sure she’d stopped breathing.

“Guys, we’re here for a reason,” Catwoman reprimanded her friends, hands digging through Alex’s recently purchased filing cabinet. She stopped as she looked over, noticing the situation Alex now found herself in. With Harley Quinn draped over Alex’s lap and Poison Ivy stroking her neck, Alex was pretty sure she looked about as turned on and freaked out by the situation as she felt on the inside, despite the very serious expression she was trying to put on.

“I think our new friend is enjoying herself a little too much,” Catwoman sniggered, hip-checking the filing cabinet closed again and walking over to where Alex was sitting, too. “Aren’t you, lover?”

If Alex hadn’t been blushing already, she sure as hell would’ve been now that Catwoman had started nibbling on her earlobe.

“Aw, guys, look how flustered she is,” Harley purred, grabbing Alex’s cheek in between her thumb and forefinger and pulling on it, as though Alex were a chubby-cheeked five-year-old.

This time, when Alex clenched her jaw in a serious expression, it wasn’t fake.

“If you’re done rummaging through my shit, please leave my apartment,” she ground out through clenched teeth, ignoring her body’s inappropriate reaction in favor of being angry. This was fucked up on so many different levels. “I don’t know what the fuck you thought you’d accomplish with this little stunt, but I’m done playing games.”

Harley chuckled at her words.

“Yer cute when you get mad, Supercop. Very cute,” she said, planting a few more, short kisses on Alex’s scowling lips. “What’d’ya say, guys, are we done with our new friend yet?”

The smirk on Catwoman’s face told Alex everything she needed to know. She’d be in for a long night.

-

When Alex heard her doorbell ring in her alcohol-added brain, she was vaulted out of her old apartment and into the present, though her mind remained foggy and drenched in cheap scotch.

Alex could feel Pam pull away from her, whimpering at the sudden loss of warmth.

“Shh, I’ll be right back. Someone’s at the door, go back to sleep,” Pam whispered to Alex kindly, pressing a loving kiss against her cheek and getting up from the bed.

Feeling the mattress dip under Pam’s retreating weight, Alex forced open her eyes and watched her friend leave the bedroom, still in Alex’s borrowed clothes. Alex had no idea how long she’d been asleep for, though judging by the receding sunshine, it was sometime around early evening.

Wrenching herself into a sitting position, Alex deposited Herbert and Billy Bob onto the bedspread next to her, and pushed herself onto her wobbly legs. She needed to know who was at the door, just in case she’d be forced to run some sort of interference. Even if she was drunk, she wasn’t stupid. Not completely.

Staggering out of her bedroom, Alex leaned her weight against the wall separating her hallway from her open living room, peeking around the edge of it. She was hidden in the shadows, the light from the windows having moved on from the hallway.

Alex arrived just in time to see Pam yank open her front door, coming face to face with a slightly startled looking… Vasquez?

A Vasquez whose eyes flit over Ivy’s appearance for a second, before they jerked their eyes back up to Pam’s face. Alex couldn’t see Pam’s expression from where she was standing, but she probably didn’t look particularly welcoming.

“Are you Kara?” Pam asked, voice slightly hostile, hip cocked and a hand placed on her waist. Alex almost let out a whimper at the mention of Kara’s name, her forehead hitting the wall in front of her. She could imagine the intense look on Pam’s face perfectly. She’d been the recipient of that look many times before.

Vasquez flinched under the question, shaking their head quickly.

“N-No, ma’am,” they shot out, voice shaky. Alex knew Vasquez sometimes had trouble around beautiful women, especially beautiful and assertive women. She imagined Vasquez reacting to Lucy, and the thought almost brought tears to her eyes. This thought construct was pointless. Lucy would never meet Vasquez. No Kara, no Lucy.

No Kara.

Tugging her head away from these depressing thoughts, Alex took note of the fact that Vasquez wasn’t in their uniform. Alex had hardly seen her friend in casual clothes before, mainly because Alex had kept mostly to herself thus far, refusing to go out for drinks more often than not.

Vasquez looked freshly showered, casual in light grey sweatpants and a black sweater that accentuated their lithe form. Alex guessed they’d just come from the gym, straight after work. At the thought of Vasquez, concerned enough to come by and check on her, Alex’s eyes finally did fill with tears.

“If you’re not Kara, then what are you doing here?” Alex imagined Ivy narrowing her eyes. Her posture certainly seemed threatening enough. Alex wished she were part plant, so she could telepathically communicate with Ivy about who her friend was.

“I’m here to check on Alex, ma’am,” Vasquez said, back ramrod straight and expression mildly terrified. “Detective Danvers and I work together and she was sick at work today, so I thought I would stop by and check on her. See how she’s doing... Ma’am.”

Even with her bleary eyes, Alex could see Ivy’s shoulders visibly relax.

“Aw, aren’t you just the sweetest,” Ivy purred, smoothing her hand over Vasquez’s sweater and leaning forward, invading Vasquez’s personal space, careful never to let their skin touch.

Vasquez clutched the strap of their duffle bag closer to themself, posture rigid and slightly uncomfortable. Alex could relate, she’d reacted the same way to Ivy the first time she’d met her. And plenty of times after.

Alex almost laughed at Vasquez’s comically red face.

“Alex is… _recovering_ right now,” Ivy said, her tone unmistakably suggestive. “But we were just about to… well, you know.” Alex wondered if Ivy was winking, as Ivy leaned her body against the doorjamb, throwing her hair back and smoothing her hand down her thigh.

Vasquez paled.

“Oh, um,” they stammered, laughing awkwardly for a moment, hands working the strap even harder. “Well, uh, I don’t want to keep you from anything. Sorry to disturb.”

“You can join us, if you’d like,” Ivy said, trailing her fingers over the front of Vasquez’s sweater again and leaning forward ever so slightly, no doubt presenting her sizable cleavage. Alex didn’t remember if Ivy was wearing a bra. “I bet Alex wouldn’t mind.”

Alex watched as Vasquez nearly choked, taking a step back and coughing into their hand, body somehow stiffer than before, if that was even possible. Alex wasn’t quite sure she’d heard Ivy correctly, but in the next moment, the thought vanished from her mind.

“No,” Vasquez wheezed, hitting their chest with their fist and clearing their throat brusquely. “No, thank you, ma’am. I, uh, I think I’ll just go home. Will you tell Alex I stopped by?”

“Of course,” Pam replied.

Alex guessed she’d winked, because Vasquez’s face was taking on an unhealthy shade of red again.

“Have a nice night,” Vasquez said shyly, turning away from the door and nodding slightly to themself, quite possibly pleased about their ability to form a coherent sentence after Ivy’s mental assault.

“Oh, trust me, we will,” Ivy said, pressing her hand to her mouth and sending a kiss after a rapidly retreating Vasquez. Alex couldn’t see them anymore, but she could see the smirk on Pam’s face as she closed the door and laughed to herself.

If Alex had been of sound mind, she probably would have yelled at Ivy.

“You shouldn’t tease them,” she mumbled instead, staggering around the corner and letting herself fall backwards onto her couch, head flopping bonelessly onto a pillow.

Pam shook her head reproachfully.

“And you should be in bed,” she said, settling herself down next to Alex’s legs and patting them softly.

“Didn’t want to be there alone,” Alex whispered, closing her eyes, the darkness spinning now that she was horizontal again. “I just… think about Kara.” Her words were slurred, both from the booze and the fatigue. “I just think about Kara when I’m alone.”

Pam hummed understandingly.

“It’s okay, Alex, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” Curling her arms around Alex’s back, Pam helped her push herself into a sitting position, Alex’s head lolling onto Pam’s strong shoulder. “Why don’t you tell me a little bit about her, hm? When we get you back into bed.”

Bringing both of them to their feet, Pam pulled Alex’s right arm over her own shoulders and helped her limp over to the bedroom, Trish, Herbert and Billy Bob waiting for their return.

“She’s the nicest person I’ve ever met,” Alex mumbled absent-mindedly, as she let herself be guided back onto the bed by Pam’s steady hands. “She has the most beautiful eyes, and her kisses made me want to buy a house.”

“A house for you and her, dandelion?” Pam soothed kindly as she pulled the blanket over Alex’s weary form, planting Herbert and Billy Bob back against Alex’s front.

“A house for Kara, and for me,” Alex said wistfully, eyes closing against the heavy draw of sleep.

“I bet you’re going to have a beautiful house,” Pam spoke kindly, folding herself around Alex’s resting body one more time, her voice choked up ever so slightly. Alex didn’t have the mental capacity to realize what Pam’s emotional tone would have told her if she’d been sober. That Pam hadn’t heard Alex talk about her future with someone else in over a year. Not since _the incident_. “A house for you and your girl and your three kids.” Ivy pressed even closer to Alex, her nose buried in the slender neck in front of her. “Harley, Selina and I will be the best aunts those kids could ever hope for. I promise.”

Alex wasn’t sure how she should feel about what they were talking about, her mind too foggy to properly process Pam’s words. She wasn’t even sure if she should take any of it seriously, or if she should be laughing. Or crying. Everything was so woozy and the chance of her and Kara ever coming to a point at which kids were even a possibility were slim.

Kara was so far out of reach.

“I can’t wait for tiny Supercops to be running around,” Pam whispered, voice strained.

Alex didn’t respond.

For once, she had no idea what to say.

-

Kara, Lois, and Clark watched terrible shark movies well into the night, the three of them stuffed to the brim with ice cream and wine, Lois becoming consistently louder as the night wore on. Jonathan and Martha had gone to bed at around eleven, claiming they would not be forced under any circumstances to watch yet _another_ badly acted, badly staged, badly directed slog involving chainsaws. Bailey was conked out in the corner.

Kara was having the time of her life with two of the people she loved more than anything on this planet. With Lois’s brawl and Clark’s laughter, Kara could feel the color return to her life with every waking moment. Things were still shit, and she’d still need time to come to terms with everything, but this afternoon had done more for her than sulking alone in her apartment ever could have.

After _Sharktopus_ , Lois turned off the TV and put on her _Whitesnake_ CD, the loud rock music making Kara laugh uncontrollably as she watched a downright drunken Lois dance to the beat.

“Come on, guys, get your Kryptonian butts off that couch and dance with me,” Lois yelled, dancing over to Clark and Kara and stretching out her hands, one to either Kryptonian. While Clark refused to budge even a centimeter, Kara rolled her eyes and got to her feet, letting herself be pulled into a string of elaborate dance moves.

As she twirled and shimmied to the rock music blaring from the stereo, Kara wondered for maybe the hundredth time how Alex was doing. The fact that she hadn’t looked too good to Lucy at the coffee shop troubled her.

Though, if she was honest with herself, it also made her feel better. If Alex looked terrible, it at least seemed like she was suffering just as much as Kara was. And while Kara hadn’t exactly _wished_ for Alex to be hurting, she couldn’t deny that it gave her hope for their future.

When Lois passed out on the couch half an hour later, snoring softly, and Kara was still twirling around the living room, Clark finally spoke up. They hadn’t talked about what had happened and Kara was fairly sure Lois hadn’t told him anything about it either.

“I know you wanted to stay here tomorrow, but I thought maybe you and I could go to the fortress in the morning. Lois is going to be hungover and we can let mom and dad take care of her for us. She’s going to blame it all on me and my Kryptonian genes anyway,” he said, standing up and gathering the fallen and empty ice cream tubs.

“Maybe you can beat some of your stress out of your body at the fortress, without causing too much damage to any human property. I know the last time _I_ was having a rough time, I wanted to punch a mountain, and let me tell you, that avalanche did not appreciate my anger very much.” He gave her a smile, looking for a moment just like his father.

Looking at Kal made her long for home.

“Yeah, I’d love that. It’s been a while since I’ve visited my mom, too,” Kara said, thinking of her mother’s avatar at the fortress, as she picked up three empty wine bottles and put them back into the now empty cooler. They’d need to be recycled. Maybe before they flew over to the fortress, they could make a quick stop for them.

They worked in silence for a moment, cleaning up the mess they’d created without using their superhuman abilities. Sometimes it was nice, doing things the way a human would. Slow and methodical.

“You don’t have to tell me what happened that made you upset, but if you want to talk, I’m here for you. I know I’ve made some mistakes in the past, but I want you to know that you can trust me. With anything.” He wasn’t looking at her as he said this, his focus on putting the _Sharktopus_ DVD back into its case.

Kara looked at him for a moment, contemplating what to say next.

“You don’t think I’m still mad at you for telling me not to reveal myself as Supergirl, do you? Because I understand why you told me not to do it. I know you were scared for me. I’m not angry at you.” Her words were slow and methodical, too, just as their cleaning had been a moment ago. Their eyes met over the living room table, Clark crouched in front of the DVD player and Kara standing next to a sleeping Lois.

“No, I know,” he said, his tone of voice belying his obvious relief.

“The reason I’m upset is just a little embarrassing,” Kara said, fiddling with the empty tub of chocolate chip cookie ice cream in her hands. “I’m having some relationship troubles, and I didn’t want to bother you with them, I know you’ve got a lot going on.”

Clark put the _Sharktopus_ DVD on the coffee table, atop the four _Sharknado_ DVDs, and walked over to Kara, gripping her biceps firmly, though not unkindly. She looked up at his gentle face, the House of El clear in every one of his features.

“I’m never too busy for _you_ , Kara. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me. You know that doesn’t just include fights against gigantic aliens threatening global security.” He pulled her to his broad chest, closing his warm arms around her back.

“I know,” Kara whispered, closing her eyes and imagining, for a moment, that everything was okay. “I can’t wait to punch things tomorrow really hard.”

He laughed, squeezing her even more tightly.

“You guys are such _losers_ ,” Kara heard from behind them, looking over to see a drunk but now awake Lois sitting up on the couch, brushing her disheveled hair out of her face. “Look at you, hugging it out, just like real Kryptonians. So sappy.”

But Lois was smiling, too.

And Kara realized, suddenly, how lucky she was, to have this family. No matter what happened to her, she would always have these people who cared for her. No matter what happened between her and Alex, Kara could always come back to this.

The thought was freeing.

-

Waking up with a hangover two days in a row was not Alex’s idea of a good time. Especially not, if she didn’t remember anything from the night before. For example, how she had ended up in her bed, or why Poison Ivy was wrapped around her body, her head of fiery red hair resting on Alex’s chest.

She barely remembered drinking half the bottle of scotch, Herbert curled around her arm, Trish having fucked off somewhere she wouldn’t have to watch Alex drink herself into a stupor.

Looking down at a sleeping Pam, Alex tried to remember the night before.

Everything was foggy, but now that she thought about it, she remembered Pam hugging her in front of the liquor cabinet, though Alex couldn’t recall why. And if Alex tried hard enough, she could almost feel the touch of Pam’s fingers on her forehead, stroking her oh so gently.

Alex just wished she remembered what they’d talked about.

What she’d admitted to.

“Oh, good, you’re up,” Pam mumbled as Alex brought a hand to her throbbing forehead. “How are you feeling? Do you want me to get you something for the headache?” Pam was keeping her voice intentionally low, so as not to disturb Alex’s pain any further, a gesture the detective appreciated all too much in her current state.

“Painkillers would be great,” Alex whimpered, missing Pam’s warmth on her side as soon as her friend had left the bed to rifle through her bathroom cabinet. “How long have you been here?”

Alex couldn’t for the life of her think back to when Pam had first entered her apartment. It was like she’d just suddenly appeared in Alex’s memories, fully formed and ready to hug it out.

Alex rubbed her face with her hand, closing her eyes tightly against the glare of the morning sun, which was causing her headache to burn even brighter.

“I got here around four, yesterday afternoon,” Pam called from the bathroom, emerging seconds later with a bottle of pills. “I’ll get you a glass of water, just a second.”

It didn’t take her more than a moment. Sitting down next to Alex on the bed, she helped her shift up into an upright position. Alex’s stomach turned over at the movement, though she beat the feeling of nausea down. She hadn’t thrown up from too much alcohol since that week she’d run all over Gotham, drunk off her ass and alone. Again, not an experience she was in any hurry to repeat.

“Thanks,” Alex said as she knocked back two of the painkillers and the glass of water.

“You’re welcome,” Ivy responded, setting the empty glass onto the bedside table and guiding Alex back onto her back, hovering over her worriedly. “Do you need to be anywhere today?”

“Nope, got the whole weekend to myself.” Alex wanted to shake her head, but she was afraid the movement would bring on another bout of nausea. “Just me and my alcohol. At least, that was the plan. Guess I can scratch that from my calendar, huh?”

Pam scowled.

“That’s not funny and you know it,” she said, voice scathing. “Just because you don’t have an alcohol problem _yet_ , doesn’t mean you couldn’t develop one. You’re not invincible, Alex.” The unspoken _please take care of yourself_ hung heavily in the air between them.

“Sorry,” Alex spoke softly, taking Pam’s hand.

“You better be.” But Pam’s voice wasn’t harsh anymore. Now she just looked tired and concerned, smoothing her hand over Alex’s hair, the gesture feeling much like a déjà vu to Alex. Only now did Alex realize that Pam was wearing a pair of her boxers and one of her white shirts, the top three buttons undone, showing off a generous amount of cleavage. Alex was so used to this sight by now, she hardly even took note of it.

“Let’s get some breakfast into you. Do you think you’ll be more comfortable on the couch? Can you stand at all?” Pam got back to her feet, waiting for Alex to make any sort of move, so she could assist.

Alex had rarely been more glad for their friendship.

“First, I need to pee, then I can try my luck at the couch and ingesting food.” It took Alex four tries to get out of bed, the first three hindered mainly by the fact that she felt like vomiting every time she so much as tried to settle her body weight on her legs. “Ugh, why did I even decide to start drinking again? This is so stupid.”

Pam scoffed mockingly. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

Alex deserved that, most likely.

On her fourth attempt to get on her feet, Pam wrapped her arms around her and helped her over to the bathroom, though Alex drew the line at Pam actually walking _into_ the bathroom with her.

-

They spent the rest of the morning on the couch, watching old reruns of _Full House_ , Trish asleep and purring on Alex’s lap and Pam curled up against Alex’s side, Herbert leaning against her legs. Alex had barely managed to force a very basic meal of toast down her throat, though the food did make her feel a little better.

Two hours later, when Alex glanced over at her liquor cabinet, she saw that it was empty. Pam must have gotten rid of her booze at some point last night. The partition stood open as well, the last bottle of cheap scotch magically vanished into nothingness.

“You threw out my very expensive bottles of wine?” Alex asked, sighing softly. She understood, of course, why Pam had done it, but she still bemoaned the dollars she’d spent for nothing.

Pam shrugged, obviously unconcerned.

“Maybe next time you’ll think twice about getting blind-drunk two nights in a row without any signs of stopping.” Alex sighed at her answer. She should’ve seen that one coming.

A few minutes later, Pam turned her head towards Alex, a concerned look on her face.

“What?” Alex asked, shuffling her feet uncomfortably where she was resting them on a pillow on the coffee table. Pam was staring at the side of her head.

“We should talk about how you’re going to be dealing with the break-up once I go home. I don’t want to fly back to Gotham, only for Herbert to call me back here again, because you went to the grocery store and bought more booze. And I don’t want you to end up in a bar, because Herbert can’t keep his blabbermouth shut, or whatever your reasoning is going to be.” Reaching over Alex’s body, Pam grabbed the remote and muted the television, DJ Tanner’s mouth moving, but no sound coming out.

Alex shifted uncomfortably.

“Do we really have to talk about it? Can’t we just agree that it was a stupid-ass decision and move on from it?” Talking about her emotions always made Alex uncomfortable, no matter who it was she was talking to. It was a character flaw she’d long since stopped trying to correct, since nothing had ever helped her open up.

“And the next time you feel the urge to drink, what are you going to do? Tell yourself you won’t and then do it anyway? I know you’re emotionally constipated, honey, but that arrangement isn’t going to fly with me,” Ivy said, facing Alex properly and turning her back to the TV, which Alex was still desperately staring at.

“Fine, what do you want me to say about it?” Shifting her eyes away from the TV and to Pam’s face, Alex cowered slightly under her stare. Truth of the matter was, Alex had no idea how to handle the Kara situation. It’d been years, quite literally, since she’d fallen for a woman. Her life over the last five or six years had involved a lot of one night stands and not a lot of emotional connection. To be perfectly honest, Alex didn’t have a ton of experience with romantic relationships in general.

“I want you to find a _friend_ here, Alex, someone you can talk to and be around without them having to fly in from Gotham first,” Ivy said, taking Alex’s hand kindly. “This is a shit situation and I know you love that girl, so you need to have someone with you who will take your mind off of this thing.”

Alex screwed up her face.

“You want me to find a fuck-buddy?” She guessed, uncomfortable with the idea, completely skipping over the mention of the ever-dreaded L-word. Even the thought of touching someone other than Kara was giving her a bad feeling in her stomach. “I don’t want to have sex with anyone else.”

Pam rolled her eyes.

“No, you idiot, I’m not talking about a fuck-buddy,” Ivy said, rubbing her face in exasperation. “I’m talking about finding an _actual_ friend. How about that nice colleague you told me about? Vasquez? What about them, they sound like a cool person. You know, the one you keep turning down for after-work drinks, even though you know you need to get out more?”

Now Alex was even more confused.

“You want me… to get drinks with them?” Ivy was speaking in riddles.

“Of course not, you jerk, I want you to find something you both like and then go, I don’t know, mountain climbing together or something. Spend quality time together not thinking about your shitty life.” Alex was impressed by Pam’s serious expression, even though she’d just insulted Alex multiple times.

“Mountain climbing? Really?” Alex asked, her heavy heart lifted by Pam’s ridiculousness.

“Don’t sass me, Danvers,” Pam replied, though there was a twinkle in her eyes. “I mean it; you need friends who live closer to you. We love you and we want to be there for you, but you also need a support system who can be there for you at a moment’s notice.”

“Fine, I’ll think about it,” Alex needled, rolling her eyes, obnoxiously unconcerned on purpose. When Ivy wouldn’t stop glaring at her, Alex guessed it would be better for her if she stopped playing games. “Fine, fine, I get it. I’ll talk to Vasquez on Monday and we can schedule our first mountain climbing session.”

Ivy slapped her arm.

“Promise me,” she said, eyes intensely focused.

“I promise,” Alex spoke with conviction. Pam was right, Alex needed people in National City who were looking out for her and Vasquez had made it more than plain that they were interested in building a friendship with Alex. And maybe, just maybe, Alex could open up to Hank as well. Though, she didn’t want to push herself too hard, too soon.

“Good,” Ivy whispered, pulling Alex into a hug and cuddling up to her, mindful of Trish’s tiny body in between them, “’cause you really scared me last night.” Her voice was barely audible, her tone as non-threatening as possible, but Alex still felt it like a punch to the gut.

When Alex had self-destructed the last time, over a year ago, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t put her friends through this pain again.

“I’m sorry,” Alex whispered, wrapping her arms around Pam and holding her close. “I know I said the last time that it wouldn’t happen again, but… yeah, guess that didn’t work out too well. I’ll do better this time.” As they parted from their embrace, Alex tried for a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks for everything you’ve done, Pam. Seriously, I—I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t shown up here like you did. This time and… last time, too.”

Pam smiled, too, sadly, and tutted softly at Alex’s words, resting her forehead against Alex’s temple and closing her eyes.

“It’s okay, Alex, we all fall off the wagon sometimes,” she said, stroking Alex’s neck gently with her hand. “Besides, that’s what friends are for, right? To kick your ass back into gear when it happens. Which is why you need to find yourself a support system here that you can turn to. When things get too bad for you. You don’t have to do everything by yourself, tough guy.”

Alex snorted softly, making a grab for the remote. All of this emotional stuff was making her jumpy. She knew it was important to talk about this now, when Pam was still here to act as a buffer for any emotional moments, but it still wasn’t a comfortable experience for Alex.

“I guess,” she compromised, leaning back against the couch. “Can we go back to watching TV now?”

Pam chuckled, curling back into Alex’s side.

“I guess,” she mocked, resting her head against Alex’s shoulder.

Sitting together, with Pam pressed against her, Alex could finally let her mind rest. Kara was still there, she was always there, but it didn’t hurt to think about her. At least not in the way it had before. Alex was still anxious about the situation, she was still worried, still longed to hear Kara’s voice again. But with Ivy by her side, thinking about Kara also made her happy.

No matter what happened with Kara, Alex would always have her friends.

The thought reassured her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I love Pam. I hope you love her as much as I do! Also, let's rejoice that Herb has Alex's best interest in mind and called over his mom. We all deserve a little plant buddy like that. 
> 
> By the way, I love how much you all engage with the story! It really brings a smile to my face every time I read one of your comments! And I know it does the same for Coara, this story's second mom. Let me know how you feel about all the things, please! 
> 
> As always, this chapter was beta-d by the wonderful Coara. ♥
> 
> If you want to come by and say hi, find me on tumblr @goshdarnitjay.


	7. Shut Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex tries to make new friends. Kara thinks about herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it is Wednesday once again! Honestly, time sure does fly. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this new chapter!
> 
>  **Note** : Mentions of blood, heavy alcohol usage, and someone trying to convince someone else to have sex with them, even after the other person has said "you don't really want to do this".

Saturday evening, Alex was almost back to feeling human again.

Her stomach still felt queasy, but her headache had mostly cleared up and the constant feeling of sadness (exacerbated by the depressants in the booze) had shrunk to a small, angry niggle in the back of her mind.

Alex didn’t think she’d take another drink, but she was glad for Pam’s presence in her apartment all the same. Pam would make absolutely sure Alex wouldn’t touch a drop, no matter how much she thought about Kara and all of their wasted potential.

“I just, I really thought Kara and I had something, you know?” Alex said, her head pillowed on Pam’s lap, her friend’s fingers running gently through her hair.

They hadn’t moved much from the couch, spending hours watching mindless TV, interspersed with small sessions in which Alex finally  _ talked _ . Talked about Kara and what she’d meant to her, how they’d met, how Alex felt about her.

“I know, honey,” Pam spoke kindly, her thumb stroking Alex’s cheek tenderly.

“It’s not fair,” Alex whispered, eyes flitting away from Pam’s face and to the white ceiling. To Alex, it felt as though she’d lost an entire relationship that hadn’t even had the time to fully start. They’d barely known each other, but to Alex, it had felt as though she’d known all of the important things anyway, everything that truly mattered.

“Life sucks,” Pam agreed, lowering her face and pressing a loving kiss against Alex’s eyebrow.

“Yeah…” Alex mumbled, her fingers stroking through Trish’s fur. The tiny feline was passed out on Alex’s stomach, body completely stretched out. Looking back up to Pam, who was watching her silently, Alex thought about how strange it was for the two of them to be here together. Poison Ivy and the cop – strange indeed. “How long were you planning on staying here?”

Pam scoffed.

“You make it sound like I just invited myself over because I’m broke,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I thought I’d hang around until Monday, make sure everything’s okay with you until then.”

Alex nodded, bringing up her hand to stifle a yawn.

“I’m tired, I think I’m going to hit the hay,” she said, lifting herself and Trish into a sitting position and running her hand through her hair. She couldn’t wait for the weekend to be over, so she could go back to work, and get her mind on something else. Maybe apologize to Hank. Buy Senior Criminalist Chang a damn fruit basket.

“Okay,” Pam replied, stifling a yawn of her own, “I’m just going to take the couch for the next two days and jump ship on Monday morning when you go into work. Remind you to make more friends before I leave.” Her smile was lazy, her gaze following as Alex made her way into her bedroom.

Alex rolled her eyes at Pam’s antics, grabbing a pair of fluffy pajamas for her friend.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Alex said, throwing the pajamas at Pam’s head as she made her way back into the living room, already wearing a pair of sleep shorts and a black t-shirt. “You can sleep in my bed, as long as you don’t try to sleep naked right next to me.”

Alex didn’t mind having Pam close to her, since Pam was the least likely to accost her in her sleep. Harley and Selina would be a different story altogether. Though, if it came down to it, she’d probably allow them to share her bed as well, just as long as it was only one of them. Alex had no intention of ever having both Pam  _ and _ Harley sleep in her bed, since she’d just end up waking up to the two of them going at it.

Pam smirked mischievously at Alex’s words.

“Oh, don’t tell me you would be tempted, Supercop?”

Alex very nearly sighed. It was the same game every time. Maybe Pam was right, maybe she  _ should _ get herself some new friends. Friends who didn’t constantly try to get her into bed or kept kissing her out of the blue or made inappropriate sexual innuendos that were completely uncalled for all the time.

“If you don’t shut up and get into those pajamas right now, you can take the damn couch,” Alex said, turning around and walking back into her bedroom, Trish bouncing after her. Herbert was already dozing on the windowsill, his maw closed after Ivy’s feeding.

Hearing Pam’s laughter behind her, Alex smiled as she washed her face, brushed her teeth and got herself ready for bed. A few minutes later, Pam joined her, having donned the pajama pants, but forgone the perfectly serviceable, long-sleeved sleeping shirt. Instead, Pam had grabbed one of Alex’s tightest, most threadbare tank tops. Alex was sure that if she looked closely enough, she’d be able to see far more of Pam than she’d ever wanted to see.

Alex didn’t comment on it.

When they were both finished, Alex slipped under the covers of her bed, turned away from Pam, and closed her eyes, letting the feeling of contentment wash over her. Alex’s body felt heavy, sleep claiming her quickly. Just before she dozed off, she could feel Pam curl herself against her back, fingers gripping the back of Alex’s t-shirt tightly for comfort, a forehead pressed against her neck.

-

Sunday flew by in a blur of breakfast, cuddling on the couch, and watching Ivy work on some difficult formulae she’d brought with her in a bag Alex hadn’t seen until that afternoon. Alex had tired of the TV quickly, unable to turn off her mind for such long stretches of time. Instead, she spent her Sunday afternoon alternately watching Pam tinker with something, and working on police files on her own laptop.

The alcohol had finally left her body, leaving her mercifully pain-free and her iron stomach intact.

When Monday morning rolled around, Alex was almost sad about it. She was glad to be going back to work, but she’d miss having Pam around, hanging out with her, staying in her apartment. She’d miss that reassuring presence at night, and the knowledge that no matter when she’d wake up, Pam would be there. She dreaded being by herself. Dreaded the feeling of being  _ alone _ .

Pam was right, she needed new friends.

Leaning against the doorframe of her front door, Alex watched silently and morosely as Pam turned around to say goodbye, her beautiful, red hair framing her face perfectly. Pam had gone back to her human skin color. She’d let loose these past two days, her skin almost as green as the plants she liked to keep around. Alex liked Pam’s natural skin color - the green tint complemented her hair and face.

“I guess this is it,” Pam said, hands stuck in the pockets of her dark green coat, smile affixed to her face. “I hope the next time you invite me over will be for better circumstances, huh?”

Alex shuffled her feet.

“Yeah…” She mumbled, sticking her own hands into the back pockets of her dress pants. Alex was mostly ready for work, though she hadn’t quite gotten around to closing her button-up all the way, letting her white undershirt peek through. “Sorry.”

Pam hummed, stepping forward and smoothing her hands over the front of Alex’s shirt, doing up the last four buttons with deft fingers. She righted the collar next, her hands slipping over Alex’s collarbones.

“Just don’t scare me like that again, alright, Supercop? Or I’ll let Herbert gnaw off your feet in your sleep,” her voice was kind and quiet, though Alex knew she was half-serious about her threat. She’d endured such tactics before. Many, many times.

Leaning forward on her tiptoes, Pam planted a tender kiss on Alex’s forehead, squeezing her shoulders, obviously unwilling to let go of her friend quite so soon.

“Yeah, yeah,” Alex said, trying to scowl at Pam, fully aware she was failing spectacularly at it. Her mouth was pulled into something which much more resembled a pout, if she was honest with herself. “Not that Herb would ever do that, but, I guess.”

Alex was avoiding eye contact.

Just because she’d opened up to Pam over the last two days, and had actually had a coherent conversation about her feelings, didn’t mean she was suddenly any less  _ emotionally constipated _ , as Selina liked to call it.

“Thanks, though,” she said, chancing a glance at Pam’s face. The tenderness in her eyes made Alex ache inside. She didn’t deserve such amazing friends.

“Of course, my beautiful sunflower. Anytime,” Pam said, smiling as she pulled Alex into a tight hug, her arms curling around her shoulders, burying her face in Alex’s neck. Alex hugged her back without complaint, hands holding on to Pam’s dark jacket, soaking in the feeling of safety and closeness.

“When Selina apologizes to you,” Pam started, tone as non-threatening as possible, “please hear her out, okay? I know you’re angry right now and you have every right to be, but she’s really sorry. You know how she is. And you two, you need each other. Please don’t push her away over this. I’m not saying you can’t be mad, or hurt, but when she tries to make it right, just… yeah, hear her out.”

Alex sighed, disentangling herself from Pam’s comforting embrace.

“I know,” she said, shrugging uncomfortably. “I know it wasn’t really her fault.” Suddenly overwhelmed, Alex rubbed her face with one hand, the other one clasped tightly in between Pam’s fingers. “I shouldn’t have yelled at her.”

Pam sighed, shrugging.

“Yeah well, we’ve all yelled at her over the years for stunts she’s pulled. To be fair, I yelled at her a little, too, for this.” Pam looked slightly sheepish as she said it, and Alex had the feeling she should be remembering something she’d forgotten. She pushed the thought away. “Just talk to her when she shows up here. You guys always work out your differences; I’m sure this time will be no different.”

“I hope so,” Alex said, tipping sideways again and leaning her head against the doorframe, face void of emotion, more tired than anything else.

“As long as neither one of you is a dick about things, there isn’t a single doubt in my mind that this will work out.” Pam winked as she said it, stuffing her hands back into her jacket pockets. “And now, alas, we must part.” Her shoulders sagged comically. “Call me later and tell me how the thing with your cute colleague works out, alright?”

“Will do,” Alex promised, watching as Pam started walking backwards towards the elevator. “Bye, Pam, thanks again.”

“Bye, Alex.” Pam smiled, turning for a moment to find the elevator button, waving as the doors opened behind her. Before they closed, she once again mimed a ‘call me’ motion with her hand, a stern expression on her face. Alex rolled her eyes, waving her off.

She waited until the elevator had left, before she made her way back inside.

Time to get her shit together and go to work.

-

Feeling slightly anxious about the way she’d acted on Thursday and Friday, Alex walked into the precinct with her hands stuffed into the back pockets of her dress pants. She smiled at most of her colleagues, none of them seeming to harbor any ill-will towards her, though she wasn’t surprised when their chief medical examiner didn’t even look at her as she walked past. Alex  _ really _ needed to buy that fruit basket.

Hank was at his desk as she rounded the corner. Of course he was.

“Morning,” Alex mumbled as she sat down, finding five unopened water bottles on top of her case files. The left side of her mouth twitched in amusement. “You don’t expect me to chug all of these, do you?”

Hank didn’t turn to her, continuing to type up a report.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Detective Danvers. But I’d assume that whoever put those bottles of extremely healthy water on your desk must be getting really tired of your behavior from last week,” he said, expression completely unperturbed. Alex rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah,” she huffed, picking up one of the bottles and uncapping it. “Well that someone will be happy to hear that a friend of mine came over on Friday and talked some sense into me.”

And, she thought, threw out all of the expensive liquor. Sighing inwardly, she bemoaned those hundreds of dollars she’d spent on the wasted bottles of wine. Bottles she’d been saving for a special occasion.

Downing half of the water, Alex gave herself a moment to reflect on what she might have done with the wine. She imagined herself cooking for Kara in her kitchen, pouring herself a glass and sipping on it as she watched the food sizzle on the stove. Kara laughing at something she’d said, head thrown back and smile so wide it may as well burst from her face. Kara leaning over the kitchen counter, hand sliding onto Alex’s forearm. Kara kissing her, their noses brushing together as they moved.

A truly  _ special _ occasion.

Alex set down the water.

Hank grunted at her admission, finally looking over to Alex, eyes softening at the downtrodden expression overtaking her every feature. She shouldn’t have thought about Kara, shouldn’t have let her mind run free. Now all she’d done was make herself sad and worry Hank with her lack of emotional well-being. An all-around awful situation.

Forcing herself to smile, Alex tried to ignore the lingering feeling of loss.

Apparently, her grimace wasn’t fooling Hank, who turned his whole upper body into her direction and let his eyes flit over the desks and people around them, gaging the possibility of being overheard. Alex was afraid of what he’d say.

“If you’re having a hard time, for whatever reason, I can get you the numbers of a few excellent therapists,” he said, voice gentle, much nicer than she’d ever heard from him. “Of course, you can always talk to me about whatever is bothering you, but if you don’t want to do that, there’s no shame in asking for professional help.”

He sounded like he had experience on the matter, and Alex respected him for his professionalism and kindness. She’d seen a psychiatrist after  _ the incident _ involving her father. Harley had made her go two or three times after it happened, shortly before Alex had packed up and left the city – left the  _ state _ – altogether. Left the country.

This time, her smile was sincere.

“Thanks, I’ll think about it.” She had to work hard to keep herself from fiddling. “And I wanted to apologize, too, for what I said and how I acted. I just hit a bit of a rough patch last week. I know that’s not really an excuse, but I hope we can move past it.” She liked Hank and she hated the thought of him thinking less of her because she’d let herself get swept up in this situation.

To her surprise, he made a sweeping gesture with his hands, as though he was waving away her apology, grabbing one of the four unopened bottles of water for himself.

“Everybody gets rough patches,” he said, shrugging. “Just as long as you deal with your baggage in a healthy way, I don’t see why we shouldn’t be fine. Unless you plan on staying a half-drunk mess for the foreseeable future? Then I might have to drag you to a therapist myself. By your ear.” He winked at her and she snorted, bringing their water bottles together in a sort of toasting motion.

“Has anyone ever told you that you sound like a dad when you talk?” she mused, perking up for a moment as she watched Vasquez enter the room, Pam’s words about friendship ringing in her ears. Vasquez’s appearance distracted Alex for a moment, though not enough to miss the shadow of pain crossing over her partner’s face after her comment.

“So I’ve been told,” Hank replied, his voice showing not even a hint of his previous expression. Alex wondered for a second if she’d imagined it.

“Yeah… Good talk,” Alex said, punching Hank in the arm as she got to her feet. His bicep felt like a solid chunk of steel, but she didn’t expect anything less. “I need to talk to Vasquez about something. I’ll be right back.”

He waved her off, going back to his typing, as she made her way over to Officer Vasquez, who hadn’t spotted her. As Alex approached them, she had that niggling suspicion again, the one that told her she should be remembering something she’d forgotten, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

Dismissing the thought, Alex smiled as Vasquez looked up from preparing their morning coffee.

“Vasquez, hey!” Alex held out her fist in greeting, watching in fascination as Vasquez almost knocked over their coffee mug on the counter in front of them at the sight of her, coffee sloshing over the sides. “Wow, don’t look so happy to see me.”

Vasquez’s face had paled considerably, an awkward smile taking over their features.

“Hey, Alex, what’s up?” They didn’t look too happy to see Alex, a fact that wasn’t exactly encouraging, considering how Alex was trying to form an actual friendship between them. Now that she thought about it, Vasquez hadn’t sent her a single text all weekend. Weird.

Alex lowered her fist.

“Eh,” Alex said, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “You know, the usual shit. But I was actually wondering if you wanted to do something sometime. Hang out or whatever.” Alex was going to bite the bullet; she was going to get this friendship thing  _ done _ . Pam would be proud of her.

To her shock, Vasquez paled even further, taking a subtle step back.

“I, uh, thanks, dude. I’m not really—uh, into that sort of thing,” they started, a flush crawling up their neck while they avoided making eye-contact with an increasingly confused Alex. “B-But I totally respect your lifestyle, though. You do you, Danvers. You do you.” They nodded slightly to themself. “So, uh, yeah, thanks but no thanks.”

“I just wanted to get together sometime. I’m not trying to marry you here, Vasquez,” Alex said, confusion coloring her every syllable. She was pretty sure her expression could be summed up perfectly with an array of question marks. Apparently, though, that wasn’t the right thing to say, either. Vasquez gulped visibly, gripping the counter next to them so hard, their knuckles turned white.

“I’m really very flattered, Alex,” Vasquez stammered, body language bordering on excruciating uncomfortableness, “I’m, uh, yeah, I’m flattered that your girlfriend invited me to a threesome, but like I said, I’m really not into that. But, thanks, I guess.”

Alex blinked slowly, trying to process the words Vasquez had just spoken.

“Also, when you told me about this girl you’ve been seeing, I sort of imagined her differently. Like, you made her sound  _ extremely _ different,” Vasquez continued to say, scratching at the back of their head. “I mean, I’m not saying that I googled ‘Sexual Harassment at Work by Proxy’, but like… maybe, though.”

Frowning slightly, Alex narrowed her eyes.

“My girlfriend?” Was she missing something here? Alex didn’t even have a girl-

The answer slammed into her like a truck full of flowers.

Poison  _ fucking _ Ivy.

A scowl came over Alex’s face.

“Oh, I am going to  _ murder _ her,” Alex growled, hands curling into fists, fingers just about twitching to whip out her phone and send Ivy a very long, very angry text message about fucking up perfectly good and uncomplicated relationships, when Vasquez frowned and finally looked at her.

“Wait, wait, time out,” they said, hands forming a T in front of their body. Vasquez had always been pragmatic. “I came by Friday evening to check on you, to see how you were holding up, and your girlfriend invited me to a threesome with you and her. Did she not tell you that?”

Alex sighed, the anger leaving her body to be replaced with tired resignation. No need to get worked up about it now. It had already happened and her friend had spent a weekend thinking Alex wanted to get sexual with them.

Burying her face in her hands, Alex let the air slide out of her lungs slowly and in a controlled and totally not furious manner.

“That was not my girlfriend,” Alex said, voice as relaxed and _not_ _angry_ as she could possibly make it. Pam had taken care of her all weekend; it was Alex’s own fault for being a drunk mess and being unable to keep her inappropriate friend in check.

“She  _ really _ implied something else,” Vasquez countered, looking concerned.

Alex sighed once more.

“Yeah, I bet she did.” She’d never felt more awkward about a situation in her entire life.

“So… is it normal for you to have extremely attractive, half-naked women in your apartment? I saw a lot more of her than I wanted to, while she was… hitting on me, I guess. Hitting on me for you, maybe. Does she know we’re just friends?” Finally, now that the awkward misunderstanding had been mostly dealt with – at least for Vasquez, presumably – they picked up their cup of coffee, mopping up the spill with a nearby napkin.

“I don’t think she even knew who you were. She was just being an asshole.” An over-protective asshole who probably just wanted for Vasquez to go away so Alex could recover in peace. Alex just wished she’d done it in a less horrible way.

“I did tell her we work together.” Vasquez shrugged, sipping on their coffee.  

“I’m sorry for whatever she might have said to you, and just so we’re clear, I have no intention of ever hitting on you,  _ ever _ ,” Alex said, desperately trying to salvage whatever friendship could be salvaged. “I’m really sorry she made you uncomfortable. Pam can be… inappropriate. And, uh, yeah, she’s also obviously not the woman I told you about.” Alex looked away at that, thinking back to when she’d gushed to Vasquez about how sweet and cute and nice Kara was.

Vasquez shrugged at her apology, obviously unperturbed now that they knew Alex wasn’t trying to get them into bed.

“Yeah, I figured she wasn’t her. I mean, when you told me about your girl, I didn’t get the impression she’d be… well, like your friend. Is she cool with you hanging out with hot chicks in underwear?” Vasquez leaned against the counter casually, comfortableness returned to every fiber of their body. Alex felt relieved at the sight, though hearing Vasquez describe Kara as  _ her girl _ wasn’t exactly an altogether pleasant experience.

“I don’t know…” Alex said, mimicking Vasquez’s pose. “She’s not really my girl anymore.”

Chancing a glance at Vasquez’s face, Alex was glad to see genuine empathy directed at her.

“I’m sorry, Danvers, she sounded great.” Vasquez looked pained, obviously at a loss for what to say. “We can talk about it, if you want. I’d be totally down for that. Or we could just order pizza, drown ourselves in sugary beverages and play some video games? Whatever you want.”

Alex’s smile was small, though no less real as she punched Vasquez in the shoulder.

“Thanks.” Alex brought her left hand to the back of her neck. Time for honesty hour. “Pam said I should try to make more friends in National City and I figured I’d just ask if you, you know, if you were up for spending more time with me. In a friendly and totally not inappropriate or weird way.”

Alex told herself she didn’t feel awkward, but there was no mistaking the redness creeping up her neck at the prospect of Vasquez laughing at her. Or worse,  _ hugging _ her. Though, thankfully, neither of them seemed to be particularly touchy-feely people. Alex appreciated that about Vasquez.

“Yeah, sure, spending more time together sounds cool.” Vasquez was grinning now, like a kid opening presents on Christmas. “Do you think me hanging out with you will extend to me hanging out with Batman? Do you see that in our future at all?”

Alex snorted.

Once a Batman groupie, always a Batman groupie.

-

Kara was having a pretty good day. She’d shown up at CatCo Coffee at seven in the morning, ready for work and feeling like the view outside of the shop windows wouldn’t suddenly force her into a crying fit when she thought about last Thursday.

Now that a few days had gone by – days spent in the comforting presence of her family – Kara felt like she could confront anything, even her complicated feelings for a particular Detective. Though, if Kara was honest with herself, she didn’t think she’d see Alex at the shop again.

Lucy hadn’t spotted Alex on Saturday, and just because Kara didn’t think Alex had been lying to her about her intentions, didn’t mean Alex would show up. Especially not on the off chance that Kara wasn’t angry anymore. Besides, Kara wasn’t sure  _ what _ she was.

More than anything, Kara felt wary. If she did decide to give Alex another chance (an actual, real possibility now that she’d had the weekend to think about what she wanted and believed to be true), she’d have to make sure she was okay with looking Alex in the eye without seeing that kiss.

So far, thought-experiments on the matter had been mostly successful.

She still thought about the kiss in her weaker moments, thought about the woman holding Alex so tightly to her, and of the way Alex had gripped her arms. Kara wished she’d listened in on the conversation taking place beforehand. Maybe if she’d decided to eavesdrop, she could’ve ascertained if this strange woman was in fact one of those three inappropriate friends Alex had mentioned on her date.

Kara wondered if that would have made a difference.

Would she have been able to laugh off the kiss, simply taking it for granted that her almost-girlfriend’s strange friend liked to kiss her from time to time? Kara didn’t think she’d have been okay with it, even if she’d known. The thought of Alex kissing anyone who wasn’t  _ her _ made her want to empty the contents of her stomach.

She supposed that gave her a good enough answer on how done she was with Detective Alex Danvers. Namely, not at all. Lucy would be furious if she knew. They’d texted back and forth over the weekend, Kara fishing for more information on what had happened Friday at lunchtime when Alex had shown up looking worse for wear. Lucy had picked up on it immediately, of course. She’d played along for a while, answering Kara’s  _ totally _ impartial questions, but Kara knew a storm was coming.

At least going to the fortress with Clark had helped calm some of Kara’s anxiety.

Being surrounded by a small piece of Krypton was at once comforting and devastating, but Saturday morning Kara had decided to focus on the comfort part. Jor-El might have been a disembodied voice in a snowy ice castle, but he was programmed well, and his fight simulators were state of the art. Kara always had fun when she accompanied Clark to the fortress to kick some imaginary butt.

Maybe she’d also punched an imaginary mountain or two. Letting go was a lot more fun when she didn’t have to be afraid of destroying anything. The fight simulators had always been one of Kara’s favorite pastimes.

The rest of Saturday had been spent fixing up the farm with Clark, and ragging on reality TV with Lois in the living room, eating yet more of Aunt Martha’s pie. Sunday had been much of the same, with Kara popping back in and out of National City, stopping minor crimes along the way. Kara liked helping people, liked the feeling of importance and happiness it gave her, like she was making a difference in people’s lives.

It didn’t matter that some of the crimes she’d stopped, or some of the people she’d helped were probably not what anyone would call of True Importance™, but it never failed to make her feel better. Kids with cats stuck in trees, old people who couldn’t carry their groceries, small business owners held at gunpoint for their money (even if those guns often weren’t even loaded).

Kara loved helping all of them. Nothing ever made her feel more like herself.

When she got back to National City Sunday evening (after receiving hugs from every member of her family, including a big group hug with Kara sandwiched in the middle), she took some time to work on her most recent painting. It was barely half finished, and included some of Krypton’s most beautiful wildlife and foliage. Kara loved the luscious greens and deep reds she’d chosen for this work.

Siobhan was going to love it.

Pulling her mind back to the present moment, Kara focused on taking the order of a kindly looking middle-aged Asian woman, whose young son was holding her hand. Kara perked up as she saw he was wearing a Supergirl t-shirt. She’d always loved kids, and the fact that she could be a role model for them never failed to fill her with joy.

“That will be six dollars and fifty cents, please,” Kara said, smiling down at the boy. “I love your t-shirt.”

The boy’s mother laughed and smiled at Kara as she handed over the money.

“He refuses to take it off. He’s been wearing it all weekend,” the mother said, visibly squeezing her son’s hand tenderly.

Kara’s smile widened.

“Well, he’s obviously got excellent taste in superheroes,” she said, handing over their change, happy to see her smile mirrored on the little boy’s face.

Saying their goodbyes, Kara’s smile didn’t waver as she looked up to serve the next customer, a tall black man with an impressive beard.

“Welcome to CatCo’s, what can I…” Her voice trailed off, the smile slipping from her face, as she made eye contact with someone outside. Someone she hadn’t expected to see. Out of habit, the movement at the door had drawn her attention.

Detective Alex Danvers didn’t exactly look ragged, but there were bags under her eyes and a noticeable slump to her shoulders. Her cheeks seemed hollower than before and her steps were hesitant as she walked towards the front door of the coffee shop.

She was staring at Kara, her eyes taking in every feature of Kara’s no doubt shocked face.

Never in a million years had Kara expected to see her here, in that all too familiar leather jacket (Kara knew just how soft it was) and those torn, used-up black boots.

Kara had no idea how she felt in this moment.

Alex’s hand rose to the door handle of the shop, but before she pushed it open, her eyes moved away from Kara briefly, and all of the courage seemed to drain right out of her. Her hand dropped back to her side, a pained smile taking root on her lips. Then, with the smallest of waves, Alex turned around, stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket and vanished into nothingness, quick steps taking her further and further away.

At once, Kara was disappointed and relieved.

“Miss?” Kara was only partly aware of her customer’s concerned voice. “Miss, are you alright?”

Yanking her mind away from what she’d just seen, Kara focused her attention back on her job.

“Yes. Yes, of course, sorry. Just got a little distracted. What can I get you?” She tried for one of her signature smiles, but it wouldn’t come. Alex’s appearance had rattled her more than she thought it would. Though not in the way she might have guessed.

As Kara took the man’s order, she tried to make sense of the mess of emotions taking root in her stomach. Overwhelmingly, there was relief that Alex had decided against coming in. Seeing her had at least cemented one thing for Kara: she wasn’t ready to talk to her. She could tell from the way her heart had started to hammer in her chest and how her hands had trembled on the countertop.

At the same time, it had been good to see her face. To look into those beautiful hazel eyes, even though they’d been clouded with pain. Kara could tell Alex was suffering, just as she was, maybe faring even worse than Kara in some respects.

“That will be three dollars, please,” Kara said, body on autopilot.

Taking her customer’s money, Kara wondered if Alex had a support system in National City, seeing as she’d moved here only recently. She wondered, too, if the woman who had kissed Alex lived here as well, or if she’d flown in from Gotham to see Alex.

There were so many things Kara wanted to ask her.

In one of their many weekend texts, Lucy had mentioned something about Alex looking like she’d been drinking too much. Alex hadn’t looked that way today, but she’d certainly seemed worse for wear. Her clothes had been clean and starched, but there’d been something…  _ off _ about her appearance.

As she greeted the next customer – a short white girl with a head of dark brown hair – Kara pondered why Alex might have come here, only to turn away at the last second. Looking into Kara’s eyes, she’d obviously changed her mind for some reason. Maybe she’d been just as scared, or maybe she’d remembered what Kara had told her, that Kara would call her.

Maybe Kara should call her.

Now that Kara thought about it, the fact that Alex had shown up at all was a relief in and of itself. If nothing else, it meant that she still cared about Kara and their budding relationship. Or whatever was left of it now.

“Can you believe her nerve, showing up here like that?” Lucy’s voice startled Kara out of her thoughts, and Kara realized there were no more people to serve. Lunchtime rush hour was over, a lull taking over the coffee shop.

“Yeah…” Kara whispered, hands clasped together on the counter, watching the people pass by outside, looking for a bob of brown hair and a dimpled smile.

Lucy sighed.

“How are you holding up?” She moved over to Kara, grasping her bicep gently with her left hand.

Kara still wasn’t sure.

“I don’t know,” she said truthfully, looking over to Lucy, her concerned expression only making Kara feel worse. She felt bad for dragging everyone down with her these past couple of days, especially Lucy, who had so much to deal with already - with James.

“She still looked like shit,” Lucy commented off-handedly, her other hand going to Kara’s back and stroking it softly. “Do you want me to go beat her up for you? I mean, she showed up here, even though you told her to stay away from you. I can totally go beat her up. I’ll take Siobhan, she’d love it.”

Kara cracked the smallest of smiles at her best friend’s antics.

“Thank you,” Kara replied, her gaze returning to the street outside, “but please don’t get yourself arrested. It might look weird if Supergirl was caught breaking two women out of jail for beating up a detective.”

If she was honest with herself, Kara was more worried about Alex than anything else. The drinking, the hollow cheeks, the dead eyes; none of it left her feeling particularly good about their situation.

“Do you think I should call her?” Kara’s voice was small as she crossed her arms over her chest, anxious about what Lucy might say to her. Her friend was protective to a fault, but she’d put her own feelings aside if Kara truly needed her to.

“Let me answer your question with another question,” Lucy started, leaning her hip against the counter and staring at Kara intensely. “Are you  _ ready _ to call her? Because you look pretty damn scared out of your mind to me. Not to mention the fact that she kissed another woman right in front of you. It’s your choice, but Kara, before you do anything, I would think long and hard about what you want.”

There it was again.

_ Your choice _ .

For a moment, Kara wished Lucy would simply tell her what to do. Call Alex or don’t call Alex. Forgive Alex and take her back, take some more time, or cut her out of her life forever. Relief and disappointment all tied up together.

Biting her bottom lip, Kara chanced another glance at Lucy.

“Do you think it’s bad that I was actually happy to see her? I mean, not  _ happy _ happy, but… relieved?” Kara knew she couldn’t help how she felt and that there was nothing wrong with her, but she really needed Lucy to tell her again, needed Lucy to reassure her that what she was feeling was perfectly okay.

Lucy’s expression turned tender as she spoke.

“I think whatever you’re feeling right now is how you’re supposed to be feeling, Kara. Just because you’re bulletproof doesn’t mean you can’t get hurt. And if you were relieved to see Detective Dumbass, there’s nothing wrong with that,” she whispered, petting Kara’s arm reassuringly.

"You are  _ so _ hugging me later," Kara said, voice defeated.

"You bet your cute little butt on that," Lucy replied, hand curling around Kara in a quick side hug. Ms. Grant would have a conniption if she ever found them  _ actually _ hugging behind the counter during work hours. She’d fired baristas for less.

Taking strength from Lucy’s presence, Kara focused on getting back to work, pushing any and all thoughts of her handsome detective to the back of her mind. She’d revisit her feelings later.

Mainly, why she was more worried about Alex’s well-being than she was about last Thursday’s kiss.

-

Alex grumbled as she parked Hank’s car a block away from where she needed to be. There were absolutely no parking spaces anywhere in the vicinity, something which Alex had anticipated. Though that didn’t mean she couldn’t be angry about it.

As she got out of the car and slammed the door shut behind her, Alex wondered how she’d let herself get talked into doing this for her partner.

Two hours ago, Vasquez had called Hank into Lord’s office, rolling their eyes as they went, about some ‘important and official’ business regarding Lord’s new and disgusting ‘hero-menace’ bill. Alex suspected it had something to do with Hank’s working relationship with Supergirl. No matter how discreet they both were, there was simply no way to hide something like that in their precinct. Eventually, someone always talked.

So, Alex understood why Hank couldn’t simply pick up his dry cleaning himself, but what she didn’t know was how she’d managed to let herself get talked into picking it up  _ for him _ .

In his car.

Alex didn’t even like cars.

Maybe she’d felt guilty about the way she’d acted and that was why she’d agreed. Or maybe she’d said yes because Hank’s dry cleaner was located conveniently close to a particular coffee shop that was of certain interest to Alex.

No matter, she was here now, on her way to pick up her partner’s clothing.

Though Alex had previously talked herself out of visiting CatCo’s during lunchtime (trying to respect Kara’s wishes about being left alone), the thought of having a legitimate reason to simply walk by and see if Kara had returned to National City was too good to pass up.

Alex hated the thought of having driven Kara out of the city with her actions.

Walking briskly, Alex made her way along the sidewalk, dodging people left and right who were on their way to or returning from lunch. She kept her head down, unwilling to make eye contact with any of the other pedestrians, hoping against hope that she’d be able to stop herself from going into CatCo’s once she was there.

As CatCo Coffee’s sign came into view, Alex halted in the middle of the sidewalk, disgruntled people passing her by and giving her dirty looks.

She was scared.

What if Kara saw her? What if Kara looked at her and all Alex would see in her eyes was disgust? What if Kara sent out Lucy to get rid of her? Worse, what if Alex got to the shop only to find Kara still hadn’t returned to work?

Shaking out her arms, Alex ignored the confused stares of the people around her and started walking again, eyes fixed on CatCo’s sign. She was on the other side of the street, hopefully too far away for anyone to notice her from the inside.

She was poised and ready to simply walk past the windows without stopping even for a second. But as she looked over inconspicuously to see if Kara had returned, she was stopped short by the sight of a smiling Kara. A Kara who was leaning forward slightly, talking to a little boy and his mother.

The word  _ radiance _ came to mind as she watched the interaction.  _ Resplendence _ .

Before she’d fully realized what she was doing, Alex found herself passing over the crosswalk, dodging scooters and cars, eyes fixed on Kara’s beautiful smile. More than anything, she wished  _ she _ could be the recipient of that smile again.

The aching in her chest tightened.

She was almost at the door now.

Just as she’d lifted her hand to grasp the handle, Kara raised her eyes, locking in on Alex, the smile slipping off her face to be replaced by an expression of shock. Alex took in her features hungrily. Imagined being closer, being inside, being able to see Kara’s beautiful blue eyes. She could just make out a lock of hair resting against Kara’s forehead, having falling out of its bun. Her angular face was bathed in sunlight, her lips parted slightly in surprise.

For a moment, Alex didn’t move.

She wondered what Kara was thinking.

She didn’t look angry, but she didn’t look happy, either.

Closing her hand around the handle, Alex’s eyes flit over to Lucy, who was standing next to Kara, a thunderous look in her eyes. Lucy was shaking her head ever so slightly, as though she knew exactly what Alex was contemplating. The sight of her shocked Alex out of her trance.

She drew back her hand.

Trying for a smile, Alex dropped her fingers, waved awkwardly to Kara and hurried away, cursing herself as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. Shoulders dropped and eyes on the pavement, Alex barely registered the people she bumped against, ignoring the disgruntled yelling that followed her.

She shouldn’t have come here.

As she got back into Hank’s car, Alex realized she’d forgotten to pick up her partner’s clothes from the dry cleaners. Sighing angrily, she repeatedly hit her forehead against the steering wheel, wondering why on earth she’d thought this would be a good idea. She should have known that going to CatCo’s would be a mistake, that she would never have been able to simply walk away if she saw Kara again.

Lucy had been right last Friday, Kara had asked her for time and Alex should have stayed away.

Starting up the car, Alex hoped Hank wouldn’t be angry with her, too.

-

Alex worked the rest of the day mostly in silence.

For the first time since she’d started at the National City Police Department, Hank wasn’t sitting next to her, or even working. Alex had never seen him do anything but work, aside from those two times she’d gone drinking with him, Vasquez and some of the other detectives and officers. And yet, today, Alex came back to the precinct, only to find him gone.

In the end, it didn’t even matter that she hadn’t picked up his dry cleaning, since she wouldn’t have been able to give it to him anyway.

Obviously, something had happened between Hank and Lord, but neither Alex nor Vasquez had any idea what had been said between them. Lord had locked himself into his office, unwilling to talk to anyone.

“I hope Henshaw punched him in the face,” Vasquez mumbled, arms crossed over their chest, sitting next to Alex at Hank’s desk, waiting for their next shift.

Alex grunted in agreement, continuing to type up a report on one of their many interrogations, trying to forget the look of shock on Kara’s face. Pam’s words were swimming through her head, telling her to find friends, to do something other than sulk by herself.

Alex was afraid to be alone tonight.

“Do you want to do something this evening?” Her voice sounded strained even to her own ears, and she cleared her throat to dislodge the ball of feelings that was choking her.

Vasquez looked over to her, gaze concerned.

“Sure, dude, whatever you want.”

Alex forced herself to smile at her friend, moving her eyes quickly back to the screen in front of her.

“Thanks,” she said, relief flooding her body, “I appreciate it.”

Vasquez punched her shoulder gently, getting up to join their partner on their shift. Alex appreciated the silent support, and the fact that Vasquez wasn’t one to pry. Maybe she’d talk about why she was upset, maybe she wouldn’t.

Ultimately, she was glad to have the choice.

-

Kara was alone in her apartment, staring at her phone.

More accurately, she was staring at Alex’s chat window.

Her last text had been from last Wednesday evening, after she’d left Kara at her apartment, directly following that amazing kiss against her motorcycle. The kiss, the tenderness, the happiness, it all seemed to have happened a lifetime ago, even though it had barely been five days.

_ Can’t wait to see you tomorrow. _

Kara’s eyes burned as she took in the words, her fingers poised over the reply button. She was frustrated with herself and the situation. She wanted to talk to Alex, wanted to see her, but every time her finger so much as tried to brush against the keys, she’d start to tremble and had to put down the phone for fear of breaking it with her grip.

She couldn’t text her. Or call. Or anything.

Not now.

Not yet.

-

On Tuesday, Alex bought that fruit basket for Senior Criminalist Susie Chang, apologizing profusely for her behavior on Friday. Susie had been kind and had told Alex to forget about it, but Alex could tell she was pleased with the gift. As an added bonus, their chief medical examiner started smiling at Alex again, something which she counted as a great victory. She’d hated being on the medical professional’s bad side.

Though the exchange made her feel better for a moment, she still wasn’t feeling up to par. Working didn’t hold her attention for long, even when Lord finally let them work a different case. Hank picked up on her mood as well, trying to regale her with stories of a young Officer Vasquez and their shenanigans when they joined the force, something which Vasquez themself did not find particularly funny.

Nothing seemed to help, however, and Alex spent most of Tuesday fervently wishing she could drive to CatCo Coffee and have Kara smile at her again.

Wednesday wasn’t much different.

Hank and Alex caught a break in their new case, a bit of DNA that had been found rather too easily. The entire affair was suspicious and the fact that Lord had been the one to hand them the case – a smug smile of satisfaction on his stupid face – didn’t make Alex feel any better about it.

Wednesday evening, Alex took Vasquez up on their offer and joined her colleagues at the local bar, Hank wrapping his broad arm around her shoulder and tugging her along, not taking no for an answer. Not that Alex would have said no in the first place. She’d had a phone call with Pam and Harley during lunchtime, the urge to go see Kara too strong for her to ignore without some outside assistance.

Hearing their voices had helped immensely, and Alex had stayed strong, remaining at the precinct and drinking the disgusting coffee they made in the ancient coffee pot in the kitchenette. She still refused to go to  _ Tribune Tea _ . The less time she spent with Lord, the better.

She didn’t drink anything alcoholic at the bar, sticking to club sodas and bar nuts.

When Hank broke out his Oreos, and Vasquez started laughing uncontrollably, Alex realized she hadn’t felt this light and content in days. Despite the humidity of the bar, the ratty old bench she was sitting on, and her feelings about Kara, she was happy in this moment. Free of the sadness and the  _ what ifs  _ that haunted her.

Maybe she was ready, now that a week had passed, to get herself out of this funk.

-

Kara hoped to see Alex in the crowd every day.

On Tuesday, she kept her phone in her pants pocket, even though Ms. Grant specifically ordered them to leave their phones in their assigned lock boxes in their locker room. In moments without customers, Kara would put her hand on her pocket and feel for the weight of the phone, trying to stop her hand from trembling whenever she thought about texting Alex.

After work, when she was out patrolling the streets as Supergirl, she scanned the sidewalks below her for bobs of brunette hair and crooked smiles with dimples. She focused on the police officers walking around, wondering if they’d spoken to Alex recently; if they knew her, if they liked her. She couldn’t imagine anyone not liking Alex.

She didn’t see Alex anywhere.

On Wednesday, Kara propped her phone up against her carton of rice milk as she ate her sugary and delicious breakfast cereal, staring at Alex’s final text message and chewing thoughtfully. As she curled her hands more insistently around her bowl and stuffed her face with cocoa puffs, she brought a lonely finger forward to press on the reply button.

She closed the app immediately after.

-

Thursday afternoon, Alex threw herself on the couch next to Trish, completely done after a day of hard work, which mainly consisted of tracking down credit card information and combing through the data, all the while dodging Lord and his annoying speeches. Alex had come very close to shooting a spitball at him.

Curling herself around Trish’s sleeping form, Alex made a blind grab for her remote and turned on her TV, switching over to Netflix quickly.

“What do you say, baby? What are we going to watch today?” Alex asked her cat, face pillowed against Trish’s tiny, soft belly. “How about  _ Jessica Jones _ , huh? Would you like to see your namesake again?” With her nose nuzzled against the soft fur, Alex closed her eyes and rested for a moment, letting the day’s events flow out of her.

Trish purred.

“I will take that as a yes,” Alex said, smiling as she righted herself, throwing a pillow on her coffee table and putting her shoeless feet on top of it.

She’d barely finished half of episode three, when there was a soft knock at her front door, bringing Alex into high alert immediately. She’d been reckless last Friday when she’d opened the door without so much as going for one of her guns, but she wouldn’t be today.

Grabbing her service weapon from the coffee table, Alex walked over to the front door slowly, conscious of another series of soft knocks. Her footsteps were inaudible as she tiptoed over, gun at the ready.

She slipped up the cover of the peephole, startling slightly as she saw who was waiting for her to open up.

Slipping her gun into its holster, she unhooked the chain and wrenched open the door, the woman standing behind it jumping in surprise at the sudden movement. She was wearing a serious expression, her hands folded in front of her stomach.

Selina Kyle looked scared out of her mind as she gazed at Alex.

“Hey…” Selina started, her hands gripping her black coat tightly, her knuckles white. “I figured you needed some time to think about things, so… here I am at last. I didn’t want to make things worse, so I didn’t- try to call or anything.”

The words rushed out of Selina like a torrent, her posture stiff, her eyes conveying the genuine regret she felt.

“I hope it’s okay that I’m here. If you want to yell at me some more, that’s okay, too, I just, I needed to see you, I,” before Selina could say another word, Alex surged forward, wrapping her hands around Selina’s back and pulling her into a tight embrace, her nose tucked into her friend’s neck.

Her eyes closed, and her arms squeezing Selina firmly against her, Alex shuddered in relief as Selina lifted her hands and curled them around Alex in return, pressing a kiss against Alex’s hair.

“I’m sorry,” Alex said, fingers digging into Selina’s back.

She could feel Selina swallow harshly, maybe biting back tears. Selina never cried (if she could help it), but Alex knew her every mannerism, her every movement, by heart.

“I’m sorry, too,” Selina whispered, her right hand raking through the hair at the back of Alex’s head, her left holding onto Alex’s shoulders securely. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

Without warning, Alex was reminded of another time and place, another situation, which had looked and felt an awful lot like this, and yet completely different all at once. She remembered how she’d felt after her father had died over a year ago, the week that followed  _ the incident _ filled with alcohol and rage and a desire to  _ numb _ , to  _ forget _ .

Selina had been there for some of the worst of it, too.

-

Alex had barely slept in three days.

Every time she so much as closed her eyes, she thought of that warehouse, of her father, of the blood in the air, on her body, _in her_ _mouth_. She didn’t think she’d ever sleep again, not now that she’d stared directly into the abyss.

She knocked back her glass of scotch, hissing as it burned down her throat.

Her father had been dead for exactly three days.

The walls of her apartment constantly felt like they were closing in on her, and the only thing that forced her to relax was the alcohol. She knew the drinking wasn’t an ideal solution, but she didn’t know what else to do. She couldn’t even think about seeing other people, not after what had happened.

Alex felt vulnerable, her heart bleeding constantly, the wound on her left forearm reminding her of what she’d failed to accomplish, and what she’d destroyed in the process.

The loneliness was creeping in on her, too, choking her, leaving her feeling empty inside, emptier than she thought she had any right to be. Nothing made sense anymore, and none of these feelings, no part of this emptiness felt like  _ her _ .

She’d been so happy here. Had looked forward to every day of work, of every moment spent with her friends and family. Now she didn’t feel like she’d ever be happy again. Her friends had called, of course, as had her mother, who was suffering on the other side of town, but Alex couldn’t answer her phone, locked away in her living room, not eating, not sleeping. Merely existing.

She was about to pour herself another glass of scotch when she heard a knock at the door.

When she didn’t make a move to open up, the knocking turned to pounding, and a female voice Alex knew all too well sounded through the wood, her tone worried.

“Alex? Alex, are you in there?” The pounding continued for several moments, Alex contemplating whether or not she should open up. If Selina truly wanted to come inside, she would just pick the lock. Or maybe she was trying to be kind, give Alex the choice to turn her away.

Either way, Selina’s appearance had rattled Alex, and she set the bottle of scotch to her lips as she got off the couch. She put it down on the chest of drawers next to her entrance as she wrenched open her front door, a frantic Selina standing on the other side, fist raised to knock once more.

“Alex, there you are, are you alright?”

Before Selina could say another word, Alex had grabbed her by the front of her nice cashmere sweater and pulled her into the apartment, kicking the door closed behind her and slamming a startled Selina against it.

“Alex, what the-“

In the next moment, she was quiet, as Alex pulled her down into a searing kiss, Alex’s lips sliding over Selina’s in rough strokes, wedging her thigh in between her friend’s.

“I promised you next time, didn’t I?” Alex growled into Selina’s mouth, hands sliding over her hips and gripping her thighs.

Alex could tell Selina was thrown by the attack, her hands hanging limply at her sides and her lips completely still for the first few seconds. Alex never initiated anything more than hugs between them; it was always Selina who had to tease out every touch and kiss beyond that. Of course, Alex knew Selina was doing it mainly to rile her up, and not because she had any actual feelings for her.

However, after a second of hesitation, Selina moaned against Alex’s lips, tilting her head to the side and kissing Alex in earnest. Her arms wrapped around Alex’s waist, tenderly pulling her closer and trying to slow the kiss.

But Alex didn’t want things to slow down. She wanted to fuck Selina, she wanted to take her and be taken by her. She wanted to be filled with something other than her own pain, wanted to feel Selina come apart around her fingers.

Biting down on Selina’s bottom lip harshly before pulling away, Alex ripped off her own t-shirt, leaving her topless and completely open to Selina’s hungry gaze. She made a grab for Selina’s hands, bringing them to her own chest, lowering her head to her friend’s throat and biting down roughly, enjoying the groan slipping from Selina’s lips.

Alex couldn’t get enough, the feeling of Selina under her hands and lips driving everything else from her mind, just as she’d hoped. Making love to a woman, any woman, was exactly what she needed. She’d worry about the repercussions later.

Slipping off Selina’s jacket and tugging at her cashmere sweater, Alex brought their mouths back together, biting and sucking forcefully. Selina helped her get the sweater off, her silk camisole following not even ten seconds later.

Alex cupped Selina’s face with her hands, her fingers barely grazing her friend’s beautiful, short black hair, guiding them both further into the apartment. She needed to get them both to her bedroom, needed to feel Selina underneath her.

“I want to fuck you in my bed,” she mouthed against Selina’s jaw, stepping over the threshold of her sleeping quarters, ignoring the feeling of wrongness taking root in her chest. She was using Selina, she knew it, but she couldn’t help herself.

For a moment, Selina hesitated, eyes focused on Alex’s bandaged forearm, where blood had started seeping through the gauze. Kissing and touching Selina, Alex couldn’t feel the stinging that a reopened wound should have caused her. Besides, her body was numbed by the booze, and she had better things to do right now than to worry about a little bit of blood.

“Alex, your arm…” Selina said, breaking away from the kiss for only a moment.

Trembling terribly, Alex continued kissing Selina insistently, hands running down her chest, palming Selina’s breasts and reveling in the soft planes of her body. As she fumbled with Selina’s belt, Selina grabbed her by the wrists, stopping her in her tracks.

“Alex,” Selina tried to say through Alex’s firm kisses, “Alex,  _ Alex _ ,  _ stop _ .” Alex’s hands were shaking, Selina holding onto them tightly, gently. “Baby, you don’t really want to do this.”

“What?” Alex asked, gaze slightly hazy from the scotch. “Yes, I do.”

Wrenching her hands out of Selina’s grasp, she pulled her into another kiss, hands going back to Selina’s jeans, tugging ineffectually for a moment. And maybe she didn’t want to do this, maybe she knew deep down that this was wrong, that she shouldn’t be using Selina for her own pleasure only to toss her aside in the morning. Maybe, right now, she just didn’t care.

Alex could tell that Selina was fighting with herself, obviously responding to Alex’s sexual advances, her body moving instinctively against Alex. For all of her false bravado, Alex knew Selina would sleep with her in a heartbeat, if Alex  _ ever _ gave any kind of signal that she would be open to it. Over the years they’d been friends, Alex had contemplated often whether or not to take that step, deciding against it each time. She had known it would be an amazing and unforgettable experience, but she’d held herself back, knowing deep down that they were wrong for one another. They simply wanted different things out of life.

Taking advantage of her friend’s hesitation, Alex pushed them both onto the bed, landing on her knees on top of Selina, kissing along her neck and leaving rough bites in her wake, Selina’s head thrown back and her hands on Alex’s hips.

Alex’s touches were uncoordinated and frantic, running over Selina’s waist and stomach, tearing at her belt, too rushed to work the buckle properly. Selina’s hands tried to still her again, her head ducking down to catch Alex in a tender, slow, and  _ loving _ kiss.

Alex knew Selina was close to giving in.

But Alex couldn’t reciprocate her friend’s tenderness; her body was rubbed raw with terror, with pain, with adrenaline coursing through her veins, the alcohol screwing with her head on top of everything else.

When she tried to bring their mouths together roughly again, Selina grabbed her by the shoulders and held her back, looking deeply into Alex’s animal eyes. Alex knew that Selina liked it rough, even fast and messy at times, so her hesitation was frustrating. If she’d been in her right mind, she might have considered that Selina didn’t want their first time to be a quick romp in the sheets, that Selina thought too highly of Alex and held their friendship in such high esteem, that she wanted their first time to be something special, something memorable.

“We need to stop. This isn’t you,” Selina whispered, lips swollen from their kisses, from Alex’s bites. Her eyes were sad, her hands gently gliding over Alex’s muscled shoulders.

Alex clenched her jaw, lowering her head as far as Selina’s hands would permit her.

“Come on, Selina, I know you want to,” she purred, in a last ditch effort to talk Selina into having sex with her, one hand playing with the zipper of Selina’s jeans, drawing her fingers up and down the length of her.

A second later, Alex was on her back, her wandering hands pinned to the mattress beneath her, Selina flipping her over easily. The view would have been tantalizing, Selina’s naked breasts swaying in the air, but Alex couldn’t focus on anything but those eyes, staring down at her.

“Yes, you jerk, I do want to, but not like this,” Selina said, voice subdued. She didn’t look like she was about to cry, but her body seemed to be almost shaking with her arousal. Or maybe it was her anger instead. Anger for Alex, for the situation, for Jeremiah Danvers, for everything that had happened. Leaning down ever so slowly, Selina brought their foreheads together, her nose brushing Alex’s. “Never like this.”

She pressed the slightest of kisses against Alex’s lips. A parting. A goodbye.

“I’m going to leave now,” she said, thumbs stroking against Alex’s wrists.

Alex didn’t cry as she heard those words, slapped with the realization of what she’d just tried to do. To her friend, to herself, to their relationship. She tilted her head away, clenching her jaw tightly, her body wracked with shakes as she closed her eyes and willed the tears to disappear.

She could feel Selina trying to curl herself around her, but the thought of Selina, her  _ best friend _ , trying to comfort her after what Alex had just tried to do to her was too much.

Pushing her away with her hands, Alex left the bed hurriedly, raking her fingers through her hair and dropping herself down on the couch, burying her face in her hands, blocking out the light, the apartment, the world. The realization.

She still wasn’t crying, but she could feel the sting of impending tears in her throat, in the tightness of her chest.

“I’ll call Red and tell her to stop by later,” Selina said from behind Alex’s back, wrapping her arms around Alex’s trembling body, hugging her gently. Alex didn’t try to struggle or throw her off, hating herself for feeling comforted even now. She knew what she’d just tried to do was wrong, almost using her friend as a vessel for her pain. And it felt even worse, with Selina so close to her, still by her side.

“Love you, Alex,” Selina whispered in her ear, pressing the faintest of kisses against her hair, her arms tightening ever so slightly.

Alex didn’t respond, listening quietly as Selina got dressed and left the apartment, closing the door behind her with a soft click, leaving Alex alone with her regret.

-

By the time Pam had shown up to take care of her, Alex had already left the apartment. She’d finished the rest of her scotch and had left to go do…  _ something _ .  **_Anything_ ** . She’d felt impotent, sitting in her room, unable to function, unable to make the situation better. She’d realized she wasn’t willing to sit around and do nothing.

Alex thought of that night now as she held Selina in her arms, unwilling to let her go.

On some level, she still beat herself up about that night. Selina had deserved better than what Alex had been trying to inflict upon her. At the time, the experience had driven her over the edge, making her fall into a destructive pattern of running around town, drinking, beating up thugs, and trying to procure the location of the man she’d wanted to kill.

“Do you want to come inside?” Alex asked, face still pressed into her friend’s shoulder.

“I’d love to,” Selina replied, slowly unwrapping her arms from around Alex’s torso and taking a step back. She looked a lot less frightened, now that they had hugged and apologized to one another, but she still wasn’t the fierce and fearless woman Alex knew and loved.

Taking Selina by the hand, Alex pulled her into her apartment, waiting for her to walk inside all the way before shutting the door behind them.

Trish perked up immediately as she noticed who their new visitor was, jumping down from her position on the couch and bounding over to Selina, trying to claw her way up her black jeans. Watching the display, Alex smiled and made her way over to her open kitchen.

“I’m afraid I can’t offer you anything alcoholic. Pam cleaned out my entire apartment. She even found that super-secret bottle of expensive whiskey I usually keep at the back of my closet,” Alex said, trying to seem nonchalant as she opened her refrigerator. “I can offer you some juice or milk, though. I could make coffee. Tea, too, if you want.”

When she looked up from inside her fridge, she saw Selina was watching her, her eyes clouded with sadness, Trish purring in her arms, licking at her face.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Selina whispered, taking a few tentative steps in the direction of the kitchen, circumventing the couch, her left hand curling around Trish’s tiny, white head. “I’m sorry I did that to you.”

Alex swallowed harshly, hand gripping the door of her fridge hard.

“Seeing Pam really wasn’t that bad,” Alex tried to joke, her smile resembling a pained grimace.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” Selina’s voice was quiet, strained, and Alex hated seeing that expression on her beautiful face. She looked almost as destroyed as Alex felt on the inside. Alex had never been particularly adept at hiding her feelings from Selina. Her friend simply knew her too well.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Alex said, voice thick, making a blind grab for her carton of half-finished orange juice. “Besides, no one forced me to drink. That’s on me.”

Closing the door to her refrigerator, Alex turned her eyes away from Selina, setting the carton of juice on her kitchen counter and reaching up for the cabinet door where she kept her glasses.

“You wouldn’t have had to drink if it hadn’t been for me. I’m sorry, Alex; I know I shouldn’t have kissed you like that, especially out in public. And I- I swear I’ll never do it again.” Selina’s voice was closer now, and Alex didn’t startle as she felt Selina’s hand on her bicep.

Alex turned to her, smile gentle.

“We both know that’s a promise you’re not going to keep. I’m pretty sure you’re actually physically unable to stop kissing the people you like,” Alex said, voice kind, setting down the glass she’d just grabbed and laying her hand on Selina’s instead, squeezing reassuringly.

Selina snorted quietly, rolling her eyes.

“You make me sound like a sexual predator,” she grumbled, setting Trish down on the kitchen table, curling her free hand around Alex’s waist and bringing her head down against Alex’s shoulder.

Chuckling, Alex laid her cheek on her friend’s dark curls.

“Well…” She needled, shrugging her shoulders to annoy Selina. “I mean, you do walk around at night in a tight, leather catsuit…”

With a huff, Selina dug her nails into Alex’s sides.

“You’re a jerk,” Selina breathed, “I don’t know why I continue to put up with you, Supercop.”

Alex grinned, letting the statement wash over her, reveling in the old familiarity, in the safety of their banter. They’d always been excellent at riling each other up with words and actions.

“So… Juice? Milk? Coffee? Tea?”

Selina smiled.

-

Kara had wondered why the thought of calling Alex made her feel like the walls were closing in around her, like her body wasn’t her own anymore. The worry that plagued her was terrifying. She was a Kryptonian; nothing on Earth should have been able to hurt her, and yet…

As she worked on perfecting the smallest detail on one of Krypton’s crimson flowers, Kara revisited that moment she’d witnessed. The kiss between Alex and her friend. By now, after careful consideration and a truly astonishing amount of trust, she was sure Alex hadn’t been lying about what she’d told her.

Kara had never been a coward. Shying away from problems wasn’t in her nature – she’d been saving people and fixing problems since she was thirteen years old.

She’d thought about the moment intensely, revisiting the scene in her mind, scanning facial expressions and gestures, taking apart her own reaction.

So no, Kara didn’t think Alex was lying.

And yet…

Kara couldn’t call her.

She’d tried everything. She’d tried texting, she’d tried getting Lucy to call for her, she’d tried tricking herself into accidentally pressing Alex’s number, but to no avail. The first time she’d tried to type out a text, her phone screen had cracked. When she’d asked Lucy to help out, she’d super sped across the room to snatch the phone out of her hand. When she’d tried tricking herself, she’d ended up calling Barry, not Alex.

Nothing would work, it seemed, not until she figured out what her problem was.

Not knowing the intricacies of her own mind was driving Kara crazy.

She’d even accepted the fact that it didn’t matter that she hardly knew Alex. They’d known each other for over a month now and Kara knew people who’d built lasting relationships on less. Besides, she’d known she’d wanted Alex the moment the detective had walked into the coffee shop.

Okay, fine, maybe she hadn’t  _ known _ , exactly, but she’d certainly felt that instant attraction, that  _ spark _ .

Scratching her cheek, Kara didn’t bother wiping away the red paint she left behind. Her mind was elsewhere, her hands working steadily and precisely as she thought about what to do next. The gigantic canvas in front of her was barely covered in the preliminary sketching she made before she filled in the details.

Kara asked herself if it was a sign from Rao that her most recent sketchbook was filled with drawings of Alex Danvers’ face, her strong hands, her kind smile. Those dimples. Kara hadn’t been able to pick it up, not since last week, but she thought about getting it now.

Scratching her chin, absent-mindedly smearing more paint on her skin, Kara dismissed the thought.

Looking at Alex would only distract her now, something she couldn’t afford. If she wanted to figure this out, she needed to stay focused and sharp, just like her mother had taught her. Alura had always been an excellent problem-solver, a trait Kara had hoped she’d inherited from her.

As she painted, Kara pictured her mother next to her, watching her work, smoothing back Kara’s unruly, blonde hair. Kara imagined what she might say, how her mother would scold her, perhaps, for letting herself go; for wearing that huge, paint-splattered sweater and the comfortable House of El crest leggings. Alura would most definitely not have approved of those.

Kara sighed, putting down her brush.

Her mother had loved her very much, and Kara had loved her in return. She missed her most in moments like these, when she was lost and needed her guidance. She knew she wouldn’t be able to ask her mother’s hologram at the fortress about problems with her love life.

Briefly, Kara allowed herself a moment of weakness, contemplating about whether or not her mother would have been proud of her.

On any other given day, she might have said yes, but on this lonely Thursday afternoon, she wasn’t so sure. Superman, Kal-El,  _ Clark _ , was still the most loved superhero in the country. Kara, too, loved him very much, but in her weaker moments, she still felt less important than him. She should have been there upon his arrival, should’ve helped raise him. Instead, he’d grown up and become great all on his own, all of it without her.

Raising her paintbrush again, Kara changed the song playing from her stereo.

She hated feeling this way. Before last week, before she’d seen Alex kiss someone else, Kara had thought she’d dealt with her insecurities about who she was. Being confronted with the fact that she  _ wasn’t _ made her feel awful.

Clark deserved better than for her to resent him, when he’d done nothing wrong. He’d only ever been kind to her. He’d taken her in, brought her to his parents, made sure she felt loved on Earth. It wasn’t his fault she’d been trapped in the Phantom Zone for over twenty years. None of it was anybody’s fault.

She guessed that maybe that was the problem.

No one was at fault. There was no one to blame, no one to persecute, no one to throw in jail for a crime that hadn’t been committed.

As she finished painting one of the flowers (its petals a radiant crimson with golden flecks of sunlight reflected on them), Kara wondered for a moment if the reason she couldn’t bring herself to call Alex had something to do with her fear of being unworthy, of coming in second.

The thought left her cold.

-

Selina had decided on tea, so Alex had dug up the tea collection her mother had gifted her before she left for National City, and boiled some water. She carried both her own glass of juice and Selina’s green tea to the couch, where Selina was cuddling a happy Trish.

“Thanks for coming by,” Alex said, setting down the cup and glass on the coffee table and planting herself next to Selina, hand going to Trish’s exposed belly immediately. “I should have called or texted sooner. I’ve just been trying to deal with things.”

Selina wasn’t looking at her, her eyes were fixed on Trish’s tiny face as she curled her fingers under the little cat’s chin, scratching gently at her throat.

“Yeah…” Selina mumbled, head bowed ever so slightly. “I meant what I said, though. I  _ am _ sorry I ruined your relationship and made you fall back on old habits. I think I might have a talent for screwing everything up for you.”

Finally, Selina raised her eyes, her gaze settling on Alex’s face.

Alex looked back.

“And I told you that it wasn’t all your fault, and I meant that, too.” Alex reached forward to take Selina’s hand in her own. Alex had never been particularly touchy-feely, but with Selina, Pam and Harley, she’d never really had a choice but to get used to their tactile natures. “ _ I _ decided to take you there, even though I know you like to be borderline inappropriately affectionate with me. And I should’ve realized that  _ I _ might be okay with your certain brand of weirdness, but that Kara wouldn’t understand if she saw it.”

Selina opened her mouth, but Alex stared her down. She wasn’t finished and she desperately needed to say this. Most importantly, she needed for Selina to hear her. This talk was long overdue.

“Granted, I didn’t think you’d end up mauling me in the street, but… I mean, it’s not like it’s the first time, and it’s certainly not the worst thing we’ve done to each other.” Alex thought of a year ago, when she’d tried to sleep with Selina for all the wrong reasons. Sometimes, in her quieter moments, the guilt still gnawed at her. How could she be angry with Selina, when she herself had done so much worse?

“That doesn’t make it right, baby…” Selina tried, voice pained.

Alex sighed, gaze dropping to their intertwined hands.

“No, but it’s happened, it’s done, and dwelling on all the things we could have done differently isn’t going to help anyone. I shouldn’t have taken you there, and you shouldn’t have kissed me like that. Or maybe I should have just introduced you to Kara. I don’t know, there are a million ‘what ifs’ for this situation,” Alex said, shrugging. It was true and there was nothing she could do about it.

Selina was silent for a minute, thumb stroking along the back of Alex’s knuckles. Before she could say a word in response, Alex squeezed her hand kindly.

“And the drinking wasn’t your fault, either. That was my shitty decision, not yours. You’re not responsible for me or my actions.” The words came to her fast, her fingers gripping Selina tightly, trying to make her understand. “I don’t want you to blame yourself for my terrible decision-making, okay?”

Selina frowned, poised to disagree, but Alex raised her eyebrows in challenge. Twisting her mouth into a grimace, Selina kept quiet, rolling her eyes. Alex grinned, bumping their shoulders together. She knew Selina blamed herself for a lot of the bad things that had happened to Alex over the years, but she didn’t want this to be one of them.

“Promise you won’t beat yourself up about this anymore?” Alex asked, voice steady and eyes intense. She needed Selina to be okay. Alex hated seeing her friend upset for something she’d done, especially for her drinking.

Biting her bottom lip for a second, Selina relented. Alex could see it in the way her shoulders dropped ever so slightly and her facial muscles relaxed. She could almost feel the fight leave Selina’s bones. It was a relief.

“Fine, you know I can’t resist you, when you make that face at me, baby,” Selina purred, disentangling her hand from Alex’s grip and bringing her fingers up to stroke the side of Alex’s face, gliding over her cheekbone and the sharp angle of her jaw.

Alex rolled her eyes, glad to see Selina’s playful side resurface. She’d take Selina’s teasing for the rest of her life, if it meant she wouldn’t have to see her be so sad again.

As they sat together on the couch, each sipping their respective drinks, Alex confessed to Selina about Kara. What she meant to her, what they’d had, how she felt about her. Selina listened attentively, hand brushing Alex’s hair, drawings circles and squares on her throat.

-

Two more weeks went by in an uneventful fashion.

Alex spent most of her time at the precinct, working tirelessly with Hank to solve whatever crimes Lord handed to them. By now, Hank and her were a well-attuned team, working seamlessly and effectively, bagging and tagging suspects left and right. Still, Alex couldn’t help but feel that Lord was giving them busy work, and that the truly difficult cases went to others in the precinct.

The times she wasn’t at the station, Alex spent working out at the gym near her apartment, went out with Vasquez, and spoke to Pam, Harley and Selina on the phone. She’d even called her mother (at Selina’s insistence). Eliza Danvers had been incredibly pleased to be hearing from her daughter, and Alex felt a little guilty for keeping her mother at arm’s length most of the time.

Alex hadn’t been back to CatCo Coffee. She hadn’t even taken the risk of walking by again, and had pawned the dry cleaning business onto Vasquez the next time Hank asked her about it.

Hank had also been ordered into Lord’s office much more frequently, sometimes for only a few minutes, sometimes for hours on end. It was as though Lord was hoping he’d be able to wear Hank down, if he was persistent enough with his incessant questions. If he did, he was even more stupid than Alex had originally thought. Hank wasn’t a man you could intimidate or bully into revealing information. He had the poker face of a stone statue. Alex had hardly ever met a man as imposing as Hank Henshaw.

On Tuesday afternoon, three weeks since her relationship with Kara had gone up in smoke, Hank finally revealed to Alex and Vasquez what the many visits with Lord were about. Alex was not surprised to hear his explanation. Not even a little bit.

“The bastard is trying to get me to put him in contact with Supergirl,” Hank grumbled, arms crossed over his chest. Alex, Hank and Vasquez were standing outside in the backyard, soaking up some sun as they discussed the matter of Lord. Hank was leaning against the brick wall of the precinct, his eyes hidden under his aviators. Vasquez had their hands stuffed in their pockets, with their back to the sun, hair blowing in the slight breeze. Alex had her arms crossed as well, brows furrowed, eyes fixed on Hank.

“What does he want from her?” Alex asked, uncomfortable at the thought of Lord getting his hands on Supergirl. She didn’t know why, but the idea of Lord even so much as looking at their hero made her want to dry heave.

Hank harrumphed.

“I don’t know. He said he just wants to talk to her, to try and work out how we can all co-exist and how she can keep herself out of trouble with the police, but,” he shrugged, “we know that’s complete nonsense.”

Vasquez snorted.

“The day Maxwell Lord sincerely tries to help out Supergirl, is the day I grow a twelve-inch dick,” they said, hands slipping from their pockets and going to their hips.

Alex sniggered at Vasquez’s words.

“Right, so he obviously wants to harm her somehow, and he knows you’re in contact with her. Makes sense. What did you tell him?” Alex looked around the yard to check once more if they were truly alone. They didn’t need one of Lord’s inside people to make an appearance and tattle on them.

No one else was around.

“I keep telling him I don’t know how to get into contact with her,” he said, face raising to look at the sky. Maybe he was thinking of Supergirl, worried for her safety. Alex sure as hell was. Supergirl might appear to be invincible, but there was always something that could hurt their heroes. Even their aliens of steel.

“You must be very convincing, considering he keeps inviting you back,” Vasquez said, the tip of their boot tapping against Hank’s shin. There was a playful grin on their face and Hank chuckled, lifting up one shoulder.

“It’s not my fault the man doesn’t know when to give up.” He scratched his left cheek, shoulders drooping slightly. “His insistence worries me, though. There must be other ways for him to get into contact with her.”

Nodding slightly, Alex wet her lips with her tongue quickly.

“He could try being a decent human being for once. Maybe then she’d talk to him,” Alex said, mouth curved into a smirk. “Fat chance of that ever happening, right?”

Vasquez smirked at her.

“Now you’re asking for a miracle, Danvers. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” they said, mimicking both Alex’s and Hank’s stance and crossing their arms over their chest. Alex returned the smirk and Hank sighed.

“You should tell Supergirl to be on the look-out, Hank,” Alex said, checking her watch. They’d all need to go back to work soon; they’d gotten a lead on one of their cases. A suspect was waiting for them in one of the less wealthy parts of the city. “I don’t want her to get hurt.”

Hank eyed her for a moment, face dangerously mischievous.

“Sure, I’ll let her know you’re worried for her safety, Danvers. Should I also tell her you’ve got a crush on her?” He asked, poker face firmly in place. Alex scowled at him, kicking his shin.

“Shut up.”

-

Kara was sprawled on her couch, a bottle of sugary soda in her hand, as Lucy perused Kara’s shelf of DVDs. They’d spent almost every waking moment together these past two weeks, safe for the few times Kara had been to the gallery to talk to Siobhan about selling one of her paintings.

Lucy knew Kara needed her, and when Kara hadn’t returned her many phone calls two weeks ago, she’d shown up on Kara’s doorstep with a full duffle-bag and her pillow. She’d been staying semi-permanently on Kara’s couch ever since. It was nice to have her around, when Kara felt so off-balance. Even though Kara felt guilty, too, keeping her friend from living her own life. Though James hadn’t been home once in three weeks.

“What are you more in the mood for tonight? Romantic comedy, gay tragedy, murder mystery? Fantasy might be cool.” Kara let Lucy’s voice wash over her, barely registering the words. She felt lethargic and sullen. Her fingers didn’t shake anymore when she tried to call Alex, so that was a start. Now, when she tried to call her, it was the anxiety that choked her. The ‘what if’. What if Alex had moved on? What if Alex was angry with her? What if Alex had found someone else?

“Kara, honey, eyes on me,” Lucy commanded, snapping her fingers and drawing Kara’s attention to her. “Come on, kiddo, this is getting out of hand.” Abandoning the DVDs, Lucy walked over to her and lifted Kara’s legs to slip under them. Immediately, Kara was reminded of the night of her and Alex’s first date. The thought stung.

“Just pick a film you want to watch,” Kara mumbled, eyes lifting to the white ceiling.

Lucy scowled, gripping her shins tightly.

“ _ Call her _ ,” Lucy said, pulling Kara’s eyes back to her. “I know you want to. I’m not going to be mad.”

Kara bit her bottom lip, hands fiddling with the oversized sweater she was wearing. They had skirted around the issue for days now, Lucy trying to get her to open up and Kara refusing silently every time.

Not knowing what to say, Kara looked away again.

“Kara, come on. Not being with her is making you miserable. I’m not asking you to marry the dumbass, just… call her,  _ talk _ to her.” Lucy’s voice had a pleading undertone, pained from watching Kara suffer silently. Kara hated dragging Lucy through this with her.

Quietly, Kara sat herself up, her shoulders hunched forward, her hair hiding her face partially from view.

“I’m scared,” she whispered, gaze searching for Lucy’s, her hands ripping a hole into her sweater. She dropped it, wringing her hands together in her lap instead. Frowning in confusion, Lucy curled her hand around Kara’s forearm.

“Why?” Her voice was just as quiet as Kara’s.

Looking down again, Kara stared at her hands.

“What if I call her and,” she stopped, gathering her composure. “What if she says she doesn’t want to see me? What if I waited too long to call and she’s already found someone else? I can’t go through that again, Lucy, I can’t.”

Kara curled her hands into her sweater more firmly, worrying an even bigger hole into the fabric. It was ruined now, anyway, she might as well keep going. She’d just turn the thing into cleaning rags.

Lucy was silent for a moment, taking in what Kara had told her.

“What if she realizes she could do better than me,” Kara whispered the words to herself, pulling her knees to her chest and curling her arms around it, eyes averted and glassy. She’d thought about this feeling constantly for the last two weeks, going back and forth between what she knew and what she felt.

Lucy’s hands gripped Kara’s shoulders instantly.

“That would  _ never _ happen. No matter what I think about Detective Dumbass and her stupid choices, she could never find anyone who’s better than  _ you _ , Kara,” she said, vehemence lacing her words. Her fingers dug into Kara’s steel skin. “And if she thinks she has, then she doesn’t deserve you.”

Kara sniffled, hands curled into fists on her shins. Heart beating rapidly in her chest, she felt unable to say anything.

Lucy wasn’t done.

“Kara,” she started, grabbing Kara’s face firmly with both hands and forcing her to look up, “you are the single most loyal, kind, brave, smart, and talented person I have ever met in my entire life. The day Lois made me apply to CatCo Coffee was the best day of my life, even if I didn’t know it at the time and it took us six months to meet. Everyone who knows you loves you, and if that woman doesn’t appreciate you, then she is not worth your time and effort.”

Kara’s eyes spilled over with tears, her shoulders shaking with uncontrolled emotion.

“You’re  _ Supergirl _ , Kara,” Lucy said, wiping away Kara’s tears with her thumbs and smiling at her lovingly. Kara let the words wash over her like a warm shower, soaking in Lucy’s unfettered support and affection. “You’ve saved the city more times than I can count. You take time out of your day to rescue kittens from trees for little kids. Kara… you’re the most wonderful, courageous and beautiful being anywhere, ever.”

Curling her arms around Kara’s back, Lucy pulled her into a tight hug, tucking Kara’s head under her chin and running one of her hands through Kara’s hair. Kara didn’t dare cling to her. When she was emotional like this, she was always afraid of touching her friends and family for fear of any uncontrolled displays of power.

“I can’t promise you that she’s going to tell you what you want to hear, but you at least have to try. You owe that to yourself.” Kara relished in the feeling of her friend’s arms wrapped around her. She rarely felt as loved as she did when she was with Lucy.

Face hidden in Lucy’s neck, Kara thought about being honest about what had been on her mind for a while now. If anyone would be able to understand her, it would be Lucy. Lois Lane was a formidable presence to be around for anyone, but to have her as a big sister?

Wringing her hands together, Kara closed her eyes, squeezing out the last of her tears.

“I’m scared I’ll never be as great as Clark,” Kara whispered into the darkness, relief rushing through her as she spoke the words aloud for the first time in her life.  _ This _ fear she had kept to herself; she’d never shared it with anyone. She’d been afraid that saying it out loud, voicing the fear, would make it true somehow.

Lucy didn’t respond for a moment, letting her hands run over Kara’s back and hair, her heart beating steadily in her chest. The breaths she took were slow and deep, and Kara took solace in her friend’s calming presence.

Then, pressing her cheek to the top of Kara’s hair, Lucy spoke.

“You know,” she started slowly, a smile shining through her words, “Lois said to me once, that if she hadn’t met your cousin first, she probably would have started dating  _ you _ .”

Despite herself, an involuntary grin spread over Kara’s face at those words, a teary giggle breaking free from her as she lifted herself up to shake her head at a smiling Lucy.

“No, she didn’t,” Kara said, still giggling, poking Lucy’s shoulder with her finger, pushing her back effortlessly.

Pulling Kara close again, Lucy hugged her and rolled her eyes, laughing now, too.

“Okay, maybe she was a little drunk when she said that, but the point stands,” Lucy said, kissing Kara’s temple. “You are a super powered alien, Kara, but you’re just as human as the rest of us.” Moving back a bit, Lucy grabbed Kara’s hands tightly. “I know it’s scary to have a relative who seems to have everything under control and going for them. Trust me, I really, really do, but it’s not fair to you to compare yourself to him.”

Kara shrugged, grimacing.

“I can’t help it. He’s just- he’s so  _ good _ , you know. And I’m a huge mess,” Kara whined as she buried her face in her hands, letting go of Lucy’s. Breathing heavily through her fingers, Kara let her shoulders slump forward.

“Of course he’s good, he’s had years to perfect his Superman shtick. For fuck’s sake, Kara, he’s thirty-seven, how long has he been doing this? Sixteen years? And how long have you been Supergirl?” Lucy’s voice was gentle, her hands rubbing up and down Kara’s arms.

“Three years,” Kara mumbled, looking at Lucy through the slits in her fingers.

“ _ Three years _ ,” Lucy repeated, hands prying Kara’s palms from her face. “Do you even know how many times Clark fucked up during his first three years as Superman? And if you think his relationship with Lois was all fun and roses from the start, you’re wrong.” Looking away for a moment, Lucy looking at the black television screen, swallowing hard. “I mean, they’re not being completely honest with each other about what they want  _ right now _ .”

Kara furrowed her brows, momentarily distracted by Lucy’s pained expression.

“What do you mean?” Kara hadn’t heard anything about Lois and Clark having problems, and three weeks ago, when she’d been with them, they’d seemed as happy as they always were. Happy and in love.

Lucy tried for a smile.

“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head a little. “The point is, you’re every bit the hero that your cousin is, Kara.” With a little smirk, she nudged Kara with her elbow. “And besides, Clark isn’t even as fast as you, and he certainly isn’t as charming and adorable.”

Kara smiled, letting herself fall against the back of the couch, gaze fixed on Lucy’s kind face.

“I love you,” Kara said, squeezing Lucy’s forearm.

“I know,” Lucy responded, polishing her nails on the front of her sweater and grinning brightly. “I am pretty great.”

“Yes, you are.”

Kara breathed in deeply, letting her head loll backwards, looking up at the ceiling again.

“So are you,” Lucy whispered, grabbing for the remote and letting herself fall back, too. “You’re a superhero and a very tall, highly adorable badass.” She twirled the remote in her fingers for a moment, Kara turning her head to look at her friend’s profile. “Which is why, tomorrow, you’re going to call Detective Dumbass.”

Kara sighed.

She knew Lucy was right. She needed to call Alex, needed to tell her that she was ready to talk, and, most importantly, ready to  _ listen _ . Lucy was right about so many things.

“Okay,” Kara said, curling onto her side and laying her head on Lucy’s shoulder as Lucy switched on the television. “I’ll call her tomorrow.”

The thought made her giddy.

-

Alex and Hank were walking through the hallway of a standard issue apartment building. Everything about it was entirely unspectacular, the hallway perhaps a little dirtier than was comfortable. Alex herself would not have lived in a building like this, but she knew not everyone had the money and resources her job provided her with. Both her and Hank were glad their suspect lived on the ground floor, considering the elevator was broken and the building went up to at least ten floors.

Alex couldn't wait to get home. This suspect was their last stop for the day. Closing in on four pm, Alex was about ready to drape herself over her couch and drown out her mind with some television.

Keeping her hand on her gun, Alex stopped next to her partner, in front of apartment A12.

The man they were looking for was Ethan Knox, a low-level employee at their one remaining fireworks manufacturing site of the city. He’d been implicated in a recent bombing episode, killing three people in the process. Up until today, he’d been nowhere to be found, but this morning, the precinct had been provided with a tip that stated Knox had been seen back at his old apartment.

Alex couldn't fathom why anyone would be dumb enough to return to their own home, after having successfully evaded the police for such a long stretch of time. She had a bad feeling about this entire affair. The bulletproof vest she was wearing soothed her raw nerves only barely.

Gripping her gun a little tighter, Alex watched as Hank raised his hand to knock, his heavy knuckles rapping against the wood insistently.

When there was no answer, he knocked again.

Nothing.

“Let’s go in,” he said, stepping back and readying himself to kick down the door. They’d been given the express permission by their superiors and by a judge to enter the residence by any means necessary, but it would have been easier and much less messy if they’d simply been invited in.

With a resounding  _ Crack _ the door and lock gave way under the brute strength of Hank’s boot.

The door sprang open, splinters flying in all directions, revealing a messy hallway – clothes and belongings were strewn about haphazardly.

“Doesn't look very welcoming, does it?” Alex whispered, gun poised and ready to fire.

“No,” Hank agreed, stalking forward slowly, signaling to Alex that she should check out the rooms to their left.

The hackles on the back of Alex’s neck rose at the thought of splitting up. This entire thing felt…  _ off _ somehow, and not just because Lord had been the one to send them on this chase. She couldn't put her finger on what it was, but she didn't like how this situation made her skin prickle uncomfortably.

She ignored the impulse for the moment, kicking open doors and peering inside, swinging her gun around and scoping out the area of each room.

Nothing.

As her and Hank met up in the relatively small living room, the feeling of foreboding didn’t lessen. Hank’s poker face was well in place, but Alex had been working with him long enough by now to realize when he was nervous. She empathized.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Alex said, turning towards the two windows facing out over the street in front of the building. This wasn’t right. They’d been assured the suspect would be here, that he hadn’t moved in hours, hadn’t left the building.

Hank stepped away from her, inspecting one of the pictures on the wall, a faded poster of Van Gogh’s  _ Starry Night _ .

Letting her gaze sweep over the old newspapers on the floor and the coffee table, Alex clenched her jaw and raised her gun more firmly. She wasn’t afraid, but she was wary. Something was seriously wrong here.

“I don’t think he was even here,” she whispered, picking up on the thick layers of dust and grime that covered everything in the apartment. Knox had not been seen for over two weeks, and the lack of cleanliness in this place confirmed it.

Hank stepped back over to her, his face grim, his gun back in its holster.

“I think you’re right.” He crossed his arms, looking back over to the street outside.

Alex holstered her weapon, too, raising her eyes to gaze at Hank’s angry, contemplative face. If they had been sent here on false information, there must be an explanation as to why the informant had called the station in the first place. For a prank call, this all seemed too elaborate.

“I guess that means we go back?” Alex asked, hands at her hips.

“Yep,” Hank supplied, scratching at his chest and pulling on his bulletproof vest. The gesture was innocuous, but it was enough to draw Alex’s attention to Hank’s hand, to his throat, and to the small, red laser dot now pointed at it.

“Hank!” Alex yelled the second the shot went off.

She reacted on instinct, starting forward without thinking, grabbing Hank’s shoulder with both hands and pushing him forcefully out of the way, out of the line of sight. Whoever was shooting had been aiming at a spot above his vest. A kill-shot.

Hank crashed into the television, his body slamming into the wall and slumping to the ground.

Pain flared through Alex’s left side, agony spreading over her entire body as she was forced down, as much by the bullet now lodged in her flesh as by the force of her own shove. She landed on her side, the breath knocked from her lungs.

As she lay there, one hand clutching the bullet wound, she watched as Hank tried to sit up.

“Stay down,” Alex hissed, pain numbing her other senses. “Whoever shot at you is still out there, probably trying to get you back in their sights.” She could feel the blood seeping from her arteries, out from under her strong grip. “Call for back-up and then call for a fucking ambulance.”

Alex was on her back now, but she couldn’t reach for her radio while also holding the wound closed.

“ _ Fuck _ ,” she breathed, letting the back of her head fall against the dirty floor. She’d been shot at before, had even been grazed a few times, but she’d never actually had a bullet lodged in her body until now. “This  _ sucks _ .”

“Shut up and conserve your energy, Danvers, goddamn it,” Hank snarled, his words nearly frantic with worry. Alex leaned back her head so she could look at her partner, her hand shaking on the wound. She was losing more and more blood. The bullet must have hit a bleeder. Shit.

Hank had ripped his radio from his belt and was barking orders into it, yelling for back-up and an ambulance. He lowered the device, eyes going from Alex to the windows.

“This was a set-up,” he growled to her, keeping low to the ground and out of sight of the windows as he crawled over to Alex to assess the damage of the bullet wound. Even seemingly minor wounds could go bad very, very quickly.

“No shit, Sherlock,” Alex grated, teeth gritted and jaw locked. The pain was nearly unbearable now. It sent tendrils of heat throughout her limbs, her fingers covered in her own blood. It reminded her of  _ the incident _ , when she’d been covered in blood from head to toe. Some of it her own, some of it… “How long did they say the ambulance was going to take to get here?”

Hank was on the floor next to her, his hands now covering Alex’s own, helping her trembling fingers keep more of the blood actually  _ inside _ her body, where it was  _ supposed _ to be.

“Four minutes,” he answered, moving so he was hovering over her. She knew the move well. She’d made it a couple of times during her career, covering a wounded officer’s body with her own, just in case the shooters weren’t done and came for seconds.

Chuckling derisively, Alex focused her eyes on Hank’s concerned, familiar face. Her consciousness was waning; she could feel the tell-tale signs of too much blood being lost and her body wanting her to sleep so it could replenish itself.

With a smirk, a grimace, Alex closed her eyes for a second before forcing them open again.

“If the ambulance fucks it up and I somehow die on the way to the hospital, god forbid,” Alex started, hand still trembling under Hank’s steady grip, “get my phone off my body and call my speed dials, will you? I want them to hear it from you, not from some stiff or Lord crony at the precinct.”

Hank scowled.

“You shut your mouth. You’re not going to die.” His words were strong, unwavering, his heavy body a solid presence, keeping her together, refusing to let her go.

“I’m just saying,” she shot back, groaning as the pain drowned out everything else for a second. “And call Kara. My passcode is 4 1 5 9. Kara Kent, tell her I’m sorry, and tell her that I love her. Or, wait, no, don’t tell her that, just tell her I’m sorry.”

Hank hesitated for a moment, his face surprised as he looked down at her. Before he could say another word, the door to the apartment was kicked open once more and four police people in body armor stormed the living room, followed closely by two paramedics carrying a stretcher.

“I mean it, Hank,” Alex said once more as Hank let her go and she was pulled onto the stretcher. “If there are fuck ups, get my phone and call them.”

Hank frowned, but nodded.

Relief flooded her body as she saw the gesture. No matter what happened to her now, the people she loved would be placed in good hands. And Kara would know. Hank would tell her that Alex hadn’t left willingly, or because she didn’t care.

Her body relaxed as the paramedics loaded her into the ambulance.

Hank would take care of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess the next 22 chapters will be everyone grieving over Alex... she was so young... sniff... 
> 
> I'M KIDDING. I hope you have more faith in me than that! But also, Kara said she'd call Alex! So you can't be mad at me that they didn't interact in this chapter, either. We're getting there, guys, we're getting there. These things take time. Especially when so many things already happened this chapter. 
> 
> In terms of Selina... I'm really interested to see what you have to say about how the conversation went between her and Alex. And let me just say up front that this isn't it. There will be more conversations between them about this. It's not swept under the rug, don't worry. Like I keep saying, this story is 29 chapters, there is pleeenty of time to explore all sorts of things!
> 
> Still, though, I love your comments and I can't wait to hear all the things you have to say about this! ♥ You guys make my days!
> 
> As always, this chapter was beta-d by the wonderful Coara!
> 
> If you want to chat to me, find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo
> 
>  **EDIT** : I forgot to mention that Vasquez says a line from _My Life as a White Trash Zombie_. Goddamn it. Sigh. Maybe you know the series and will recognize the reference!


	8. Just a Cop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex recovers from being shot; Kara takes a leap of faith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it is Saturday! At least in Germany. I thought I'd take a break from my minecrafting to upload this chapter. I am very much looking forward to your responses to this one!
> 
> Seriously, I love all of your comments so much. Thank you!
> 
>  **Note** : Mentions of alcohol.

Grumbling in annoyance, Alex waited in line as a middle-aged white woman berated the Indian clerk at the small convenience store they were all trapped in. It was barely seven thirty pm on a perfectly good Wednesday night.

Her left arm smarted uncomfortably under her leather jacket, as she held onto a bottle of cheap scotch with her right hand.

The woman in front of her continued to scold the bored looking clerk on the shop’s poor filing system, and Alex groaned audibly as the woman took another deep breath. Her groan was so loud, the other customer actually paused and turned her head, glare now focused on Alex, who wanted nothing more than to get home, have a drink, and go to sleep.

“Excuse me, do you have something to add?” The woman asked, face twisted in uncontrolled rage and a scowl so deep Alex had a feeling she’d be wearing it for the rest of her life.

Alex sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Ma’am, just pay for your items, please,” Alex said, painfully aware of the five other people waiting in line behind her. They all wanted to get home. She’d been hearing shuffling and quiet dissent behind her for quite some time.

Before the woman could say anything, her mouth open and poised to respond, Alex rubbed her temples. “Ma’am, you’re holding up the whole store and I was _shot_ on the job yesterday. My arm is hurting like a motherfucker _and_ someone tried to assassinate my partner. Please, just pay for your items.”

The woman was too stunned to speak for a moment, her eyes narrowing, before apparently deciding that picking a fight with Alex wouldn’t be worth it. She turned, paid for her small box of cheap chocolate and her water bottle, and left.

Alex’s shoulders sagged in relief, and she set the bottle of scotch in front of the clerk, who suddenly seemed much more alert than before, eyeing her with open interest.

“Were you really shot?” He asked, eyes glinting with excitement as he scanned the bottle of scotch and stuffed it into a brown paper bag.

Alex sighed.

“Unfortunately,” she responded, slipping her wallet from her pocket awkwardly with her shredded left arm. Her bicep bloomed with agony as she flexed it in order to slip the money free. She needed to be careful not to reopen the wound with any sudden or harsh movements. “Keep the change.”

“So, are you, like, a cop?” The clerk asked, taking the money and slowly putting it away. “Or some sort of secret agent?”

Alex smiled tiredly.

“Just a cop. Nothing fancy.” She grabbed the paper bag with her good hand. “Have a nice night.”

The clerk smiled at her and waved.

Slowly, wearily, Alex left the store, her bones aching and the blood thrumming in her veins. Being shot in the arm sucked ass, and not just because she’d be forced to stay home from work for at least a week, before she’d be allowed to return to desk duty.

 _Desk duty_.

Alex hated being chained to a desk. She needed to be out on the streets, kicking ass and taking names.

Rolling her eyes at her own thoughts, Alex walked into her apartment building and waited for the elevator. Now that she was home again, she needed to make a few phone calls, tell the people she loved she’d been shot in the line of duty.

She’d been at the hospital until three in the afternoon, the doctors and nurses wanting to ensure there’d be no complications from her quick routine surgery to remove the bullet, and from the loss of blood she’d sustained in the field. She’d slept through most of yesterday’s afternoon and evening, waking up late to find Hank and Vasquez keeping her company.

Stepping into the elevator, Alex smiled as she thought back to Vasquez’s relieved expression and Hank’s grim face.

_Don’t ever take a bullet for me again, Danvers._

She hadn’t made any promises.

Getting off the elevator, Alex raised her bandaged arm to rub her eyes, flinching at the pain and letting it sink back to her side. The stabbing discomfort was a constantly radiating annoyance, but Alex kept forgetting she shouldn’t bend her arm too much, shouldn’t flex her muscles too quickly. She hated having to be so careful.

Once she was in her apartment, Alex set down the scotch on her coffee table and slowly, carefully, slipped off her leather jacket, letting it drop to the ground where she stood. She felt too exhausted to be tidy tonight.

Trish mewled as Alex grabbed a glass from her liquor cabinet and her ice tray from the fridge. She didn’t want to get drunk, she just wanted to feel the burn of the alcohol for a while and calm herself down while she watched some television, and ruminated on the fact that she was a lesbian who had been shot. The sheer cliché of it all was maddening.

“I survived, though, baby,” Alex whispered to Trish, smoothing down the white fur on her cat’s little head as she sat herself down on the couch. “I was shot and I survived. And Hank didn’t die, either. The lesbian and the black guy, defying stereotypes.”

Trish purred.

Throwing three ice cubes into her glass, Alex filled it with two inches of cheap, brown liquid, sloshing it around a little as she picked up her drink with her left hand. Her arm was protesting slightly, but Alex ignored it, bringing the glass to her lips and taking a small sip.

“Just what I needed,” Alex said to Herbert, who’d lumbered over from his place on the windowsill. “And don’t worry, little guy, I’m not going to get black-out drunk again. I’m even going to call your mom to let her know she doesn’t have to be worried.”

Herbert wrapped his little vine arms around Alex’s legs and pulled himself up onto her knees as she dialed Pam’s number, setting the glass of scotch back against her lips. It rang three times before Pam picked up the call, her voice happy and relaxed.

“Good evening, my beautiful caladium. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?”

Alex imagined Pam at home in her apartment, sitting on her couch, surrounded by her plants. Maybe Harley was with her, head pillowed on Pam’s lap, both of them reading or talking or watching television.

“I just wanted to let you know that I was shot yesterday,” Alex stated calmly, petting Herb’s maw and tickling his chin. “It’s nothing serious, the bullet barely did anything.”

Alex winced at the gasp coming through the receiver after her words.

“Who shot you? What happened?” Pam’s voice was highly alert now, her words frantic. Alex heard something big and heavy crash to the floor.

“I told you, it’s nothing, just a hole in my arm, I’ll heal, don’t worry about-“ Her words were cut off by another voice from the other end of the line, this one much less frantic, and more unmistakably furious.

“Which one of those National City low-lives do I have to kill?” Harley’s voice was deathly quiet, the sound of her knuckles cracking reaching Alex’s ear. She paled, wondering how on earth she could get these two to settle back down.

When Selina’s voice reached her as well, Alex nearly sighed. Of course she caught them during one of the nights they were all hanging out together. This was just her luck. She’d actually hoped to talk to each one of them individually, since they tended to rile each other up when they were together.

“Shut the fuck up, Harley, if anyone is going to kill that bastard, it’s going to be me,” Selina said, her voice now so close to the receiver, Alex was pretty sure she’d snatched the phone from either Pam or Harley. “Tell me who did it, baby, I’ll hunt them down myself.”

Alex imagined Selina holding Pam’s phone in one hand while she booked a flight to National City with the other on her own cell.

“I don’t know who the shooter is. Put me on speakerphone, I need all three of you to listen to me.” Setting down her glass of scotch and ice, Alex hissed gently as she straightened out her left arm. Trish meowed in concern, rubbing her tiny head against Alex’s forearm gently, mindful not to touch the part of Alex’s arm she knew was hurt.

Selina must have heard her emission of discomfort, because her next words were almost achingly tender as she spoke.

“Oh, baby, are you in a lot of pain?”

Alex let the back of her head fall against the couch, her eyes closed as she listened to two gasps on the other end of the line, Pam and Harley obviously just as concerned.

“Put me on speakerphone, Selina, please,” Alex repeated, Herbert sliding his right vine around Trish and pulling her closer, her kitten resisting for only a moment before they both curled up on Alex’s stomach together.

Alex smiled gently down at her two pets.

“Okay, love, you’re on speakerphone. We’re all ears. Please take care of yourself. I’ll fly over tomorrow to see you,” Selina said gently, her voice slightly rough around the edges. Alex hated hearing her sound so shaken up. Getting shot so Hank could live to see another day had been worth it, but listening to her friends being worried for her filled her with a heavy, heaping pile of guilt.

“Alright, first of all, I’m okay. My arm will heal. The bullet didn’t hit any major arteries or damaged any important muscle tissue or nerves or _anything_. It just bled a lot, but they hooked me up with some new blood at the hospital. Please calm down. I’m absolutely fine,” she started, hoping her strong tone of voice would help convince them. She wasn’t even lying this time, there really would be no permanent damage to her arm - she and Hank had both been incredibly lucky yesterday.

“Secondly, I wasn’t the target. Someone tried to assassinate my partner, Hank, but we don’t know who the shooter is or who hired them. So there’s no one for you to kill. You hear me? No killing.” She emphasized the words strongly, stressing every syllable.

“Guess you lived up to ya name yesterday, huh?” Harley sniggered, the spell of fear and worry finally broken. “This just further proves my long-standing theory: Nothing can keep down The Supercop™.”

Grinning herself (glad Harley and the others couldn’t see her delight) Alex leaned forward slowly, trying not to disturb Trish and Herbert. Carefully, she grabbed her scotch glass, the ice almost completely melted by now, watering down the alcohol quite a bit.

“Yeah, go ahead, laugh it up, Harl. My poor, wounded soul can totally take it,” Alex sassed, letting the tiny ice cubes swirl around in her glass, before she took a hearty sip.

“We should make you a cape, then you can team up with that hero of yours and you can wreak havoc on the city together. How do you feel about a jester on the cape? As an homage to yer favorite person in the universe.” Harley’s voice was teasing, her voice carrying over to where Selina was no doubt still holding the phone.

“I’ve never even met the woman, Harley. And even if I wanted you to make me a cape, the last thing I’d want on there would be a fucking jester,” Alex retorted, her words lacking any kind of bite. She felt comfortable here, in this moment, this conversation, the old and familiar bickering between Harley and her.

“Besides, _I’m_ Supercop’s favorite person,” Selina interjected before Harley could respond.

Pam scoffed.

“Excuse you,” she objected, her tone (intentionally) as prickly as some of her flowers. “Clearly, Alex loves me the most. She called _me_ first.”

“Anyway,” Harley talked over the other two - so loudly, Alex held the phone further away from her ear, “this is the perfect opportunity for a cape situation, Supercop, just sayin’, I’d be totally down with making a cape for ya, just say the word. And we all know I’m yer favorite. Video game buddies for life.”

By now, all three of Alex’s friends were talking over one another, each trying to come up with reasons why Alex loved them more than the other two. When Alex was afraid they would escalate into fisticuffs again, she cleared her throat audibly, causing all three of them to fall silent momentarily.

“You know who my favorites are?” She asked, leaving a pause in between this sentence and the next for dramatic effect, biting her bottom lip through her grin. “My favorites are Trish, Herbert, and Billy Bob.”

When her words had sunk in, three offended gasps reached her ear from the other end of the line.

“Rude,” Selina said, no doubt pouting spectacularly.

Alex sniggered.

They were all silent for a second, all of them enjoying the feeling of closeness, of familiarity, and the knowledge that they were all safe and, in Alex’s case, mostly sound. Alex liked quiet moments like this with her friends.

“Before I go, I just wanted to tell you one more thing,” she started, watching her scotch again, the chips of ice now completely melted into the alcohol. “I thought you should know that I bought myself some scotch today. And before you say anything, I’m not going to get drunk and I’m not doing this because of Kara.”

She didn’t want to keep this from them. It felt wrong to drink, knowing that her friends were worried about her every time she so much as looked at a wine cooler. No, she needed to be honest with them and let them know she was doing alright now.

“I’m not spiraling out of control again, I just want to take the edge off and sooth my nerves after the last two days I’ve had.” Setting down the glass, Alex rubbed her forehead with her free hand, ignoring the stinging in her bicep.

“I thought I’d let you know, I don’t want you to worry,” she finished, letting her left hand come to rest on Trish’s back, curling around her tiny, sleeping form protectively.

More than anything, this phone call – this confession – was for Alex.

After a short stretch of silence, Alex heard rustling from her phone. She guessed Selina had finally handed over the cell.

Pam’s next words filled Alex’s chest with warmth.

“We love you,” she said, voice full of genuine affection and fondness. “Thanks for telling us, Alex.”

With a smile, Alex closed her eyes and listened as Pam, Harley, and Selina told her about their day and asked her about her hospital visit and how Hank and Vasquez were doing.

It was good to be home.

-

Telling her _mother_ she had been shot on the job was just as difficult as Alex had imagined it would be. Convincing her that nothing was _wrong_ was even more impossible. Foolishly, Alex had thought that maybe, the fact that she was able to talk and call her mother in the first place would somehow be enough for Eliza Danvers.

Oh, how wrong she was.

It took upwards of thirty minutes to talk her mother down from getting on the next flight over to National City. And even then, Alex was acutely aware that even the slightest indication of her being more hurt than she was letting on would have her mother materialize on her doormat in less than a day.

During her conversation with her mom, Alex made her way through two more glasses of scotch, and by the time she’d hung up – finally, finally – she felt pleasantly buzzed. Not sloppy, not slurring, just buzzed, numbed around the edges. Exactly how she liked it.

She felt so comfortable and relaxed, she didn’t even bother turning on the lights or the television, enjoying the view of the sunset through her big living room windows. She’d let her phone slip next to her onto the couch, nipping on her fourth glass of scotch lazily, her now free, right hand playing along Herbert’s vines and maw.

Sitting in the dark, Alex relished in the quiet of the evening.

Now that she’d called her friends and her mother, she could finally relax. She’d told everyone who mattered that she’d been hurt. At least, everyone who wanted to hear from her.

Kara’s radio silence for the past few weeks had made it perfectly clear to Alex that she would not be welcomed back into Kara’s life. It stung, no doubt, but Alex told herself she was fine with it. There was nothing she could do about it. Maybe, at some point, she would be able to move on. Until that time, she’d have to accept that sometimes, things just didn’t work out the way you wanted them to.

No matter how much you cared about another person.

Alex was just about to yank her mind away from those depressing thoughts, when her phone lit up with an incoming call.

Sighing, Alex let her head fall against the back of the couch.

It was probably something work related, even though she was officially off duty for at least a week.

Even on a good day, Alex wasn’t in the mood to deal with Lord’s bullshit, but tonight that she was suffering from a gunshot wound and half-drunk? Not exactly her idea of a good time.

Still, if Lord had fucked up somehow, Alex couldn’t leave Hank and Vasquez hanging.

Setting down her scotch, Alex grabbed blindly for her phone, swiping the green answer button without checking who was waiting for her on the other end.

“Danvers,” Alex said, pressing the phone against her ear and closing her eyes, left arm throbbing in red-hot anger. She shouldn’t have used it to pick up and put down the glass so much. She wanted to huff in frustration, and was just about to, when the voice on the other end of the line made her stop short.

“Hey… Alex.”

Every hair on Alex’s body stood at attention at those two softly spoken words. If she’d still been holding her glass, she would have dropped it. Time seemed to slow down as _Kara’s voice_ wrapped around her, filled her.

“Hi,” Alex whispered, throat dry, every nerve in her body suddenly rubbed raw.

Clenching her left hand into a fist, Alex cursed the fact that she’d been drinking. More than anything, she wanted to be sober for this conversation, wanted to memorize the cadences of Kara’s voice, the small intricacies in her tone.

There was a moment where neither one of them spoke, both breathing quietly, unsure of what to say. Alex felt as though she were sitting on a pile of embers, just waiting for one of them to burn her.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Alex couldn’t take it anymore.

“What, um, what’s up?” She asked, left hand shaking on her knee, the pain in her arm tethering her to her apartment, to her body, keeping her from floating away. She cursed herself. _What’s up?_ She wished she knew what to say.

Kara took a few seconds to answer.

“I haven’t seen you around CatCo’s for a while,” she started, voice unsure and hesitant. Quiet. Alex wished they could go back to how they’d been before. “I was just… did you give up already?”

It nearly knocked the breath from Alex’s lungs again.

Picking up first Trish and then Herbert, she deposited her two pets on Selina’s kitty blanket next to her, scooching to the edge of the couch. Listening to Kara’s voice sounding so small was torture. For the millionth time, she wished she could take it all back.

“I didn’t think you’d want to see me and I didn’t—I didn’t want to hurt you any more than I already have,” Alex said, throat constricting painfully.

She hated this.

Breathing almost inaudibly, Kara was silent, taking in Alex’s words.

Alex’s free, left hand was trembling on her knee, her eyes taking on a sheen of wetness.

Throwing all caution to the wind, she pressed the phone closer to her ear and spoke the words she’d been too afraid to say for weeks now. The words she hadn’t been sure Kara would want to hear.

“I miss you… Can I see you again?” Alex’s voice was unsteady as she released the words, and she felt uncomfortably aware of her own heartbeat going into overdrive. She’d hardly ever felt so fragile, so easily breakable, as she did in this moment.

There was a pause, a shaky exhale that Alex clung to, and the word Alex had been hoping against all hope to hear.

“Yes.”

Alex felt as though she might sob in relief, her hand going to her mouth instinctively to press it closed, preventing any unwanted sounds from spilling out of her. For a second, all she could do was breathe slowly through her nose, taking in the feeling of deliverance coursing through her body, silent tears spilling over her hand.

“Okay,” Alex whispered in response, tone as non-threatening as she could possibly make it.

“Yeah.” Kara sounded just as overwhelmed as Alex felt, her words a little shaky, like she couldn’t quite fathom that this was real.

“How, um, how do you feel about maybe seeing me on Saturday? You, uh, can come to my apartment, if you want. Or, maybe I could come to yours, whatever you like.” Alex was rambling. She knew she was rambling, her words rushed and quiet, so quiet.

It was Thursday night. Saturday was a little over a day away, plenty of time for Alex to get her act together. At least to calm herself down enough to actually see Kara again, for the first time in weeks. She was already nervous.

“Yeah, Saturday sounds… fine, um, would you mind coming to my apartment? Around four, maybe? I have a thing with Siobhan at the, uh, the gallery, before,” Kara asked, words stilted.

Nearly sobbing again, Alex rubbed viciously across her eyes and face, trying to get rid of some of the tears.

“Of course, I would love to come to your apartment. I’ll be there… Kara,” Alex said, almost convinced she’d heard a small hitch in Kara’s breath as she spoke her name.

Another moment of silence.

“Great,” Kara finally whispered, “I’ll, uh, see you on Saturday.”

Alex nodded, realizing only a fraction of a second later that Kara would not be able to see her reaction. Shaking her head at herself, she quickly spoke an affirmative.

When another minute had passed, with neither one of them saying a word, Alex figured it might be time to say goodbye. Still, she was reluctant. She hadn’t spoken to Kara in almost three weeks, and hadn’t seen her at all in the last two. Having Kara close to her, even over the phone, was precious time Alex didn’t want to miss, even if they didn’t speak.

But then again, they would see each other in a few days’ time.

Before Alex could make a decision, Kara beat her to it.

“Alright, well, Saturday… Um, bye, Alex.”

“Bye, Kara, I’m glad you called,” Alex rushed out, scared Kara was going to hang up the phone before she could finish her sentence. However, she needn’t have worried. Kara seemed just as reluctant to end the conversation as Alex was, the line remaining open after Alex’s words.

“Me, too,” Kara whispered in response, words so quiet they were barely audible. “Bye.”

“Bye,” Alex murmured, taking the phone from her ear only when she heard the dial tone, signaling that Kara had ended the call.

Burying her face in her hands and breathing heavily, Alex let her phone fall to the couch again, openly sobbing for the first time all evening. By now, the apartment was dark, the late evening sunshine barely a memory.

Trish meowed in concern as Alex wept, Herbert curling his tiny vines around her stomach and smoothing himself against her, obviously worried. Alex barely felt him, too relieved after Kara’s phone call to notice how her phone blew up with new messages next to her, the screen turning bright and dark and bright and dark and bright and dark again.

Kara had called her.

 _Kara had called her_.

When Trish climbed onto her lap and pushed her nose into Alex’s throat, Alex finally let go of her own face, wiping her hands on her jeans and curling her arms around her cat. Still sobbing openly, Alex laughed through her tears as Trish started licking her face.

“She called me,” Alex said, voice thick. “She really called me.”

Purring and rubbing herself against Alex’s face, Trish pawed at her chest as Herbert reached around them both with his vines, making a grab for Alex’s cell phone.

“What are you doing, buddy?” Alex sniffed, plucking her mobile out of Herbert’s grip. When he lost the device, he clambered onto her knees, waving his vines in the direction of the phone, trying to catch her attention, raining black earth everywhere.

She was just about to put the cell back down again, when the screen flashed brightly with another new text message. Apparently, to Alex’s surprise, text message number _fifteen_.

“What the hell,” Alex mumbled, unlocking her smartphone and staring down at the messages.

 

 

> [Pam]: Herb says you’re crying, what’s going on? _Sent 8:21pm_.
> 
> [Pam]: Call me. _Sent 8:21pm_.
> 
> [Pam]: How much have you had to drink? _Sent 8:22pm_.

 

 

> [Harley]: Alex, call me, we can talk about it. _Sent 8:22pm_.
> 
> [Harley]: Do you need us to fly over? _Sent 8:23pm_.

 

 

> [Selina]: I’m going to steal Batman’s jet. _Sent 8:23pm_.
> 
> [Selina]: Alex, baby, CALL ME. _Sent 8:24pm_.

 

 

> [Pam]: Herb says you’re STILL crying. _Sent 8:24pm_.
> 
> [Pam]: Selina’s gone, she’s going to steal Batman’s jet. _Sent 8:25pm_.

 

 

> [Selina]: I’ll be there in a little bit, baby, don’t worry. _Sent 8:25pm_.
> 
> [Selina]: I just need to stage a quick heist to get Batsy out of his cave. _Sent 8:26pm_.

 

 

> [Harley]: Red made me tackle your Kitty Cat, PLEASE CALL HER. _Sent 8:27pm_.

 

 

> [Pam]: JUST TALK TO ME INSTEAD OF YOUR GLASS OF SCOTCH, ALEX. _Sent 8:27pm_.
> 
> [Pam]: OR TO HARLEY. _Sent 8:28pm_.

 

 

> [Harley]: Your Kitty Cat is trying to strangle me, Alex, please. _Sent 8:29pm_.

 

Before she could get another message, Alex opened Pam’s contact information and pressed the call button, scrunching her nose and wiping her drying tears.

Pam picked up on the first ring.

“Calm down, for fuck’s sake, I’m fine,” Alex barked, voice thick with tears, nose stuffy. She really needed to get herself some tissues soon. Sitting here with her red eyes and nose, she probably looked like a right mess.

“Alex, honey, what is it? Are you sure you’re okay? I could get the day off tomorrow, if you need me to come by, I don’t mind,” Pam said gently, not at all perturbed by Alex’s prickly words. “Guys, come back in here, Alex is on the phone!”

As Pam called back Selina and Harley from wherever they had disappeared to, Alex nearly dropped the phone at the loud volume of her voice, grumbling slightly and flicking her pointer finger at Herbert’s tiny maw. He shook off her finger, but waved his vines in excitement as she gently booped him into where she imagined his nose would be, if he had one. Delighted by the attention, he grabbed her finger and shook it excitedly.

Alex smiled.

She could never be mad at Herbert for calling Ivy about her crying fit. He’d just tried to help. And, of course, the last time Alex had had any kind of alcohol, she had actually been in serious trouble, and Herbert calling Pam had been the best decision the tiny plant could have made that day.

“I’m really honestly fine,” Alex repeated, suppressing a sniffle and wiping away some straggling tears.

“You don’t sound fine, baby…” Selina countered tenderly, obviously now returned from the other room she’d previously gone to. Her voice was kind and gentle, quiet and reassuring.

“You can tell us what’s wrong, Alex. I don’t know if you know this, but I’m actually a trained psychiatrist. I have lotsa experience listening to crying people. Ouch, hey, Red, watch it,” Harley chimed in, though her humor obviously wasn’t too well received by Pam.

Alex chuckled wetly, new tears gathering in her eyes as she listened to her friends.

Their concern buoyed her.

“She… Kara,” Alex started, words barely coherent with the fresh onslaught of tears. “She called me, she talked to me again.”

“She did?” Pam asked, in the tone she always used when she tried to calm Alex down. “Oh, Alex, that’s wonderful. But sweetie, you really need to get your emotions under control. Or your alcohol. Or both.” She sounded so much like The Quintessential Mom Friend in this moment, Alex couldn’t help but laugh through her happy tears.

“I know, Pam, I don’t even know why I’m crying so much right now. Must be the booze.” Wiping harshly at her eyes, Alex relished in the feeling of numbness the alcohol gave her, dampening the pain in her left arm. “It’s just, she _called_ me. I didn’t think she’d actually call me.”

Pressing her hand against her mouth, Alex tried to force back another sob.

“Oh, baby,” Selina whispered, the tone in her voice clearly indicating she wanted to be much closer to Alex than she actually was, “we’re so happy for you.”

At Harley’s loud cheering, Alex nearly dropped her phone, laughing again.

“Me, too. _God_ , me, too.” Alex slumped sideways on her couch, head landing on one of her throw pillows, phone pressed to her ear. “Guess all I had to do was get shot.”

Harley laughed, and Selina scoffed.

Ivy was much more practical in her advice.

“Please don’t make that a habit, dandelion.”

-

By the time Lucy had completely entered Kara’s apartment, she was already ranting angrily, talking herself into a frenzy with her words. Kara barely had time to move out of the way as she opened the door. If she’d been only a second slower, she would have been bowled over by Lucy’s determined steps.

“Who does she think she is, Kara? Who the _fuck_ does this woman think she is?”

Closing the door behind her fuming friend, Kara wished to whatever was good and holy up there that Lucy would calm herself down soon. She was pretty sure Lucy’s rapid heartbeat couldn’t possibly be good for her in the long run.

“Who?” Kara asked, returning to where she’d just been having breakfast when Lucy had interrupted her out of the blue.

Thursday morning – yesterday – Lucy had moved back into her own apartment, satisfied that Kara could be trusted to take care of herself again. Kara hadn’t expected her back so soon, especially since they’d been scheduled to see each other at work in a little while.

Still shaking with rage, Lucy walked over to Kara’s fridge and pulled out a bottle of orange juice.

“ _Lois_. Who else would have her head so far up her own ass?” She retorted, grabbing for a glass in one of the cabinets above her.

“What did she do this time?” Kara was used to this by now. Lucy and Lois would try to have a conversation, then one of them would say something that would piss the other off, and then they would be caught in a week-, month-, or possibly even year long blood feud. The age difference of about eleven years didn’t help.

Lucy slammed the glass onto the kitchen counter, making Kara jump and spill some of her sugary cornflakes.

“She actually had the fucking audacity to tell me I’m not treating James right. _Me_ , I’m at fault, apparently. _I’m_ the one not trying hard enough.” Her hands were trembling on the bottle of orange juice, her shoulders shaking dangerously, her eyes fixed on Kara’s in a furious stare.

“She actually said that?” Kara had a hard time believing Lois could be so cruel, but then again, Kara had seen both Lane sisters say some pretty ugly things to one another over the years. Kara had never understood it, their animosity for one another. They were so similar in so many ways.

But maybe that was part of the problem, too.

“I just wanted to talk to her about dad’s birthday and what we’re going to do about a present and suddenly she started spewing shit about how sad and depressed James has been in Metropolis and why I don’t just move back there to be with them all,” Lucy ranted, finally unscrewing the cap of the juice and pouring herself some of it.

“And what did you say?” Kara was scared to ask. This seemed like one of those fights that couldn’t be overlooked so easily and she really didn’t want to be forced to play mediator again, not when she loved them both so much.

For a moment, Lucy said nothing, drinking her orange juice in big, heavy gulps, obviously too riled up to put her anger into words. At least Lucy didn’t have super strength. Kara was pretty sure the world would not survive.

Finally, Lucy set down the empty glass, breathing heavily.

“Well, first off, I told her to go fuck herself,” Lucy started, lifting up one finger. “Then, I told her that maybe, _just maybe_ , she should consider that I’m not the only goddamn participant in this marriage.” A second finger joined the first. “And then, I told her to go fuck herself again, and that maybe I wasn’t moving back to Metropolis, because I didn’t fucking want to.”

From the way Lucy was swearing, Kara knew this situation had gotten way more serious than many of their other fights. Apparently, though, Lucy wasn’t done. She poured herself another glass of juice and knocked it back as though it were a shot of booze.

“ _Compromise isn’t a dirty word, Lucy. Compromise is the bread and butter of relationships_. I swear to God, if I ever hear her mention the word compromise again, I’m going to punch her in the face.” Lucy’s body slumped in her seat, her head hitting the counter perhaps a little too harshly. She cursed and rubbed her forehead.

Kara grimaced.

“Are you okay?” It was a dumb question, Kara knew, but there wasn’t anything for her to do at this moment. All she _could_ do was listen and provide some sort of comfort for her hurting best friend.

“I don’t know why she keeps doing this, you know? She always blames everything on me, when she’s the one who needs to reevaluate her feelings,” Lucy mumbled, both hands curled around her half-empty glass of juice. “It’s not just my fault that James and I have been struggling…”

“Yeah,” Kara agreed, moving around the counter and wrapping one arm around Lucy’s shoulders. “Do you think, maybe… you guys should talk about, um, counseling again or something?”

Kara felt as though she was treading on very thin ice. She couldn’t very well come out and tell Lucy to break it off with her husband, just because their first bout of counseling hadn’t worked out for them. She wasn’t even sure if that was what Lucy would want to do in the first place, and it didn’t feel right for Kara to just assume.

Lucy slumped forward even more, burying her head in Kara’s side and sighing deeply.

“I know we’re both unhappy. He’s hardly ever here; I know this isn’t where he wants to be,” Lucy whispered, sniffles joining her heavy words. “But, fuck, Kara, we’ve been married for _nine_ years. You don’t just throw away nine years, right?”

Biting her lip, Kara curled her second arm around Lucy and held her close.

She didn’t have an answer.

“I hate this,” Lucy groaned, eyes squeezed shut. “Things used to be so easy. They were never perfect, but at least we were happy.” With an angry growl, Lucy pulled free of Kara’s embrace and pawed harshly at her eyes, wiping away her traitorous tears. “Not that there’s really much of a marriage now. A sham of a marriage, maybe.”

It was obvious to Kara that her best friend was trying hard to hold in sobs threatening to break forth, her lips quivering and her hands wiping frantically at her cheeks and eyes.

“Lucy…” Kara’s voice was soft and gentle, her arms itching to wrap themselves around Lucy again. She might not know what to say, but maybe her arms could hold Lucy together somehow. Provide some sort of comfort, if nothing else.

Sniffling harshly, Lucy plastered a fake smile on her face, despite the tears that refused to stop falling.

“Enough about me and my problems. I want to hear about how your phone call with Detective Douche Canoe went. I need details. You were so vague in your texts last night,” Lucy said, trying desperately to change the subject. In any other moment, Kara might have persisted, might have tried to get Lucy to open up more, but with her tearstained face and that tremulous smile on Lucy’s lips, Kara didn’t have the heart.

“There’s not really much to tell, honestly,” Kara said, hands twitching at her sides, still poised to reach out for Lucy at any moment. “There was a lot of silence, and not a lot of talking… We’re meeting up tomorrow at four.”

Lucy perked up at those words, straightening her back and reaching for the tissues Kara always kept on hand on the kitchen counter.

“You are? Where? Do you want me to tag along? I can intimidate her into telling the truth,” Lucy offered, unfurling one of the tissues and wiping her face with it.

Biting her bottom lip, Kara contemplated the offer. Having Lucy there was certainly a tempting prospect, especially since Kara felt like she was going out of her skin with apprehension about the meeting. But then again, Kara didn’t want Alex to feel like Kara would only want to see her with supervision. After all, Kara _was_ ready to listen.

“Thanks, but I think I need to do this by myself. I invited her over to my apartment, so if things go bad, I can just throw her out and go cry into my chocolate or something,” Kara said, taking the tissue from Lucy and continuing to wipe her friend’s face.

“If things go bad, you call me, I’ll get Siobhan, and then we’re going to punch Detective Dumbass in the face.” It was obvious Lucy was trying to look intimidating and dangerous, but her nose was stuffy and her face red and blotchy, so the expression wasn’t nearly as effective as it might have been at any other time.

Kara smiled gently down at her.

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” Kara said, pressing a kiss against the top of Lucy’s head and wrapping her arms around her neck. “Do you want me to talk to Lois? I bet I can get her to apologize. She has a hard time saying no to me.”

Snorting slightly, Lucy curled her arms around Kara’s waist.

“Everyone has a hard time saying no to you, Kara,” Lucy said, taking a deep breath and letting herself fall into her friend’s embrace. “Thank you for the offer, but I really don’t think she’s going to apologize for what she said. I know her. She thinks she’s right about this, and she’s not going to back down. I guess I should be glad she didn’t bring up work again and how I’m wasting away at CatCo’s when I should be out there _making a difference_ , or whatever.”

Offended by the insinuation, Kara scoffed.

“You _are_ making a difference,” she whispered into Lucy’s hair, squeezing her perhaps a little tighter than she should be, given her Kryptonian super strength. Lucy didn’t complain. “You make a difference simply by being you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Kara could feel Lucy’s smile against her neck.

“Thanks, Kara,” Lucy said, nails digging into Kara’s back, “I’m actually one hundred percent sure we’re soulmates”

“Of course we are, who else would put up with our nonsense?” Kara confirmed, gently running her hands over Lucy’s back.

“Not Lois, apparently,” Lucy snarked, pulling away from the embrace, getting to her feet and reaching up to grab a bowl from one of Kara’s cupboards. While Kara returned to her own chair, Lucy picked up a spoon and Kara’s sugary cornflakes.

“I don’t get what her problem is about your job. She was the one who told you about CatCo’s in the first place,” Kara said, digging back into her soggy breakfast cereal. The milk had become one with the sugar, but she didn’t mind the taste.

Shrugging, Lucy poured herself some cornflakes and followed it up with the milk.

“I don’t think she ever forgave me that I didn’t get another degree after I quit law school. She gets why I didn’t want to become a lawyer, but she’s mad that I’m, and I’m quoting here, ‘letting my talents go to waste at CatCo’s and that awful bar’.” Putting air quotes around her words, Lucy stirred the cereal with her spoon and rolled her eyes.

That awful bar was _The Dirty Robber_ , a beat-up little place where Lucy bartended most nights after her shifts at CatCo’s were over. Counting Lucy’s involvement with Kara’s art, she was currently working three jobs to support herself.

Kara didn’t know how Lois could be disappointed about that.

Reaching across the counter, Kara patted Lucy’s forearm and tried for another smile.

“We’ll figure something out. If push comes to shove and Lois won’t stop nagging you about your job or your marriage, I’ll fly her over here myself, so you can figure this out together. Not over a phone line.” It might end in bloodshed, or it might end in two sisters finally finding the connection they’d desperately been trying to forge for twenty-nine years. Either way, Kara couldn’t keep watching two people she loved fighting each other.

Lucy sighed, but lifted one shoulder in acquiescence.

“You do realize Lois doesn’t stop once she’s latched onto something, right?” Lucy asked, continuing to eat Kara’s breakfast food. “You’re going to be flying her over here in no time.”

Finishing her bowl, Kara hummed thoughtfully.

“Yep.”

All traces of her earlier crying fit erased, Lucy grinned.

-

Saturday afternoon, Kara left CatCo Coffee at around one thirty, taking the time to walk four blocks to reach _The Silver Banshee_ , where Siobhan was waiting for her. They’d made an appointment for two o’clock to talk about a buyer who had expressed interest in one of Kara’s paintings.

Normally, it would have been Lucy talking to Siobhan about a potential buyer, but Siobhan had mentioned another matter that she wanted Kara’s input on. Something urgent that couldn’t wait. So, Kara made her way through National City, taking in the sun and trying not to get too anxious about her meeting with Alex at four o’clock.

She’d thought long and hard about what she wanted to say to her. Among other things, she wanted to tell her that she’d missed her, that she couldn't wait to hold her hand or hear her laughter again.

Most importantly, Kara wanted to hear Alex explain herself about what had happened that Thursday morning. Who the woman was that she’d kissed, why they’d both been there that morning, and why that woman had felt so comfortable kissing Alex in front of CatCo’s in the first place.

Turning around the corner, Kara spotted the elegant lettering of the _Silver Banshee_ art gallery. The sign hung above two huge, glass double doors, the letters white with a glittering, silver rim. Kara knew the sign lit up at night.

 _The Silver Banshee_ was open into the wee hours of the morning.

Kara was looking forward to seeing Siobhan, liking her quick wit and her sharp tongue, and how she'd never been afraid to tell Kara exactly what she thought of a piece, or when she felt Kara hadn't given her all on one of her works. Rarely had Kara appreciated someone else’s feedback more. It was always constructive and always helped Kara be the best version of herself.

Spotting Siobhan talking with another woman through the glass of the huge windows, Kara waved awkwardly with one hand as she pushed open the door with her shoulder, her arms grasping two huge bags containing contract forms and a canvas. While Kara preferred to work with big canvases, she worked with smaller sizes occasionally, mostly on special demand.

“Kara! Come in, I’ll be right there! I’ll just wrap things up with Jamie for a moment,” Siobhan called, hand on the arm of a tall, blonde woman with a fierce face, who eyed Kara with interest. “Put down your stuff wherever, darling.”

Nodding to Siobhan and the woman, Kara smiled as she walked into the back office, unloading her bags on the black leather sofa and shrugging off her beige trench coat. From the way Siobhan had been eyeing her other customer, Kara had a feeling their correspondence could take a moment longer. Thankfully, Kara knew just how to distract herself in the gallery, walking around and taking in any new works Siobhan was displaying.

Kara left Siobhan and the blonde woman to their chat, grinning quietly to herself as Siobhan leaned forward slightly so the two were more intimately connected within their conversation. Slowly, she made her way along the canvases and pedestals, perusing the new additions, looking for the names of any of her artist friends.

It took Siobhan upwards of twenty minutes to wrap up her consultation with her guest, time Kara spent studying a new painting by one of her favorite artists in the area. She’d stopped walking when she’d seen the huge canvas, captivated by the broad brush strokes and the vibrant colors.

“Sorry for the delay, Kara, but I couldn't send Jamie away without ironing out the details. She’s very interested in your work,” Siobhan said, voice relaxed and her permanent smirk fixed on her face.

“She is? Why didn't you introduce us?” If the woman wanted to buy Kara’s art, surely she should have talked to her about it? Then again, maybe Kara should leave the negotiations to Lucy and Siobhan.

Sliding her arm around Kara’s waist, Siobhan guided her back to her office.

“She didn't have a lot of time today and I want the two of you to have a long and productive discussion about your future together, Kara,” Siobhan responded, nodding to her assistant to man the gallery while she and Kara were occupied in the office. “And Lucy might want to be there, too.”

Closing the door behind them, Siobhan let herself fall into her black leather chair and gestured with her hand for Kara to take a seat on the sofa.

Kara obliged.

“So, is she the one who wants to buy one of my paintings?” Grabbing some of her papers and contracts, Kara made herself comfortable.

Siobhan smirked harder.

“Even better, honey,” she said, leaning back in her chair and bringing her fingers together in front of her. “I could tell that she wanted more of you, so I showed her some other pictures of your older pieces, some of which we’ve already sold, of course.”

“And?” Kara asked, putting down the papers on the glass table in front of her, and sliding her hands under her thighs, trying to stop them from fidgeting.

Drawing out the moment, Siobhan reveled in Kara’s anxious excitement.

“ _And_ she said she wants to fund a vernissage for you, to show off your work. Apparently, Jamie and her partner would be delighted to support such a young and promising talent,” Siobhan revealed, flipping her hair dramatically. “Who’s your daddy, Kara?”

Kara was absolutely speechless.

A benefactor?

She could barely breathe.

“A _vernissage_? She wants to pay for a vernissage?!”

Mouth hanging open, Kara slipped her hands from under her legs and brought them to her face. She was shaking all over.

“Oh, yes,” Siobhan confirmed, face as smug as ever.

Not a second later, Kara was squealing. She was on her feet and around the tasteful glass coffee table in the next instant, throwing her arms around Siobhan's neck and jumping up and down excitedly.

“Okay, hands off the merchandise!” Siobhan wheezed, her air supply drastically cut off by Kara’s strong, squeezing arms.

“Sorry, sorry,” Kara said, letting go of Siobhan immediately and backing up a little. Her friend didn't like to be crowded. “I just can't believe this is really happening. This is so huge. _A vernissage_.”

Squealing again, Kara had to work hard to keep herself from floating away.

“Yes, Kara, this is a _very_ big deal. Jamie is hugely influential and to have her promote your work…” Siobhan shrugged and waved her hand, the gestures all too self-explanatory. “I truly outdid myself this time. I practically had her wrapped around my little finger.”

Kara snorted, sitting back down on the couch.

“What?” Siobhan asked, narrowing her eyes at her.

“Nothing. I was just going to say, the whole thing looked a little different to me,” Kara needled, keeping in her laugh at how enraptured Siobhan had looked when talking to this highly influential Jamie woman.

“Fine,” Siobhan admitted, “I haven't… _quite_ managed to bed her yet. It’s only a matter of time, though. You know I always get what I want.”

Rolling her eyes, Kara grinned indulgently.

There was no use arguing with Siobhan Smythe.

-

Alex couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this nervous.

Yesterday, she’d spent most of her morning dozing, Herb and Trish asleep at her side, her stuffed animal beaver a reassuring presence at the top of her bed. Around noon, she’d felt the warm touch of a hand on her forehead, slowly stroking her awake.

She hadn’t startled or called out in surprise; she’d know Selina’s touch anywhere.

Alex should have known Selina would make good on her word and fly over to see her. Considering it was already past twelve pm and the flight only took about five hours, she wondered which flight Selina had taken and when she’d arrived in National City. Selina hadn’t been very forthcoming with the information, so Alex imagined she’d spent at least some of the time prowling the city, looking for possible clues as to who had seen it fit to shoot at two police officers on Wednesday afternoon.

Feeling badly about worrying her friends yet again, Alex had even allowed Selina to switch out her bandage, hoping against hope that her friend would finally stop stressing herself out about a little bullet wound.

Arguably, Alex had survived worse.

But now wasn’t the time to think about those times.

With a shake of her head, Alex pushed the thoughts away and walked a little faster along the sidewalk, eyes glued to the stone slabs below her. No more thinking of bad times, she needed to concentrate on the important task at hand: Explaining the situation with Selina, all the while hoping against hope that Kara would be open to trusting her again. More than anything, she hoped Kara would be willing to give her another chance.

Moving her shoulders up and down to shake off the stress rapidly crawling up her throat, Alex rounded the corner and lifted her head, eyes roving over the tall, white building Kara lived in. The same building they’d had their first kiss in front of. Alex got weak in the knees just thinking about it. Thinking about Kara holding her cheeks, Kara pulling Alex into her, taking her mouth so effortlessly.

Alex almost sighed as she stopped in front of the thick, white door, the names and doorbells of the inhabitants to her left, along with the intercom. It was three thirty, Alex was horribly early, having severely misjudged how long it would take her to walk from her apartment to Kara’s building.

Her hands twitching at her sides, Alex thought about what to do next. She couldn’t ring the bell at three thirty, what if Kara wasn’t ready? What if Kara would be angry with her? What if Kara needed more time?

Or maybe Kara wasn’t even home yet.

She did say she had an appointment with her friend Siobhan at _The Silver Banshee_. Not only was Alex horribly early, Kara would probably find her loitering around her apartment building. The thought made her uncomfortable and anxious.

Slipping her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, extremely mindful of the bullet wound in her left arm, Alex took one last look at the white building and walked back into the direction she’d come from. She’d be early to her meeting with Kara, but not thirty minutes.

She wasn’t that much of an idiot.

-

Kara was late.

Tumbling out of _The Silver Banshee’s_ glass double doors and clutching her two bags more tightly to herself, she looked down at her watch.

Four thirty.

Kara blinked.

 _Four._ **_Thirty_**.

A leaden weight lodged itself in her windpipe, as she scrambled and ran for the alley next to the gallery, scanning the area around her for any curious onlookers, before super speeding herself out of her clothes and into her Supergirl outfit.

Curling her arms around all of her stuff, Kara barely remembered to rip off her glasses as she hurtled herself into the sky, flying just slow enough so as not to break the sound barrier again.

Kara cursed softly as she reached her street less than a minute later, landing harshly on the concrete of an alley a few houses down from where she lived. It didn’t take her more than a second to super speed herself back out of her costume and into her regular Kara Kent clothes, a nice skirt and a burgundy blouse. If it just so happened to be the blouse Kara had worn on her first date with Alex, that was _definitely_ a coincidence.

Losing track of time at the gallery with Siobhan had been an idiotic mistake on Kara’s part. She should have anticipated that where Siobhan was involved, there would be no adhering to a schedule. Kara often misjudged how much time she’d spent in her presence, mainly because the other woman was captivatingly easy to talk to.

Still, Kara had planned on being home at three thirty, so she’d have that final half-hour to ruminate on what she wanted to tell Alex and obsess over her own appearance until Alex rang her doorbell. None of that would happen now.

Maybe Alex wasn’t even there anymore.

Maybe she’d given up after twenty minutes. There had been no texts or calls from her, asking Kara about where she was, why she wasn’t there yet, or what she was doing. The anxiety pooled in Kara’s belly as she lugged her two bags along the sidewalk, her tall, white building with the green hedges along the sides looming over her like a dark presence of foreboding.

When she turned the corner, preparing herself to be greeted by an empty front door, Kara stopped dead in her tracks. She almost dropped her two bags.

There she was, leaning against the wall next to the front door, face and body bathed in sunlight.

Alex Danvers.

Hands in the pockets of her jeans, eyes turned to the ground, and hair falling into her face, Alex looked like a vision. She was wearing her aviators, her black leather jacket and those beat-up black boots.

Kara had missed seeing those boots.

Clutching her bags even more tightly to herself, Kara stopped to think, only mildly surprised about her own reaction. Her first thought wasn’t about that wretched kiss that had salted so many of their memories, but about how unfair it was how gorgeous Alex’s face looked, how shaky it made Kara feel, how her knees were becoming weak.

When one of her bags nearly slipped out of her grip, Kara cursed softly.

Alex’s head snapped up immediately, her hand rising to slip off her sunglasses.

“Hey,” Alex said, pushing herself away from the wall, taking a hesitant step in Kara’s direction. Her face was a mixture of hope and anxiety, something which Kara could relate to in this moment. Kara barely remembered the last time she’d been this nervous about talking to someone.

“Hi, um,” Kara responded, bag slipping another inch in her grip, “you, uh, you look good.”

Alex seemed to swallow thickly at her words.

“Thanks…” Obviously unsure about how to proceed, Alex slipped her hands into her back pockets, wincing almost imperceptibly at the gesture. Taking note of it, Kara wondered if Alex was hurt in some way. “Do you need any help with those bags?”

Indicating the slipping briefcase and canvas bag with a nod of the head, Alex took another step forward, a breeze picking up her scent and carrying it over to Kara, filling her nose with the sweet aroma of Alex’s subtle perfume and clean sweat.

Kara’s hands tightened around the bags involuntarily.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Kara said, handing over the canvas bag to Alex’s waiting arms and hefting the briefcase more securely while rummaging for her keys. “And I’m so sorry I’m late, Alex, I lost track of time at the gallery with Siobhan; I didn’t mean to make you wait. There’s just, there was this benefactor and Siobhan wanted to tell me all about her and I can never say no when she wants something. I’m so, _so_ sorry, Alex.”

Rambling aside, Kara managed to be a functioning person for a few seconds, just long enough to locate her keys in her bag and pull them out.

Passing Alex quickly and without looking at her, Kara made her way to her front door, hands a little shaky as she tried to insert the key into the lock.

“It’s fine, Kara, I didn’t mind waiting,” Alex reassured her, voice steady and kind.

“It’s not _fine_ ,” Kara protested, key finally sliding into the lock. Trying to curb her strength as best as she could, Kara pushed open the door, barely managing not to vaporize the doorknob. “I don’t want you to think that I don’t care about this, about us, because I _do_.”

Walking inside quickly, Kara avoided looking back in Alex’s direction as she made her way to the elevator, Alex’s footsteps following her inside.

When they stepped into the elevator together, Kara hitting the button for the fifth floor, she watched as Alex glanced at her out of the corner of her eyes, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. Alex looked hopeful, her expression unguarded and earnest as she studied Kara.

“I care about us, too,” Alex spoke softly, canvas bag clutched tightly to her chest.

They rode the rest of the way up in silence.

-

Kara hadn’t realized how nervous she would be about Alex seeing her apartment for the first time, especially when they technically weren’t on the best of terms. She’d cleaned up any immediate messes in her open living room and kitchen this morning before work, but there was still the huge, half-finished canvas standing next to her couch and a host of paint brushes littered around the floor in pots and cans right next to it.

When she’d invited Alex over to her apartment, all she’d been thinking about was how much more comfortable she would be on her home turf, instead of somewhere else.

She didn’t regret her decision now, but the thought of Alex judging her based on her apartment was giving her anxiety, despite of how unlikely it was.

Before Alex could say anything, Kara unlocked her front door, snatched the canvas bag out of her hand and marched into her apartment, stowing the two bags in her bedroom quickly, so she wouldn’t have to see Alex’s first reaction to her living arrangements.

Alone in her bedroom, Kara took a deep and cleansing breath, pressing her fingers into her eyes and blocking off all outside sensations for a moment.

“This is fine,” she whispered to herself, shaking out her shoulders. “Just go out there and talk to her. You’re Kara Zor-El, daughter of Krypton, you can do this. You can totally do this.”

Squaring her shoulders, Kara turned and left her bedroom, finding Alex standing awkwardly next to her kitchen counter, hands in her back pockets, eyes flitting across the interior of the apartment. It was clear she was unsure of how to proceed and what to do, whether or not to sit down or stay standing.

When Kara rejoined her, Alex tried for a small smile.

“You have a nice place,” Alex said, running her hand through her hair. “It, uh, looks a lot like I thought it would. Very comfortable and… cozy.”

Fidgeting with her hands, Kara walked towards her, sitting down at her kitchen counter and placing her hands in her lap, stilling them forcefully.

“Thanks… I’ve been living here since I moved to National City,” Kara said, indicating for Alex to sit down opposite her on the other side of the counter with a nod of her head. Alex obliged instantly, slipping off her leather jacket and laying it across the barstool next to her. She was wearing a nice, dark blue shirt underneath. “I got lucky, it’s a great apartment.”

Alex smiled hesitantly again, her hands folded on top of the counter, her fingers twitching a little.

“That’s great... I’m happy with my place, too. Big windows, lots of room, close to the precinct. Not too far from here, either, actually…” Alex looked down at those words, her hands curling more tightly together, her hair falling in front of her face for a moment before she shook it away again.

Kara hated and loved every second of this conversation.

Having Alex in front of her again was good, _incredibly_ so, but their stilted conversation was driving her up the walls. When they’d first met each other, they’d talked almost effortlessly. Kara had felt comfortable around her immediately, even when she’d been a nervous, stammering mess.

As she had so many times before, Kara wished she’d never witnessed that kiss.

“So… how have you been?” Kara asked, thinking back to what Lucy had told her three weeks ago, about Alex looking like she’d been drinking when she’d come to see Kara at CatCo’s after their falling out. She seemed better now, her cheeks less hollow and her eyes less haunted, but she still didn’t look as healthy as she had when Kara had first gotten to know her.

Alex lifted her right shoulder in a half-shrug.

“I’m doing okay,” she started, eyes flitting back and forth between Kara’s eyes and a point somewhere above Kara’s right shoulder. “I’ve been working a lot, running leads for Lord, who is still an asshole, just in case you were wondering…” Kara smiled gently at the small jab at Alex’s boss. “Not that I’m going to be seeing him for the next few days, thankfully.”

Furrowing her brows ever so slightly, Kara leaned forward a little.

“Why won’t you be seeing him? Is he out of town or something?” If Maxwell Lord had left National City for a few days, Kara would most definitely not be complaining. She’d never enjoyed knowing that Lord was out there, plotting ways in which he and Gordon Godfrey, certified metahuman- and alien hater, could screw up her day.

“Ah, no, sorry, he’s still around, sadly,” Alex said, lifting her right hand and scratching self-consciously at her cheek. “I’m on medical leave for at least a week. I, uh, was shot a few days ago.”

At those words, Kara felt as though her stomach had bottomed out completely.

-

“You were _shot_?” Kara’s voice was deathly silent, her eyes widening and her mouth falling open.

When she saw the horror break over Kara’s face, Alex scrambled to reassure her.

“I’m fine, the bullet barely did anything,” Alex started, repeating what she’d said to anyone and everyone who had been worried about her ever since she’d been hurt. “I got shot in the arm; it’s actually very unspectacular how little damage it did. It just looked dramatic at the scene, because it bled a lot.”

Her words didn’t seem to be making a difference as Kara’s eyes surveyed her for any noticeable signs of injury, switching back to her left arm quickly and zeroing in on where the wound was hidden. For a moment, Alex wondered how she knew which arm she meant, but in the next instant, every coherent thought left her brain, as Kara lifted her hands from her lap and reached out for her. Her fingers, warm and soft, curled around Alex’s clasped hands, squeezing gently – almost tenderly.

“Why were you shot? Who shot you? What happened?” Kara’s face was earnest and terrified, her body open and leaning towards Alex, her worry obviously overriding every other emotion.

Powerless in the face of Kara’s overwhelming distress, Alex relayed the tale of the bomber who was supposed to be in his apartment. How her and Hank had gotten the tip from some anonymous source, and why they’d stopped in the living room.

“We should have known something fishy was up with that place the minute we walked in and it looked like no one had been there in weeks,” she continued, trying to ignore the feeling of Kara’s thumb stroking her fingers, the warmth of her touch seeping into every corner of her cracked heart.

“I’m sure there was no way for you to know,” Kara said, voice kind and reassuring, filling Alex’s chest with longing.

“Yeah… Anyway… My partner and I were standing around in front of the windows, like _idiots_ , talking about how the suspect wasn’t there, and then I noticed a little red dot on his chest, right here,” Alex said, pointing at her own chest, at the point in between her collar bones. “I shoved him out of the way and got myself shot in the process.”

In an effort to lighten the mood and to dispel the horrifying expression still plastered all over Kara’s sweet face, Alex wiggled her left arm around a little (ever-mindful of the injury) and grinned roguishly.

“At least I’ll probably get a cool scar out of it.”

Her joke fell flat, Kara furrowing her brows at her words.

“Please don’t make a habit of being shot, Alex,” Kara said, the hand that wasn’t touching Alex coming to rest on her own forearm.

“You sound just like my friend Pam. She said the same thing to me when I told her about it.” Alex smiled at the memory of that phone call, of Harley, Selina, and Pam all talking over each other. “But, you know, I wonder why it’s always my left arm that gets screwed over. I’m going to have to get another tattoo.”

At the mention of Pam, Kara lowered her eyes to their joined hands, studying them for a moment, before pulling her hand back to her side of the counter. Swallowing harshly, Alex pulled her own hands off the wood completely, pushing them into her lap, reversing their earlier positions.

“I think we should talk about it,” Kara said quietly, eyes on her own hands. “About what happened. The kiss, your friend…”

Kara’s discomfort was almost palpable, her body curling in on itself ever so slightly. Still, Alex was glad she’d called her and invited her over. If Kara wasn’t willing to listen, she would not have called.

Her hands gnarled together in her lap, Alex lifted her eyes to Kara’s face, wanting her to see that she was telling the truth. Straightening out her back, she took a deep breath and braced herself for all of the things she was about to say.

“The woman who kissed me in front of CatCo Coffee is one of my closest friends,” she began, seeking out Kara’s restless eyes. “Her name is Selina. I’ve known her for five years and she means a great deal to me.”

When Kara’s eyes finally met hers, Alex took another deep breath.

“Selina was there for me and my mom when we were all going through a tough time, and I owe her… basically everything.” They held eye-contact, Kara’s eyes wide and scared, Alex’s eyes trying to convey how sorry she was about how it had all turned out. “Somewhere along the line, she made it a habit to kiss me before each goodbye. I assume it started off as a way to annoy me, I don’t know, but it stuck.”

Explaining their unique relationship was difficult, especially when so much of their culture defined kissing on the lips as something inherently romantic. And sure, maybe at some point Selina had meant her kisses as an amorous gesture, but those days were long since in the past, if in fact there had ever been such a deeper intention behind it all.

Kara was silent, taking in her words. Alex was grateful for it.

“And, see, usually they’re only pecks, nothing special, but that morning she was joking about me having a new girlfriend, and she _knows_ I only have eyes for you.” Kara’s mouth twitched, her eyes turning gentle, but Alex couldn’t stop now. “So, she kissed me, like _really_ kissed me, in, I guess, a last-ditch effort to get a rise out of me about it all.”

Bringing her hands up, Alex raked them through her hair. This conversation was making her anxious, the feeling of acid crawling up the back of her throat choking her.

“She and my other friends mean the world to me, and I love her, but not like I—“ Her eyes shifted away from Kara’s then, her jaw clenching a little. Now wasn’t the time or the place. “It’s not like that between us. I don’t want to be with her, and I never meant to hurt you with this. I would have talked to you about my friends eventually, and I would have told you about their quirks, but then this happened… and I know I shouldn’t have taken her to CatCo’s without explaining things to you, and I am _so_ sorry, Kara, I truly am.”

-

“I believe you,” Kara said, hands unclenching, shoulders losing their tension, her facial expression smoothing over. Truth of the matter was, Kara really _did_ believe her. She trusted Alex, and the feeling was freeing. “Thanks for telling me all of that.”

Alex closed her eyes at Kara’s words, breathing in and out steadily.

“So there’s really nothing going on between you and her? I don’t have to worry that she’s going to swoop in and sweep you off your feet when I’m not looking?” Kara smiled a little, trying to alleviate the weight of this one most important question, no matter how nicely she’d worded it.

Eyes snapping back open, Alex reached across the counter immediately, seizing Kara’s hands in her own.

“ _No_ ,” she stated, face firm and uncompromising. “I only want to be with _you_ , Kara. I’ve said it before and I meant it then as much as I do now.”

Kara nodded, studying Alex’s hands and opening her palms to enfold them more tightly.

“Then I guess that means we start over,” she said, squeezing Alex’s fingers and looking into her gorgeous, hazel eyes. “I mean… if that’s okay with you. I’d like to try again.”

Being nervous in this situation was completely unnecessary, given how Alex was looking at her, those eyes taking in every little part of Kara’s face, but she was nervous nonetheless. Especially when Alex kept staring at her for a second without answering.

Kara hoped it was because she felt just as overwhelmed about this development as Kara.

“I would love nothing more,” Alex finally whispered, her shoulders losing that hunched look they’d had about them, the stress lines around her eyes relaxing. Seeing the worry and anxiety slip off Alex’s shoulders was beautiful to see, and Kara couldn’t wait for them to get back to how they’d been before.

Happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought we'd skip the hospital scenes and get the ball rolling! Besides, a little bullet can't keep down Alex Danvers for too long, right? 
> 
> Also, how many emotions did you get when Kara touched Alex's hands and forearms? I got at least 7
> 
> They're finally speaking again! Yay! Lemme know how you feel about it all ♥
> 
> As always, this chapter was beta-d by the wonderful and great Coara! 
> 
> Find me on tumblr @goshdarnitjay if you wanna chat


	9. Assault Through Cat-Proxy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Kara try to start again.
> 
> **Note** : Mentions of blood and violence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *yawns*
> 
> I'm very tired. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

The first time  _ she _ walked into CatCo Coffee, Kara’s heart nearly stopped.

Slipping off her aviators and hooking them on her neatly pressed, light blue shirt, Alex Danvers looked like a runway model straight from a motorcycle photo shoot. Her hair was wind-blown, her leather jacket hugged her perfectly and Kara didn’t even bother checking out her legs. The jeans Alex preferred to wear were  _ sinful _ , and Kara was more than ready to succumb to them.

Chest filling with excitement and anticipation, Kara finished with one of her customers, wishing them a pleasant day as Alex got into the line. Alex smiled nervously when she met Kara’s gaze, straightening up ever so slightly.

Kara felt giddy, excited beyond belief that her and Alex could finally get back to how they had been before. And yes, of course the conversation about the kiss and Alex’s friends would come up again at some point, but that was a topic for another day. All Kara wanted to do now was to be able to talk to Alex again, to see her, to laugh with her.

Anything else was of secondary importance.

The moment was shattered when Lucy spotted Alex, making a derogatory tutting sound and putting down the coffee she’d been preparing.

“Guess Detective Dumbass crawled out of whatever hole she vanished into after you two broke up. Still looks pretty shitty, if you ask me,” she snarked, setting the now finished coffee down on the counter in front of her.

Kara sighed.

“We talked about this, Lucy,” Kara hissed, before she smiled at the next customer. Typing the new order into the register, she turned to her friend once again. “She apologized and explained the situation to me. Her friend ambushed her with that kiss and it didn’t mean anything.”

The black man with the nice, pin-striped suit in front of her smiled as she told him how much money he owed them. Kara returned the smile, though it felt a little forced as Lucy snorted next to her.

After Alex had left Kara's apartment Saturday night, Kara had called Lucy, telling her about Alex’s explanation and the things she’d revealed about her complicated friends and their relationship. Lucy had been less than impressed.

“From what you’ve told me, that kiss looked like something out of a bad romantic comedy,” Lucy whispered, right before Alex stepped in front of Kara, smiling shyly.

Chest full to the brim with warmth, Kara ignored her best friend’s words and reached out for Alex with her hand instead, amazed when Alex mirrored her movement, fingers curling around Kara’s palm. The connection was electric and instantaneous.

“Hey,” Alex said, voice soft and wondrous.

“Hey,” Kara replied, stroking the back of Alex’s hand. “What can I get you today? Since you’re still off duty and everything. There’s no rush, right?”

She felt like Alex’s eyes were sparkling.

“Nope, no rush, I have all day. I don’t have to be anywhere. I might swing by the precinct later to go out for drinks with my colleagues, but… I’m yours until then.” Alex blushed at her own choice of words, and Kara felt like she’d never been more relieved to have someone back in her life.

“Okay then. Make sure you get the best seat in the house. My lunch break starts in about five minutes,” Kara said, smile brilliant as she squeezed Alex’s hand. “You’re just in time. What a coincidence.”

Alex smiled.

“Guess I’m just that good,” she replied, grinning brightly and taking Kara’s breath away in the process. Kara couldn’t help but stare in awe.

Momentarily finished with their flirtatious banter, Alex ordered herself a hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon, a blueberry muffin, and a cheese sandwich. Reluctantly, Kara pulled her hand away from their connection to jot it all down.

They’d spoken on the phone yesterday afternoon, Kara calling Alex in nervous anticipation. They’d talked for over two hours, catching the other up on things that had happened, on TV series they’d recently watched, and on how done they both were with the dead lesbian trope. They hadn’t touched on anything too deep or terrifying, and they hadn’t once talked about Alex’s friends, but they’d planned to meet up the next day for lunch.

Since Alex wasn’t back on duty ( _ desk _ duty, Kara was all too relieved to hear) until the following week, she had a lot of free time on her hands. And with a bullet hole slowing her down considerably, there weren’t too many activities left that Alex could partake in.

Kara knew Alex was going out of her mind with boredom.

“I’ll be right over,” Kara said, shooing Alex away playfully, while she talked to the next customer.

However, before Alex could even so much as touch her lunch order and make her exit, Kara heard Lucy’s voice rise up next to her.

“Detective Danvers, how  _ nice _ to see you here again.” Her enthusiasm was obviously fake and Kara could feel her blood run cold at Lucy’s following words. “And without a beautiful woman for you to kiss in front of us, what a travesty. Did you run out of partners for you to cheat with?”

“Lucy!” Kara hissed, sending an apologetic look to the new waiting customer. “I’m so sorry, ma’am, I just need a second.” Kara raised up one finger as she turned her face to the side to glare at Lucy meaningfully. “I thought we’d agreed, no unfair comments.”

Lucy shrugged, giving Alex an obviously fake,  _ deadly _ smile.

“I think my comment was very fair,” she said, handing over Alex’s order.

Still staring at her friend, Kara felt like her brain was very close to spontaneously combusting. As per usual, Kara’s Kryptonian physiology didn’t stand a chance against Lucy’s shamelessness.

“Hey,” Alex interjected, picking up her food, and giving Kara a soft, kind look, “don’t worry about it. If I were her, I’d be pissed at me, too.” Then, her gaze going to Lucy, Alex’s eyes turned hard. “I get that it’s going to take time for you to be okay with this, and I don’t blame you. But I’m not going to keep taking your shit forever. Just a little warning.”

Lucy didn’t say another word until Alex had left to sit down in one of the booths. It was obvious that she was waiting for Kara to take her break, setting down her food and taking out her phone instead of digging in right away.

Supremely displeased with Lucy’s behavior, Kara turned back to her customer with a chagrined expression.

“Again, I am  _ so _ sorry. What can I get you?” Kara was relieved to see the black woman in front of her was still smiling. She was glad her personal problems hadn’t thrown too great a wrench into her work life, especially minutes before she was set to be replaced by her coworker Hayashi.

“Can you believe the nerve?” Lucy muttered darkly, sending dirty looks in Alex’s direction. “Giving me a ‘little warning’. I’ll show her a warning.”

Kara ignored her.

Lucy got like this sometimes, especially when someone had genuinely surprised her and she didn’t know how to respond to their comment.

Score one for Detective Alex Danvers.

-

Typing out a text to Vasquez, Alex had to strain every muscle in her body to keep herself occupied with her phone, so she wouldn’t keep staring at Kara while she worked for those final minutes. She could hardly wait to talk to her again, but she didn’t want to be creepy.

Caving into her own weakness for just a second, Alex glanced back over to the counter, watching Kara talk with the same Asian coworker Alex had seen around here before. Kara was smiling as she filled up her own plate with a sandwich and made herself a hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon.

With a sad pinch in her side, Alex noticed Lucy was still glaring at her.

If looks could kill, Alex was pretty sure she’d be dead already, incinerated into a pile of smoking ashes.

Alex didn’t regret what she’d said to Lucy, but she wished she hadn’t been forced to say it at all. She’d spoken the truth when she’d told Lucy and Kara that she understood  _ why _ Lucy held a grudge against her, didn’t trust her, but that didn’t mean it hurt any less to feel the strong disapproval of someone who played such an important role in Kara’s life.

Still, Alex smiled as Kara walked over to her, put down her plate and cup, and took off her standard CatCo Coffee issued apron. Folding it neatly, Kara laid it down next to her on the padded bench.

"Hello again," Alex said, pleased to see her own smile reflected on Kara's face.

"Hi." Kara's voice was gentle and kind and it sent shocks of pleasure down Alex's back. This was what she had been missing out on these last few weeks. Now that she had it back, she'd never take this feeling for granted.

"Is Lucy okay? Or is she plotting my murder even harder, now that I talked to her again?" Alex took a sip of her hot chocolate, her stomach growling noticeably. She was damn ready for this sandwich.

Kara rolled her eyes at Alex's question.

"She's probably going to be planning your murder for the next ten years," she said, hand reaching out and skimming over the back of Alex's fingers. It didn't seem like a conscious movement. Alex turned her hand into the motion, clasping Kara's fingers with her own.

"Is there anything I can do to make her like me again? Or am I forever doomed to be on Lucy Lane's bad side?" One hand holding onto Kara, Alex grabbed her sandwich with the other and took a bite out of it. It was delicious.

Contemplating Alex's question for a moment, Kara took a bite of her own sandwich, chewing thoughtfully.

"I don't know... Lucy likes to hold grudges against the people who hurt her friends," Kara replied, thumb stroking Alex's palm slowly. "I think she knows you're telling the truth, but she's still caught up in the fact that you hurt me at all, even if you didn't mean to."

Alex hummed in understanding, as Kara went on.

"She's going to stop being mad eventually, once she sees that you're not going anywhere." Kara's cheeks reddened at her own words, biting her bottom lip and giving Alex a hesitant look.

"Don't worry, you're not going to get rid of me now. Just watch. I'll be like an octopus from now on; all arms." Alex grinned, wiggling her eyebrows and flexing her biceps, a move she regretted almost instantly as her left arm flared up with pain.

Screwing up her face, Alex brought her free, right hand to her arm and scowled.

"Ugh, flexing. Bad idea at the moment," she said, gently placing her hand over the wound, as though the mere physical touch could somehow calm it down.

Kara looked beyond concerned.

"Do you need me to get you some ice? We keep cool packs in the locker room for emergencies." Kara's eyes were staring at Alex's arm intensely, and not for the first time, Alex imagined she was being x-rayed by that gaze.

"Nah, it's alright," Alex said, waving off Kara's concern. "I just need to remember to be more careful. I've never had a bullet wound before and I keep forgetting about it."

In an effort to calm Kara's worry, Alex let out a convincing laugh, designed specifically to bring the levity back to their conversation. Judging by Kara's expression, it did not have the desired effect.

"I know you haven't been back at work, but do you know if your colleagues figured out who shot at you guys?" Kara asked, hand stroking up and down Alex's forearm. The gesture was soothing and immensely welcome.

Alex shrugged.

"No one seems to know anything at work," Alex grumbled, annoyed at Lord's inability to run their precinct properly. "My friends have been trying to work the case, but there's simply no evidence. No one knows anything about the person who gave the anonymous tip about the missing bomber, and there wasn't anything in the surrounding buildings."

Taking a huge bite out of her sandwich and following it up with a gulp of hot chocolate, Alex thought about what Selina had told her on Saturday morning.

Selina had decided to conduct her own investigation into whoever had shot at Alex and Hank. She'd had her own look at the scene of the crime and the possible vantage points from which the bullet could have been fired. If she'd found something, she hadn't said, and Alex hadn't asked. Most likely, Selina would bring her into the loop once she'd uncovered something important.

More than anything, Alex wished she'd be careful.

Kara had a contemplative look on her face while she ate, her hand back on her side of the table, their connection broken for the moment.

Content to simply be spending time with Kara, Alex didn't interrupt her thoughts and focused on her own food instead.

-

After Alex had left and Kara's lunch break was over, Kara returned to her place behind the counter, Hayashi making his rounds, asking for refills and cleaning up the tables.

Saying goodbye to Alex had been a bittersweet experience, especially since Kara was so worried for her safety. Fine, so Alex hadn't been the primary target of the attack, that didn't mean she wasn't in danger now. She'd stopped whoever had shot at her partner from achieving their goal, which made it very likely that Alex herself was a target for retaliation as a result.

Kara had half a mind to change into her Supergirl outfit right now and fly patrols overhead, making sure that nothing happened to Alex on her way home.

Suppressing the urge, Kara tied her apron back around her waist and joined Lucy behind the counter.

Now that the lunchtime rush hour had passed, Kara could take a moment to breathe and kick Lucy in the shin.

Lucy gasped in betrayal.

"What was that for?" She asked, expression affronted as she rubbed the patch of skin Kara had just kicked.

"You know damn well what that was for. I told you not to be mean to Alex," Kara replied, wiping down the counter with her trusty rag.

Scowling, Lucy rolled her eyes.

“We don’t fare a ‘talk shit, get hit’ policy in this joint, Kara,” Lucy complained, still rubbing her shin. “I mean shit, have some respect and compassion for your local elderly. How am I supposed to grow back this damaged shin? How, Kara?”

“I was trapped in the Phantom Zone for over twenty years, Lucy,” Kara replied, one hand on her hip while the other continued to wipe, “which means, I’m technically older than you and you have to listen to me.”

“Fat chance,” Lucy muttered, setting down her leg and shaking it out for dramatic effect.

Kara huffed.

“I mean it, Lucy, no more unfair comments to Alex. At least not to her face, please.” Kara knew it was a lost battle, even as she said it. Lucy wouldn’t stop being mean to Alex until she’d decided for herself that Alex had suffered enough at her hands. Still, it was worth a shot.

"The woman can handle a few jabs, Kara. If she can't, she's not good enough for you," Lucy said, picking up her own rag and starting to clean her equipment. "Besides, don't you think you're moving just a little too fast? I personally think I’m onto something here."

“What do you mean?” Putting down the rag, Kara leaned her waist against the counter and glanced at the door of the coffee shop. No one there; the post rush hour lull was still holding strong.

“ _ I mean _ , Detective Dumbvers literally  _ just _ gave you an explanation for why she cheated on you,” Lucy went on, moving on to cleaning her can of whipped cream. “No matter how ‘accidental’ she made it sound.” The rag flapped up and down as she put air quotes around the word  _ accidental _ , face turned down in a frown.

Kara didn’t say anything.

“So, I’m asking you, don’t you think you’re moving a little too fast, what with all of the hand holding and the mushy eye contact and the flirty banter and the  _ smiling _ . You were miserable for  _ weeks _ ; don’t you think you’re rushing into this a little bit?” Lucy set down the can of whipped cream and picked up one of her many spoons.

The question should have been expected. Knowing how Lucy’s brain worked and how she cared about her friends, Kara should have anticipated that she would be asking about this sooner or later. The thing was, Kara didn’t even have to think about it.

“No,” she said, shrugging her shoulders a little.

When nothing else was forthcoming, Lucy started waving around her hand.

“Elaborate, please. Come on, I can’t read your mind. I’m not your Martian friend,” she said, putting down her rag and spoon and crossing her arms over her chest. Kara shrugged again, eyes focused on Lucy.

“No, I’m not moving too fast. Like you said, I was miserable for weeks over something that, really, apparently was nobody’s fault. I know what I want and I trust Alex. I don’t want to wait anymore.” The words flowed out of her freely, and Kara found she’d never meant anything more. All she wanted was to be with Alex again, to have that feeling of happiness, of content.

Lucy sighed, but Kara wasn’t quite done.

“Besides, weren’t you the one who said I should call her again? You were the one who said I should get back together with her.” Kara could tell that Lucy was fighting with herself. It was clear she wanted to be supportive of what Kara wanted, while being worried about Kara’s emotional well-being at the same time.

It was a conflict Kara could sympathize with all too well. After all, it was how Kara felt whenever she thought about Lucy and her failed marriage to James.

“I didn’t mean for you to jump back into it headfirst,” Lucy grumbled, the fingers of her right hand drumming on her bicep, obviously agitated. “I’m just worried about you, Kara; I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

Letting the breath run from her lungs gently, Kara nodded in understanding. She knew exactly where Lucy was coming from.

“I know I said that the last time you asked me to be careful, Lucy, but… I really don’t think anything will go wrong this time. Alex…” Kara thought back to the detective’s smiling face and soft expression. Her beautiful hands and tender words. “Alex still feels  _ right _ .”

“Okay,” Lucy acquiesced. “Okay, fine, I get it. She’s like  _ the one _ for you or something. Fine.” Raising her left eyebrow skeptically, Lucy loosened her tightly crossed arms. “Just don’t expect me to be nice to her.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kara said, rolling her eyes but pulling Lucy into a soft, brief side hug.

It really was fine.

Kara knew how Lucy got when she was worried about her friends and family, and Kara appreciated every second of it.

Mostly.

-

After her excellent lunch date with Kara, Alex felt like she was floating on air. They’d talked, they’d held hands, and they’d made loving eye contact over the table. Alex was pretty sure that if she were Supergirl, she’d be soaring above the rooftops right now, flying higher and higher.

But, alas, Alex wasn’t Supergirl, a fact she realized all too harshly when someone pulled out a gun in front of her on the sidewalk and aimed it squarely at her chest.

It was a ridiculous moment, almost surreal in its ludicrousness.

Alex was walking on a busy sidewalk in the middle of the day, shops and homes rising up high around her. The sun was shining, the birds were tittering, the passersby were disgruntled and ready to get back to their homes.

And there was a  _ gun _ , shiny and metallic, pointed straight at her.

Alex reacted instinctively.

She ducked out of the line of fire and grabbed for the muzzle of the gun, pointing it at the sky just quickly enough for the bullet to shoot high into the air. Struggling with the white, middle-aged, bald man in front of her, Alex brought down her forehead on the man’s nose, a sickening crunching sound filling the air.

In his moment of distraction and pain, Alex pulled out her own gun from the concealed inside waistband holster attached to her jeans and shot him twice, once in each kneecap. Screaming, he relinquished the hold on his weapon and Alex slipped it into her jeans.

Other people were scattering out of the street, screaming, yelling, and hoping to find cover. Some were filming the whole ordeal on their phones. She didn’t particularly fancy being the talk of the town again, not since she’d left all of that public stuff behind in Gotham, but there was nothing she could do about the cameras.

Before Alex could relax, however, another shot ran out, narrowly missing her right arm, and she looked behind her to see two more men make their way towards her, firearms at the ready.

“Bull,” Alex grumbled, body-rolling behind a car as they started firing at her in earnest.

More screaming civilians filled Alex’s field of vision.

She needed to put a stop to this, or else someone might get hurt. Someone who wasn’t  _ her _ .

Taking a deep breath, Alex flattened herself to the ground and scoped out the area from under the car. There were several pairs of legs running, but two of them were walking slowly towards her, almost casually. Gripping her .9mm tightly, Alex aimed at their shins and fired four times in quick succession, keeping her hands steady by sheer force of will.

They cried out in terror as she shredded their tibias.

She watched as they fell, quickly jumping back to her feet and checking around the car for the two perps she’d just put down. They were lying on the ground, eyes screwed shut in pain, though still holding onto their handguns.

Aiming steadily, Alex shot first one and then the other gun out of their hands, zoning out their howls of pain as the weapons were pulled forcefully from their limbs. She couldn’t have any compassion for any of them now, not when they’d just tried to kill her.

Checking around to see if there were any others, Alex walked briskly over to the other guys’ guns, slipping her own empty .9mm into the holster inside of her jeans, next to the new gun from the guy she’d shot down first.

Just as she was about to reach the first fallen weapon, kneeling down, hand going for her phone to call for backup, Alex felt the cold muzzle of another handgun press against her temple.

“Got you now, asshole,” a man’s smug voice said behind her.

He pulled the cold metal away slightly, so she could turn her head to look at him, now face to face with… another white, bald henchman, virtually indistinguishable from the other three.

Not for the first time in her life, Alex wondered if these men were actually born, of if they were manufactured somewhere, because they couldn’t  _ all _ possibly want the same asinine things. Sadly, Alex knew the truth.

“You can say hello to all of the other dead freaks,” he said, smirking down at her, finger on the trigger, poised to pull it. “And when we’re done with everything, you can say hello to  _ Supergirl _ .”

She saw his finger tighten on the trigger the same second she slipped her hand into her shoe and pulled out her knife. The bullet seared past her head as she stabbed the knife into the perp’s forearm, slamming her left arm against his trachea as a yell of agony left his mouth and he dropped the gun.

Momentarily stunned, he stumbled back, screaming as she yanked the knife back out of his flesh and kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling out onto his back.

“Shouldn’t have taken the time to monologue about your plans, fucker,” Alex said, kicking the guy’s stomach, making sure he was too busy with writhing on the ground to do anything. Her phone was in her hand a second later, calling in backup quickly.

Left bicep screaming at the exertion, Alex kicked the perp’s gun away and grabbed the one at the back of her jeans that still had bullets in it.

“Don’t move,” she growled, weapon steady and unwavering in her hand.

-

When Hank arrived on the scene, along with four police cars and two ambulances, he looked  _ pissed _ . He didn’t just look angry; his face was distorted into an expression of foreboding Alex had never seen on him before. She hoped it wasn’t directed at  _ her _ .

“The hell happened here?” He thundered, grabbing her shoulders forcefully, pulling away only when she winced. “I leave you alone for a few days and you almost get yourself killed  _ again _ ?”

Scowling at him, Alex rolled her eyes.

“It wasn’t exactly my idea to get ambushed by members of a gang. All I wanted was a casual stroll home and then suddenly I was being shot at from all sides.” She tried not to make it too obvious that her left arm had started bleeding again. She didn’t want to worry him any more than she already had while she told him in detail what had happened to her.

Hank cursed softly to himself.

“Let’s get you to one of those ambulances. Did they get you?” His eyes flit over her in worry and latched onto her old bullet wound. “Did you reopen your wound while you were being  _ shot at _ ?  _ Again _ ?”

“No…” Alex said, shifting away a little so he couldn’t see how she was trying to stop the blood from dripping out of her sleeve.

“Alex,” he said, voice stern.

“Okay, fine, yes, but it’s nothing. I was just going to have a friend of mine take a look at it later,” she relented, following him to one of the waiting ambulances, where two of the perps were being handcuffed to stretchers. She was trailing blood. Maybe having herself checked out here rather than at her apartment later would be more prudent. Less of a mess for her to clean up.

“You were operated on a few days ago and you probably ripped open your stitches; we’re not going to risk an infection just because you’re stubborn.” Hank waved over one of the paramedics and helped Alex out of her leather jacket. The thing was ruined, blood coating the dark fabric on the inside.

Alex’s nice blue shirt was stained red.

“What do we have?” The paramedic asked, a blonde, black woman with a buzz cut.

“Gunshot wound to the bicep, reopened during the shooting just now,” Alex supplied, working on the buttons of her shirt, wincing every time she moved the wound. The adrenaline had worn off somewhat, amplifying the pain she’d barely felt before.

When she’d finished with the buttons, Hank helped her pull it off, revealing her ruined, white tank top and a blood-soaked bandage. The gaping hole in Alex’s arm, thankfully concealed by the gauze, was obviously bleeding angrily, and Alex rolled her eyes at the sight. So utterly unnecessary.

“Yeah, we’re going to have to take you in and have a doc sew this back up. Sorry,” the paramedic said, nodding towards another ambulance that had just arrived.

“I’ll go to the precinct after I’ve assessed the situation here. I’ll send Vasquez to fetch you later, so you can give your official statement,” Hank said, giving Alex a look that very clearly told her to do as the doctors said. He didn’t try to pat her shoulder again and she was grateful, the pain now almost blinding.

“Okay, I’ll see you later, then,” Alex agreed, nodding to Hank and hissing painfully as the paramedic pressed some new gauze to the bleeding.

“Sorry,” the woman said, leading Alex over to the new ambulance.

“It’s okay, I’ve had worse.” Alex shrugged, looking down at her left forearm, down at her tattoo, trying desperately to keep the memories at bay.

“Cops,” the paramedic teased, grinning at Alex as she helped her into the ambulance. “You guys always got to be strong and tough.”

Alex grinned back.

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure that’s actually in our contract somewhere,” she said, leaning back against the wall of the ambulance and closing her eyes. “Besides, if we couldn’t be strong and tough, what else would be left, if we’re being honest here for a second? A big pile of daddy issues and our guns?”

The paramedic snorted.

-

Kara had been in a good mood ever since Alex had left CatCo’s. Despite Lucy’s constant needling and prodding, Kara felt good about her decision to bring Alex back into her life. She couldn’t wait to call Alex up or send her a text message, asking her for a proper second date. Something uncomplicated and non-threatening.

A date in another coffee shop, maybe, or in a movie theater.

In a place where Kara could hold Alex’s hand without the feeling of being watched - where they could just spend hours in each other’s presence, getting to know one another better. The thought was nice and filled her with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Kara was still riding the high of her lunch break, when the radio finished playing the latest pop song and switched over to the news.

Continuing to work efficiently, Kara cocked an ear and listened to the pleasant female voice talk about the weather forecast for the upcoming weeks. As Supergirl, Kara liked to pay attention to the news, just in case there was something for her to do, something to help out with, or something she’d missed somehow while she was working. When the pleasant female voice started talking about a shooting not terribly far from CatCo Coffee, Kara halted briefly in her typing.

It was only a small hitch, but it was enough for Lucy to notice and look over to her.

They both listened as the radio host spoke of a shooting, reassuring her listeners that there had been no civilian casualties, despite the fact that the act had been committed on a crowded street in broad daylight.

“ _ Many brave citizens took it upon themselves to film the ordeal that was occurring right in front of them, giving us a very clear picture of what took place at two pm this afternoon _ ,” the reporter said, while Kara continued taking orders. She wondered how she hadn’t heard about the incident sooner, considering J’onn usually called her in when something major was going down in the city.

Regardless, Kara was glad she hadn’t been forced to don her Supergirl outfit so quickly after her lunch with Alex had put her into such a good mood. Apparently, the situation had been handled by the police quickly and efficiently. Not  _ technically _ a first, but certainly a step up from how they sometimes botched things up.

“ _ The four assailants, who are all presently in custody, targeted a single police officer out on a stroll _ ,” the woman continued, and Kara’s blood froze in her veins. A single police officer out on a stroll at two pm? No, it couldn’t possibly be…

“One police officer?” Lucy whispered, face torn between worry and annoyance. “I swear to God, Kara, if this is your dumbass…”

Handing over the new order, Kara bit her bottom lip as the radio host described how the four attackers had been systematically and effortlessly put down... But it couldn’t possibly be Alex. Alex wasn’t on duty and wasn’t wearing her police badge. Kara was pretty sure she hadn’t even been carrying her gun.

“ _ The brave police officer had been wounded in a shooting only days prior, saving her partner’s life in the process _ ,” the reporter said, causing Kara to rub her face and groan.

Of course.

_ Of course _ .

It  _ had _ to have been her.

“ _ Decorated police detective Alexandra Danvers, a recent transferee from Gotham City, showed immeasurable strength and integrity today, as she took down four heavily armed men without causing a single fatality, in what can only be described as superhero-level heroics _ ,” the reporter concluded, causing Kara to pale considerably.

Lucy scoffed and shook her tub of whipped cream rather too vigorously.

“Well, well, well, if you two aren’t a superhero-level heroic couple,” she whispered, hitting Kara in the elbow with the cold tub of whipped cream. Hard enough to startle Kara but not hard enough to dent the metal on Kara’s skin of steel.

“That’s not funny, Lucy,” Kara hissed back, hoping the radio would stop squawking about how Alex had almost been killed  _ yet again _ . She wondered if this thing had something to do with what had happened to Alex and her partner a few days ago. If these two incidents were connected in some way, if everything had been orchestrated by the same people.

It must have been.

Kara couldn’t chalk up the timing of both attacks to a stroke of bad luck or simple coincidence. Someone must have targeted Alex for pushing her partner out of the line of fire. Or maybe they’d planned on killing both of them all along.

Either way, this was bad, and Kara had no idea how to make it stop. Alex had succeeded today in protecting herself, but she was wounded and vulnerable, and Kara was scared that whoever had tried to kill her before, would simply hire another sniper.

She needed to do something.

-

Statement given and all the proceedings wrapped up, Alex sat down at her desk and leaned back her head. Her eyes were closed, her legs boneless and weak.

She was tired.

She was exhausted.

She was  _ destroyed _ .

Her arm had been newly sewn up and bandaged and she’d received a decent amounts of painkillers for the constant throbbing and stinging.

After the hospital proceedings had been dealt with and Alex had called in her status, Vasquez had picked her up quickly. They had obviously been worried for their friend, and had asked Alex all sorts of questions about the assault. Voice removed and monotone, Alex had answered all of their inquiries, and after ascertaining that Alex was indeed fine, Vasquez had simply patted her on the thigh in a show of moral support.

And that had been that.

Only slightly hopped up on painkillers now, Alex reflected on what Hank had told her about the four men who had tried to assassinate her this afternoon.

Four men with guns, all of them bald, all of them heavily tattooed. She’d taken a look at them personally. Their legs and knees and arms all sewn up and properly fixed at the hospital, they’d been sent to the precinct, where they’d been interrogated by Hank, while Alex watched through the glass.

Their tattoos identified them as members of a local drug ring, the same ring they’d previously encountered in line with another investigation.

At the scene of the third eye-burning murders, a hair had been found. A hair belonging to a local crime boss who was in charge of the four men who had just tried to eliminate her.

It didn’t make any sense.

She had no idea why they would be attacking her. Not over this, surely? Hank and her had been to their boss’s property, questioning him on his whereabouts during the three sets of murders. But he’d had a solid alibi for each one.

There was no reason for him to be retaliating. Especially not now, after weeks and weeks had gone by.

Even more strikingly, while the four men certainly  _ looked _ like members of this drug ring, there was something…  _ off _ about them. It took Alex over half an hour of staring at them intently to put her finger on what was bothering her. A lingering thought niggling in the back of her mind, trying to make her remember something she hadn’t thought about in a while.

A few years ago, while she’d still been working as a beat cop in Gotham, she’d met a consulting detective for the NYPD, who had been weird and stand-offish but whom she had taken an instant liking to. She remembered a case he’d worked on, where an undercover cop had infiltrated a Dominican drug cartel, having himself tattooed in all the right places to fit in with the rest of the cartel.

The caveat, the thing that made it possible for the consulting detective to uncover the cop amongst the drug dealers, had been the age of tattoos, the level at which they were faded. Living the drug ring lifestyle, these people acquired their tattoos over time, which meant they tended to fade differently, revealing their age. Not so for the undercover cop, who had been covered in tattoos all in one go.

As she waited and watched Hank’s interrogation, Alex thought about the tattoos on the bodies of her four attackers, studying them intently, trying to ascertain if she could detect something similar here. A clue as to what was wrong with the picture that presented itself to her.

To her own astonishment, the more Alex looked, the more she saw.

If she hadn’t been actively searching for irregularities in their stories, she most likely wouldn’t have noticed. If they’d been successful in killing her (a chilling thought, indeed), the blame would have been placed squarely on the gang. There would have been no questions as to who was at fault.

Alex had told Hank about her suspicions, when he had joined her after his interrogation. He’d nodded along to her assessments, agreeing with her worries. How shooting someone in broad daylight wasn’t this gang’s style, and how the tattoos didn’t look quite right.

Now, hours later, she was ready to go home and rest.

Pulling out her phone, Alex saw that she’d missed two calls from Kara, a twinge of worry instantly coloring her face. Was there something wrong?

Regardless, Alex wanted to go home before she called her back. She didn’t want to run the risk of anyone overhearing her conversation. Her colleagues here already knew too much about her, she didn’t want to add her romantic life on top of everything else that was being said about her behind her back.

Quickly opening up her contacts, Alex scrolled through the names and pressed the call button.

“Hey, baby, what do you need?” Selina’s voice purred through the receiver. “I expected you home much sooner. Trish and I have been feeling so antsy without you. I raided your fridge while you were gone, I hope you don’t mind.”

Sagging further into her desk chair, Alex sighed as relief filled her body. Selina’s voice was like a warm touch upon her tired soul.

“I need you to come pick me up at the precinct, please. I’ll tell you everything once you’re here. My car keys are on the dresser in the hallway,” Alex answered, barely able to stay upright in her chair. “I don’t feel like walking back home.”

Selina was immediately concerned.

“I’ll be right there, Alex. Just let me put on some pants. Do you want me to come inside?”

Alex could hear rustling on the other end of the line, and a tiny disgruntled mewl. Trish had most likely been sleeping on Selina’s legs or chest. Listening to the phone in silence for a second, Alex imagined Selina rushing into Alex’s bedroom and pulling on a pair of jeans.

“No, don’t worry about finding me. I’ll wait outside,” Alex replied, looking up when Vasquez joined her at her desk and set a bottle of water down next to her. Pulling the phone away from her mouth, Alex smiled at her friend. “Thanks, Vas.”

Vasquez winked, squeezed Alex’s shoulder and walked off.

“Okay, honey, see you in a little bit,” Selina said, and Alex hummed in agreement before ending the call. Closing her eyes once again, Alex lowered the phone to her thigh and let out a long breath of defeat. Hopefully, Selina would be here soon.

-

Kara was worried out of her mind, flying through the air and looking for any possible leads as to what had taken place at two pm this afternoon. Her eyes scanned the crime scene below her, even though the police had long since moved on.

She’d tried calling Alex after her shift was over, but she’d only gotten her voicemail, which did  _ not _ alleviate Kara’s anxiety. Not even a little bit.

Logically, Kara knew Alex must have been fine after the shooting, or else the news anchor woman would have said something about a fatality or Alex being wounded in the line of duty, but… Kara wanted to make sure nothing had been missed.

The fact that Alex hadn’t picked up the phone or called her back, even though it was now six pm, surely didn’t mean anything. Kara needed to get her head in the game, if she wanted to find out who was targeting the woman she wanted to date.

Setting down on a rooftop, Kara scanned the streets below for anything she could use to her advantage, for anything terribly out of the ordinary.

Time to investigate.

-

Alex hadn’t realized she’d started dozing in her chair with her phone clutched in her hand until she heard voices from around the corner. Both cadences sounded all too familiar and Alex was out of her chair in an instant, groggy and in pain. Her bullet wound did not appreciate the sudden jostling.

“Officer Vasquez,” a woman’s sultry voice purred suggestively, making Alex’s blood run cold, “if you would be so kind as to let me know where I can find Detective Danvers? I’m here to drive her home.”

“Um…” The other voice said, obviously uncomfortable and wondering how the woman knew who they were. “What’s your name, ma’am? I’ll let Detective Danvers know you’re here to see her.”

“My name is Selina. I’m sure Detective Danvers has mentioned me before. I’m her-“ Selina said, just as Alex rounded the corner, a scowl permanently affixed on her face. “Alex, there you are, baby, are you alright?”

Abandoning a freaked out Vasquez, Selina flew over to Alex and cupped both cheeks, turning her head from side to side and checking the rest of her body for any newly apparent injuries. Alex pulled her head free and walked over to Vasquez, rolling her eyes.

“Sorry, Vas,” Alex said, glaring at Selina. “She was supposed to wait outside.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, Supercop,” Selina whined, sidling up to Vasquez and running her hands over their uniformed, left arm, squeezing their bicep. “I was just trying to ask Officer Vasquez here about your whereabouts. Besides, they didn’t mind the attention.” Then, turning to Vasquez, Selina curled one hand around their cheek and pressed a kiss against their face. “Did you, Officer Vasquez?”

“Um, I—Please let go of me, ma’am,” Vasquez stammered, taking a step back and pulling their arm free from Selina’s casual grip. With a scared look in Alex’s direction, Vasquez started wiping their face free of Selina’s lipstick stains and walked away from them. “See you in a few days, Danvers.”

Selina pouted.

“What about me, Officer Vasquez? Aren’t you going to say goodbye to me? Alex has told me so much about you,” Selina called after them, one hand steady and comforting on Alex’s back. If Alex had been even a little bit more exhausted, she would have slumped directly into Selina’s strong arms. Instead, she watched as Vasquez stiffened and turned back around to them.

“Have a nice day, ma’am,” Vasquez said, before quickly continuing their escape.

Smirking, Selina curled her arm around Alex’s shoulder and whistled, watching them go.

“You never told me how adorable your colleague is, Supercop,” Selina lamented, as her and Alex made their way out of the precinct together, Alex leaning part of her weight on her friend, yawning when they left the building. “In all of our conversations, you never mentioned that tight little butt. I can’t believe you’d do that to me.”

Alex huffed.

“Shut up, that’s really gross. Vasquez is my friend,” Alex said, screwing up her face in disgust. “And you can’t talk to police officials like that, even if they’re my friends.” Selina’s amused chuckle brought a scowl to Alex’s face. “I mean it. Vasquez is a good kid; they don’t need the added weight of worrying about grabby cat people.”

Opening the car door for Alex, Selina surveyed the area around them with her eyes, taking in the other police personnel and cars. She was no doubt trying to figure out if any of them meant Alex any harm. While Alex appreciated the effort, all she wanted was to go home.

“Get in the car and drive me home,” Alex whined, a little annoyed when Selina leaned over before Alex could make a grab for the seatbelt and buckled her in herself. “And I’m not a child.”

Selina smiled gently and pressed a loving kiss against Alex’s forehead.

“Shut up and let me take care of you,” she said with a smile, closing the door in Alex’s face and walking around to the driver’s side, buckling herself in and peeling out of the parking lot in less than a minute. “But really, baby, I can’t believe you never even sent me so much as a picture of Officer Vasquez. I’d love to take that adorable, little hottie out for a spin.”

Hand instinctively lifting in a face palm, Alex didn’t bother dignifying Selina’s words with a response.

-

> [Vasquez]: I am so done with you, omg, what is wrong with your friends???  _ Sent 7:22pm _ .
> 
> [Vasquez]: Where do you even find people like that???  _ Sent 7:22pm _ .
> 
> [Vasquez]: First that pretty much naked redhead and now this???  _ Sent 7:23pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Gotham is a dark, dark place.  _ Sent 7:30pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: You get attacked by people like that in its dark alleys. But they’re nice, if you get to know them. Sorry about the ambush, though. Told Selina to knock it off.  _ Sent 7:32pm _ .
> 
> [Vasquez]: Is she gonna listen to you?  _ Sent 7:33pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Nope.  _ Sent 7:33pm _ .
> 
> [Vasquez]: Comforting.  _ Sent 7:34pm _ .

-

“If you’re texting Harley or Red, tell them I’m taking good care of you,” Selina said as they rode up Alex’s elevator together, Selina letting her hand run through Alex’s hair. They’d driven the rest of the way to the apartment in silence, Alex dozing gently against the window and Selina humming along to the Pussy Cat Dolls.

“I’m counseling Vasquez after the trauma you put them through just now,” Alex mumbled, sending Vasquez a shrugging emoticon, alongside an extremely comforting  _ there is no escape, run now or accept the inevitability of groping _ .

Humming derisively, Selina unlocked Alex’s front door with the spare key Alex usually kept in her kitchen drawer. Some things just didn’t change. Even after the move, Alex still kept certain things in exactly the same places.

“Tell Officer Vasquez I’m looking forward to our next meeting,” Selina purred, steering Alex to the couch where Trish was already waiting for them. “You keep texting while I get you a cup of tea, alright? No moving for you until you tell me exactly what happened.”

Alex rolled her eyes, Trish jumping on her thighs immediately and pressing her head against Alex’s chin.

“There won’t be a next meeting, if I’ve got anything to say about it.” Curling her free hand around Trish and texting Vasquez with the other, Alex stayed on the couch. Arguing with Selina about staying put would cause more trouble than it was worth. Though Alex really wanted to get out of her ruined leather jacket and button-up.

“Why do you want to stand in the way of Officer Vasquez’ and my love, Supercop? You need to get over your own jealousy, baby,” Selina teased, filling Alex’s kettle with water and setting out the tea, before vanishing into Alex’s bedroom, no doubt to relieve herself of the jeans she’d so hastily thrown on before.

“I will punch you,” Alex yelled from the living room, “in your stupid, gorgeous face.”

Wearing nothing but her panties and Alex’s old Police Academy t-shirt, Selina appeared from Alex’s bedroom, running a hand through her disheveled hair. If Alex weren’t hopelessly head over heels for Kara and hadn’t known Selina for literal years at this point, the sight might have excited her.

“Aw, Trish, did you hear that? Supercop thinks I’m gorgeous!” Selina said, pulling Trish off Alex’s lap and into her own arms. “Even when she’s mean, she can’t help but prove her love for me.” Selina’s smirk widened into a shit-eating grin. “Of course, that’s not going to help her keep me from her delicious colleague.”

Annoyed at herself, Alex tipped to the side and buried her head in the nearest pillow. Groaning, she set her phone down on the coffee table. “How is it that I was almost shot again, and yet this is the most horrific thing I’ve experienced today,” Alex grumbled, keeping her left arm from touching the couch.

When a sudden silence filled the room, Alex lifted herself back into a sitting position and looked over to her friend, Selina’s face ashen and  _ pissed _ .

“Oh… you didn’t—did you not hear the news?” Alex stammered, sliding away from Selina and sending her a small, placating smile. “Ha, um, yeah, Hank told me they broadcast a lot about what happened, but… I guess you didn’t have the TV or the radio on… So…”

“You were almost shot again?!” Selina bellowed, quickly whispering something to Trish and setting her down on Alex’s legs, Selina’s whole body shaking with barely contained rage. “Who shot at you, and why the fuck did you not call me, when I was  _ right here in your fucking apartment _ , reading one of your books?”

Alex hissed when Trish’s outstretched claws bit into the flesh of her thighs through her jeans, her hands gripping her kitten and pulling her off immediately. Looking at her now, Trish seemed about as innocent as can be, the little assassin, not even mad when Alex set her down on the black kitty blanket next to her.

“That hurt, Selina!” Alex snarled, rubbing her thighs and glaring at her friend. “And I’m already hurt, why would you hurt me  _ more _ ?”

Eyes narrowed, Selina crossed her arms over her chest.

“I didn’t do anything, Trish did. And if you ask me, she has every right to be mad at you,” she said, starting to pace along Alex’s coffee table, obviously projecting.

“Don’t push this on my cat, when she clearly acted on your instructions!” Alex could still feel the tiny pricks in her skin. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation. She could appreciate why Selina was angry with her, but that didn’t mean she had to take her assault through cat-proxy lying down.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. That is complete and utter nonsense, I can’t tell Trish what to do. If I could, I’d have told her to scratch some sense into you, because you very clearly need it!” Selina’s eyes were burning with an angry fire Alex had rarely seen in them.

“You talk to cats all the time,” Alex yelled out, at a loss for what else to say, jumping to her feet and drawing herself to her full height in front of her friend, her left bicep smarting uncomfortably. She really needed to stop it with the sudden movements.

“No, I don’t,” Selina retorted.

Alex felt as though she were on the verge of an explosion.

“Selina, don’t fucking bullshit me right now.” Alex followed Selina with her eyes as her friend continued to pace, throwing glares at Alex, which would have seemed much more threatening if she’d been wearing less revealing clothes.

“I wouldn’t need to, if you just fucking  _ talked _ to me, Alex!” Selina’s stare was furious, and it made Alex sit back down on the couch and sigh. “I was  _ right here _ . I could have been there for you.”

Rubbing her temples, Alex closed her eyes and grit her teeth.

“I was ambushed, alright? It all happened within a matter of minutes. I didn’t have time to call you,” she said, leaning her back against the sofa and opening her eyes, watching as Selina started pacing once more, this time less angry and more concerned.

“Did they get you? Were you hurt? How—What happened?” Selina’s voice was shaky, her shoulders stiff as she stopped pacing, grabbed a pillow from the couch, and sat herself down on the coffee table in front of Alex. “Tell me what they did to you, baby.”

All in all, it didn’t take Alex long to explain to Selina what had gone down that afternoon. How she’d been shot at, how she’d put down henchman after henchman, how she’d used her karambit knife when her gun had been out of the question.

Alex had to keep repeating herself all throughout, telling Selina over and over again that  _ no _ , there really wasn’t time to call her, and that  _ no _ , she did not leave Selina out of it on purpose.

“Trust me, I would have appreciated the back-up. Taking on four guys isn’t exactly my idea of a good time,” Alex said, reaching out and taking Selina’s hand, squeezing it gently. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner, though.”

Selina nodded.

“So… they didn’t get you?” Selina asked, letting her eyes roam over Alex’s slightly bedraggled appearance.

Sighing, Alex grimaced a little at the thought of letting Selina know about the reopened wound. Still, there was no way she’d be able to hide it from her, especially considering the blood that had soaked through her button-up and leather jacket. At some point, Selina would see it. Better to fill her in on it sooner, rather than later.

Shrugging out of her leather jacket, Alex didn’t look at Selina as she revealed the blood staining her left sleeve. Selina’s gasp told her far more than anything else ever could have.

“The wound reopened during the shoot-out. Probably when I slammed my forearm into that one guy’s throat after I’d stabbed him with the knife you guys gave me. He did not see that coming.” Alex tried for a smile, finally chancing a glance at Selina’s eyes, startled to find them filled with tears. “Hey, hey, don’t worry, the doctors patched me back up. Everything’s fi- Ow, what the hell, Selina?!”

Holding her now stringing, right arm, Alex scowled at her friend.

“Why the fuck did you hit me?” Alex whined, rubbing her sore bicep and letting her bottom lip jut out into a pout.

“Ugh, you make me so angry sometimes, you know that?” Selina said through gritted teeth, arms crossed over her chest once more. “It’s just like you to get yourself into a situation like this twice in two weeks.”

Alex’s pout was holding strong.

“Can’t you just be proud of me that I used the knife you guys got me?” Alex asked, still rubbing her bicep and thinking of the karambit knife tucked into her right boot.

It was a magnificent weapon.

Curved like a claw, the blade was of a deep, green tint, while the blood-red hilt was peppered with small jesters’ faces. It had been a present from her three friends for her promotion to detective. Sometimes, years later, Alex still found small bits of confetti in her clothes from the party they’d thrown her.

Rolling her eyes, glare as intense as before, Selina got up from her place on the coffee table and planted herself on the couch, sitting down on Alex’s right. Most likely so she wouldn’t accidentally jostle Alex’s injured arm.

“I can’t believe you brought a knife to a gun fight,” Selina muttered derisively, reaching over and sliding her palm into Alex’s hand, intertwining their fingers. Her free hand raked through her own hair in exasperation at Alex’s antics.

Grinning, Alex tightened her grip.

“ _ And _ I survived to tell the tale! Take that, mainstream media.” Holding out her left hand for a high five, Alex was more than a little disappointed when Selina simply narrowed her eyes at her and pursed her lips. “Come on, Selina, don’t leave me hanging.”

When no high five seemed to be forthcoming, Alex huffed and pushed herself to her feet to get rid of her sullied button-up. No way was she going to try and clean this rag. It was going directly into the trash.

Just as Alex had made her way around the couch, did she feel a resounding  _ smack _ against her ass.

“That’s the only five I’ll give you. Go change into something less gruesome and come get your tea, baby. Then we can plan our revenge on the guys that did this to you,” Selina said, getting up from the couch and kissing Alex’s cheek, before walking into the open kitchen area.

Grumbling quietly to herself, Alex obliged her.

-

> [Alex Danvers]: Sorry I missed your calls. Didn’t have time to check my phone this afternoon.  _ Sent 7:50pm _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: No problem! Are you okay??  _ Sent 7:50pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Yeah, everything’s fine! I can call you in a bit, if that’s alright with you?  _ Sent 7:52pm _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Of course!  _ Sent 7:52pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Cool.  _ Sent 7:53pm _ .

-

“How do you feel about driving to the scene?”

Selina was sitting at Alex’s kitchen table, nursing a cup of black tea with her phone in her free hand as Alex walked inside. Typing away, Selina beckoned for Alex to come closer, sit herself down and have a cup of tea. Alex didn’t have trouble interpreting her hand gestures anymore.

“Drive to the place where I was almost killed today by a shadowy organization posing as a drug ring? When I literally  _ just _ got home? After I reopened my bullet wound stabbing a guy through his forearm, and trying to cave in his trachea?” Grabbing for her own mug of black tea, Alex planted herself on a chair and sipped at the hot beverage.

“I guess that’s a ‘No’?” Selina asked, letting her naked foot slide up Alex’s grey sweatpants.

“That’s a big ‘hell no’,” Alex retorted. “I want to sit my ass in front of my TV, call Kara, and cuddle with my cat. That’s my Monday night.”

Rolling her eyes, Selina put down her phone and regarded Alex with her steady, piercing eyes.

“Well, I’m going to go, whether you’re coming with me or not. They might have left some evidence behind, and if they did, I’m going to find it. I’m going to call up some of my National City contacts and I’m going to find out exactly who hired those bastards to put down my lovely, little Supercop,” she said, picking up her cup and taking a hearty gulp of her tea.

“Try not to get yourself into trouble, alright? I don’t want to have to bail you out.” Alex’s phone chimed with another message from Vasquez. She ignored it for the moment.

“Look who’s talking about keeping herself out of trouble,” Selina snarked. “Ms. Gets-Herself-Killed-Almost-Every-Week.” Her foot slid over Alex’s outer thigh and came to rest on top of it, poking Alex in the stomach. “Your friendly neighborhood rodent friend wouldn’t be amused by you getting attacked constantly, either.”

“Batman knows what the work is like,” Alex said, thinking back to her conversation with him just last week after he’d heard she’d been shot. He wasn’t great at showing his emotions, but he took care of his own. “He’d be proud of me for handling myself so well today.”

“He’d still tell you to let me help you find out who is behind all of this, so they won’t try again,” Selina needled, nudging Alex with her foot once more. Annoyed with herself, Alex let her hand slide onto Selina’s naked legs and started stroking them gently. Old habits.

“No, he wouldn’t,” Alex said, voice deadpan.

“No, he wouldn’t,” Selina agreed, shrugging. “But let’s pretend he would, so you can let me fucking help you anyway. Okay, pumpkin?” Smiling widely, Selina patted Alex’s hand on her leg, before leaning back in her chair and getting more comfortable.

“You’re going to go out there and fuck shit up no matter what I say, so this line of conversation is completely moot.” Poking gently at her left bicep, Alex barely registered Selina’s Cheshire cat grin.

“You learn so fast, Supercop. Only took you six years to figure me out,” Selina said. “And stop touching your wound, that’s only going to make things worse.”

Heavily reminded of her mother, Alex pulled her hand away from her arm and placed it back on Selina’s shin, drawing spirals and squares on the smooth, soft skin. She was grateful to Selina for looking out for her, even when she was unwelcome (which was most of the time, at least according to the act Alex put on in front of her), but Alex hadn’t been kidding. She really did want that comfortable Monday night with Trish, Herbert, her television, and Kara on the other end of a phone line.

“Yeah, yeah, you go do your thing. Just keep it more or less legal, will you? Or out of view from the police, at least. The NCPD isn’t like the guys in Gotham. Things are  _ way _ worse on the metahuman front over here, and I wouldn’t want to be called in because someone shot a stray cat in a leotard,” Alex concluded, pinching Selina’s skin quickly before rubbing over the spot to take some of the sting out of it.

“Aw, you’re worried about me, Supercop? How touching.” Selina grinned into her mug for a moment. When Alex rolled her eyes, Selina winked, puckering her lips at Alex in a mock-kiss. Then, as she spoke, her eyes turned soft. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about me, baby. Us cats  _ do _ have nine lives.”

Sliding her legs down from Alex’s thigh, Selina emptied her cup of tea into her mouth, set it down on the sink, and pressed a sweet, gentle kiss against Alex’s cheek.

The gesture was foreign.

So foreign, indeed, that Alex had turned her head to the side, anticipating a proper (if brief and friendly) kiss.

It brought a furrow to Alex’s brows.

“You just enjoy your Monday night,” Selina whispered, sliding her arms around Alex’s head and pulling it against her chest, fingers gently combing through Alex’s hair. In the next instant, Alex felt Selina’s lips press against the top of her head, Selina’s arms trembling ever so minutely. Selina held her as though she were something precious, held her so tightly Alex could barely tell where she began and her best friend ended.

“Are you okay?” Alex asked, her good arm sliding around Selina’s waist.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Selina answered, her voice heavy-laden with emotion. “I’m good.” She repeated, pressing a more insistent kiss against Alex’s hair. “Just… try not to get attacked, or assaulted, or die while I’m gone.”

Her words were joking, but her tone belied her seriousness.

“I promise. I’ll sit my ass down on the couch, I’ll close all my curtains, and I won’t move for the rest of the evening,” Alex said, slightly awkwardly patting Selina’s back. “Peeing and getting a snack are allowed though, right?”

With a huff, Selina let Alex go and flicked her against the forehead.

“Jerk,” she said.

“Cat butt,” Alex retorted, rubbing her forehead. “Now get the hell out of here, so I can get some damn rest.”

Hiding her smile behind a scowl, Selina kissed Alex’s cheek one more time (deliberately, impossible to miss), before she vanished into Alex’s bedroom. There wasn’t a single doubt in Alex’s mind that Selina would throw on her Catwoman suit and vault out of Alex’s bedroom window, so she allowed herself a moment to sit still, finish her tea and think about her friend’s odd behavior.

-

Kara had spent most of her afternoon scouring the city for any clue as to who might have been behind the two attacks. She’d meant to ask J’onn about both incidents, but she’d had about as much luck contacting him as she’d had contacting Alex.

Both seemed to be off the grid, something which, at least in Alex’s case, worried Kara a great deal. J’onn was most likely working a case and didn’t have the time to get back to her, but Alex? She’d been shot at and nearly killed, she should’ve been somewhere resting, not running around and being unavailable.

Now, hours later, Kara was sitting at home, stress-eating a box of donuts she’d bought herself on the way home. Her fingers sticky with donut-residue, she almost broke the kitchen counter when she saw her phone light up with a new text message.

_ Is it alright if I call you now? _

Kara nearly threw the box of donuts into the air in her haste to wipe her fingers and send a positive reply. How hard could it be to wipe a little sugary sweetness from her hands?

When she was finally clean, Kara sent back a quick  _ Yes _ , set the donuts aside and walked over to her couch, worrying her bottom lip in between her teeth. Despite the fact that they were on their way back to feeling normal around each other again, Kara still felt a little spark of anxiety at the thought of picking up the call. It had, after all, only been two days since their reconciliation.

She let the phone ring only once before pressing the accept button, pressing the screen against her ear and stretching out on her couch, head pillowed on one armrest.

“Hey,” Kara said, letting her left hand stretch out on her belly to stave off the burgeoning anxiety.

“Hey,” Alex replied, voice steady, if tired. “Sorry it took me so long to call back. I was stuck at the precinct for a few hours.”

Frowning at Alex’s words, Kara curled her fingers harder into her stomach. She’d been right, Alex had been off doing things she shouldn’t have been doing with a busted arm. Stupid, stubborn police detective.

Kara swallowed hard.

“I heard on the radio that you got shot at again this afternoon,” Kara said, forcefully relaxing her fingers on her stomach so she wouldn’t ruin another perfectly good sweater. She couldn’t afford to rip all of them. “I thought I was dreaming.” Or having a nightmare.

Alex sighed.

“Yeah, trust me, I did not plan that,” she said, clearly annoyed about the situation. “I was in a really good mood, too, after our lunch date.”

It took Alex upwards of thirty minutes to explain the whole situation, mainly because Kara kept interrupting her and asking follow-up questions. Of course, Kara had seen some of the blurry footage uploaded by people who had been following the incident on their cellphones, but Kara wanted details. What did the men look like, did they say anything about what their endgame was, how did Alex know how to react so fast to someone drawing a gun on her?

“I’ve had a lot of experience with people trying to get the drop on me,” Alex explained, voice warm and affectionate for Kara’s worry. Kara wished she could see Alex’s face right now, to ensure herself that she was really fine. “Gotham isn’t a cozy place, and if you have three super-powered weirdos for best friends… you get the idea.”

Biting her bottom lip, Kara rubbed her forehead and tried not to think about the fact that her maybe-possibly-soon-to-be girlfriend put herself in danger constantly with no regard for self-preservation. The fact that Kara basically did the same thing every day as Supergirl was totally not the point.

She had a feeling this wouldn’t be last time she’d worry about the detective.

“But one of the perps said something seriously disturbing,” Alex continued, tone suddenly more worried than it had been previously. “When he held me at gunpoint, he said something about how I should say hello to Supergirl once they were done with whatever they’re doing.”

Heart jolting in her chest, Kara tried to remain calm.

“What do you think he meant by that?” Kara asked, trying to sound casual - and not at all like  _ she was Supergirl _ , and desperately interested in what that man had said to Alex.

The line was silent for a moment, both of them breathing, as Alex took her time to think about an answer. The waiting made Kara’s face twitch in nervous anticipation.

“I don’t know,” Alex said, sighing. Kara deflated. “So far as I know, there’s no way to kill Supergirl. You’ve been here longer than me, but that’s kind of her whole deal, right?”

Scoffing gently, Kara frowned a little.

“Her  _ whole _ deal? Really? Supergirl is more than her indestructible skin.” She wasn’t offended  _ at all _ .

Silence greeted her from the other end of the line, before a gentle snigger reached Kara’s ears, as though Alex was trying to contain her laughter to keep Kara from hearing it. Now even more offended, Kara huffed and rolled onto her side, phone trapped between her ear and the armrest.

“What’s so funny?” She asked, sounding more like a petulant child than herself. She really needed to stop feeling personally offended when people ragged on Supergirl. It wouldn’t do her well to be discovered, just because she’d been a little too defensive about National City’s hero.

At her question, Alex stopped trying to contain her snigger.

“I guess I just didn’t realize I was trying to date a  _ Superfangirl _ ,” Alex said fondly, her words holding just the tiniest whisper of teasing.

Kara blustered.

“I—I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, trying to ignore how hot her face had grown. Kara knew very well what Alex was referring to. She just didn’t like to think about the fact that an entire internet subculture had sprung up around her.  _ Superfangirls _ . “I just think that you shouldn’t reduce our city’s hero to one facet of her abilities. That’s all.”

“Hmm, whatever you say,” Alex replied, obviously amused. “So you don’t have a Tumblr blog called ‘ _ supergirlismyhero121 _ ’ or something?”

Flushing a deep scarlet, Kara tried not to think about some of the things she’d seen floating around online. Which, among other things, included erotic fanfiction and fanart about herself and various other heroes. She was impressed by the creativity of some of her fans, but thinking about the fact that so many people thought about her in that way sometimes made her flustered and uncomfortable.

“No!” She said forcefully, sitting back up on her couch and trying not to squeeze her phone to death in her vice-like grip. “I just think she’s doing important work and should be respected.”

Alex hummed, an edge of laughter still in her voice.

“Anyway, I don’t like what the perp was implying about possibly exacting a hit on Supergirl. If they’ve somehow got an ace up their sleeves, or some sort of weakness of Supergirl’s that I don’t know about, I have my work cut out for me,” Alex said, pulling the conversation away from teasing Kara and back to what they had been talking about before they’d veered off. “I’m not going to let them get away with hurting her.”

Kara didn’t think her chest could fill with any more warmth for Alex than it already had. Despite the hurdles they’d recently had to pass, hearing Alex talk about protecting Supergirl made her so incredibly happy.

“I’m sure Supergirl will be sleeping safe and sound tonight, knowing you’re out there to protect her,” Kara said, voice almost too gentle for her own good. She needed to keep herself in check. At this point, after they had barely reconciled, she couldn’t go ahead and let Alex in on her secret. Not yet. It was way too soon in their relationship to even so much as  _ think _ about it.

“I’m sure she will,” Alex sassed, snorting softly as she entertained the thought.

Returning to her position of lying stretched out on the couch, Kara listened to Alex’s soft breathing, taking in the fact that the person of her affection was alive and well. Safe, for now.

“Hey, I was wondering,” Kara started, staring at her ceiling and thinking about Alex’s beautiful, dimpled smile, “I have this Wednesday off and… do you want to go on that second date, maybe? Have coffee with me somewhere other than CatCo’s?”

Worrying her bottom lip in between her teeth, Kara couldn’t believe she was nervous.

“Some place where Lucy won’t be able to glare at me? I don’t know, Kara, Lucy hating on me is a really big selling point,” Alex said, laughing gently at her own joke. Then, quietly, she grew serious. “I would love to go out with you again, Kara. I really, really would. Wednesday sounds great.” Her tone was tender and just the tiniest bit fragile, like Alex couldn’t quite believe this moment was real.

“Cool,” Kara whispered, heart set to explode at any second, “do you know where Noonan’s is? They have a nice selection of pies and cookies. Almost rivals our own.” Her heart was hammering faster and faster. “Don’t tell Ms. Grant I said that, though.”

“Cross my heart,” Alex replied, voice now just as quiet as Kara’s. This was special, this was important, this was  _ good _ . “I can’t wait to see you again. Meet you there at two pm?”

“Yeah,” Kara agreed, smile so bright now it threatened to break her face, “two pm it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, they've set up a new date! Almost makes you forget that Alex was shot at again....
> 
> As always, the chapter's been beta-d by the wonderful Coara!
> 
> Find me on tumblr @goshdarnitjay.
> 
> ((also let's just not think about the plot hole that kara heard about this attack but not about the other one ok sh sh sh let's just pretend the other one was kept under wraps by police or smth shhh))


	10. Only an Idiot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Kara visit Noonan's. Some other things ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, let me say how much I appreciate everyone's input and commentary! It's especially interesting to see how everyone reacts to the different characters, their personalities, and their actions. That honestly makes writing this even more worth it!
> 
> And of course, I know a lot of people are split on whether or not they like Selina (and how she acts around Alex). I wanted to take this opportunity to say that I hear all of your concerns about Selina being very sexually aggressive, and I assure you that I would not have written her this way if she wasn't _Catwoman_. I know a lot of you aren't familiar with the comics (same as me, really), but please try to keep that in mind. Of course that doesn't mean you have to like her or how she behaves (or that some of her actions aren't absolutely below what I would consider acceptable), but the amount of comments I have received about this just made me wanna explain that the way Alex and Selina interact is not going to change throughout this fic. 
> 
> The friendships in this are integral to the story. 
> 
> Now, I hope you enjoy the chapter as Alex and Kara try to navigate the new beginning in their relationship :D Lemme know what you think of how it all turns out!

“Sit your ass down and stop whining,” Selina growled, grabbing Alex around the waist and dragging her back down onto the edge of the bathtub. “You’re such a child.”

Scowling, Alex crossed her arms over her chest, trying to prevent Selina from getting her out of her shirt.

“I’m fine,” she said, rolling her eyes when Selina attempted to pry her arms apart, “I can do this by myself, I don’t need you to keep doing it for me.” Selina was strong, but Alex was stubborn. “It doesn’t even really hurt anymore;  _ I can do this _ .”

“You were shot a week ago, and you reopened your wound during another fucking shooting, Alexandra. Now stop being unreasonable and let me change your bandage for you, so you can go on a nice date with the love of your goddamn life.” Alex had a feeling Selina was very close to an angry huff. “Or whatever sappy shit you guys have got going on.”

Alex’s scowl was defiant, but it had nothing on Selina’s.

After another two minutes of staring at each other in silence, Alex relented.

“ _ Fine _ , you can change my bandage for me,” she said, unfurling her arms and letting Selina unbutton the front of her shirt with nimble, quick fingers. “But this is the last time.”

Making a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat, Selina gently slipped off Alex’s button-up and stroked her hands along the stiff, anxious shoulders in front of her. Her face now twisted in concern, Selina tenderly squeezed the hardened muscles and warm skin under her fingers, massaging ever so slightly.

“You know there’s absolutely no reason to be worried at this point, yes?” She asked, lifting one hand to give Alex’s chin a little nudge. “The girl is going out with you because she wants you, even after all the shit I’ve pulled.”

“ _ We’ve _ pulled,” Alex amended, still unwilling to let the entirety of the blame rest on Selina’s shoulders.

Selina rolled her eyes.

“Whatever.” She pushed Alex against her right bicep to turn her to the side, before she started removing the old bandage. Her hands were steady, her movements fluid and practiced. This wasn’t the first of Alex’s injuries she’d tended to.

“I’m not worried,” Alex lied, pointedly not looking at Selina as she said it, the fingers of her right hand running along her skinny jeans. “As you said, there’s no reason to be worried. It’s just going to be Kara and me, out on another date. And it’s not like this date is going to determine our  _ entire _ future together or anything.” Okay, fine, so maybe Alex was feeling just  _ a tad _ anxious about the whole thing.

Sighing in resignation, Selina pressed a gentle kiss against the skin around Alex’s bullet hole. The gesture brought a smile to Alex’s face, but she wiped it away before Selina could see it.

“Don’t get any of your mouth germs into my open wound, please,” Alex said, trying desperately to change the subject. She’d rather stew in her own anxiety than talk about it, even with her best friend. There existed hard limits to Alex’s ability to share, and she wasn’t ready to cross them with anyone. “I don’t want to get infected with whatever it is you’re carrying.”

“We used to share spit, baby, I think that ship has sailed,” Selina sassed back, cleaning the wound with antiseptic and all the other stuff Alex had been given at the hospital. Without even so much as a glance behind her, Selina threw the used ball of bandages over her shoulder, hitting the bin in the corner flawlessly. “And don’t try to change the subject, I know exactly what you’re doing.”

“ _ We _ didn’t share anything. You shared your spit with me, I had no choice in the matter,” Alex said, turning her left arm a little so Selina had easier access to her wound. “And I’m not trying to change anything. I’m simply guiding our conversation into safer waters.”

Snorting, Selina started rewrapping.

“Oh, please. Don’t act like your macho panties never used to get super wet when I put the moves on you.” Their conversation was light, Selina’s hands curled around the bandages, and Alex trying and failing to hide her grin behind a veneer of annoyance.

“In your dreams, maybe,” Alex lied, not willing to  _ ever _ give Selina the satisfaction of knowing just how much she’d affected Alex back in the day. When Alex had been a twenty-one year-old, naive, freshly-minted cop. If Selina knew just how close Alex had come to giving in multiple times, she’d never hear the end of it.

A Cheshire cat grin spread over Selina’s lips.

“You don’t want to know what my dreams entail, lover,” Selina purred, finishing up with the bandaging and pressing another sweet kiss against the gauze. “Or maybe you do, hm? Get you all riled up and ready for your date with your sweet, little barista?”

Placing a hand on either side of Alex on the rim of the bathtub, Selina pulled herself up and into Alex’s personal space, bringing them nose to nose.

Alex crossed her arms over her chest and raised one eyebrow.

“I’m plenty ready, thanks.” Alex’s voice was deadpan, her gaze boring into Selina’s brilliant green eyes.

Shrugging unconcernedly, Selina surged forward, pressed a gentle kiss against the side of Alex’s mouth and pulled away, pushing herself back to her feet. The weird feeling of something being  _ wrong _ crept into Alex’s bones again.

A kiss on the forehead, a kiss on the cheek, a kiss on the side of her mouth.

“Your loss, Supercop,” Selina trilled, handing over Alex’s shirt and winking.

Alex furrowed her brow lightly in thought. Something was up with Selina, and at some point Alex would have to figure out what was wrong with her. But not right now.

Right now Alex needed to get herself ready for her  _ date _ .

-

> [Kara Kent]: I can do this, right? I can totally do this?  _ Sent 11:25am _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Right???  _ Sent 11:27am _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: If you ask me one more time if you can do this, I will punch you in the face.  _ Sent 11:28am _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: What happened to Detective Douchenozzle being right and the one and only for you and all of that sappy crap?  _ Sent 11:29am _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: But yes, Kara, of course you can do this. Go be happy with Detective Dumb and Dumber.  _ Sent 11:29am _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: You really need to stop it with the names, Luce.  _ Sent 11:30am _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: NEVER.  _ Sent 11:30am _ .

-

“What do you think?” Alex asked, strutting into the living room to find Selina lounging on the couch, eating chips and watching  _ American Horror Story _ . Trish was dozing on her shoulder and Herbert was trying to eat the unfinished bag of chips. The plastic, not the actual food.

Lazily, Selina turned her head to appraise Alex’s outfit. She’d been banned from the bedroom when she’d started making lewd comments about Alex undressing in front of her. To Alex’s unending surprise, she’d actually listened and walked off, all without putting up a fuss or complaining about it.

“Nice,” Selina said, grinning, munching on another chip and looking Alex up and down appreciatively. Alex wouldn’t have gone so far as to actually call it leering, but it was close. “Ten out of ten, would bang again.”

Alex rolled her eyes.

“We never banged,” she said, stepping forward to slap the back of Selina’s head. “Don’t you go around spreading rumors about me. I have clearly far too much class to be having sex with someone like you.”

“Clearly,” Selina intoned, rolling her eyes and offering Alex a potato chip.

Shaking her head, Alex fiddled a little self-consciously with the collar of her blue plaid shirt.

“No thanks,” she said, “I don’t want to run the risk of having anything stuck in my teeth when I go meet up with Kara.”

Smoothing out the wrinkles in her shirt, Alex looked down at her old boots. She’d given them a shine this morning and had been surprised by the amount of dirt and grime she’d had to scrub off of them. She loved those boots more than anything. More for the level of sentimentality and good memories attached to them than for their practicality or style.

“Stop fussing,” Selina commanded, throwing the potato chip at Alex’s head. “Stop talking to me, get your butt into your jacket, and go sweep your little barista off her feet. Your face is great, your outfit is great, your personality is great. If it were up to me, we would be boning in your bed right this second. Now get the fuck out of here before I throw you out.”

Scowling more for appearance’s sake than for any other reason, Alex huffed, ruffled Selina’s hair with her hand and walked over to her front door. She’d gone clothes shopping with Selina yesterday, since she’d bled through her nicest and best jacket, and she’d barely survived the experience. It had all been worth it, though, now that she had the most gorgeous new leather jacket to wear out on her date (black with a dark green lining).

“I’ll catch you later,” Alex said, slipping on her jacket and making sure her gun and its holster were tucked safely out of sight. “Try not to eat all of my food again. Some of us are on a public servant’s salary.”

“Go away,” Selina replied, stroking Trish gently with her left hand and handing over the now empty bag of chips for Herbert to eat. “And call me if you need anything. Or text me. I don’t have anything planned for today.”

Without a word, but with a thumbs up, Alex was out the door.

-

Looking at the sign above the door reading  _ Noonan’s _ in big, bold letters, Kara felt just the tiniest bit of guilt that she’d be having coffee and leaving money at a place that wasn’t CatCo’s. It would be nice to be somewhere without her colleagues and her boss, but she still felt somewhat like a traitor.

She shuffled her feet a little as she waited for Alex to make an appearance.

Kara was horribly early, considering how long she’d made Alex wait on Saturday for their very important conversation. She was still ready to break out into hives whenever she thought about the fact that Alex had waited for her for over thirty minutes. That wouldn’t happen to her again, Kara would make sure of it.

J’onn had been almost too busy to fill Kara in on what he was working on, and even then, he’d been vague, which didn’t leave Kara with a lot of confidence. The last time he’d shut her out, the case he’d been working had involved someone in the police force taking steps against Superman, and J’onn had been trying to keep her out of the line of fire.

Ultimately, he’d filled her in on everything, but she didn’t appreciate being left out of the loop, if there was something that was putting her and her kind in danger. She’d have to meet up with him and have a serious discussion about phasing her out of the action. She wanted to protect her family and friends just as much as J’onn did. Besides, few good things had ever come from keeping secrets.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder, Kara jumped, her mind still occupied with J’onn’s strange and unsettling behavior.

“Oh, hey, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Alex said, smiling apologetically and pulling her hand away quickly, as though she’d been burned. “You looked about ten-million miles away, so I figured- sorry, I shouldn’t have touched you like that.”

“No, no, I’m sorry,” Kara replied, shaking out her shoulders in an effort to calm her rapidly beating heart. She watched with chagrin as Alex slipped her hands into the back pockets of her jeans in self-doubt. “Don’t worry about it, I was just thinking about something.” Smiling kindly, Kara reached out with one hand and squeezed Alex’s right bicep gently. “A friend of mine is acting weird, that’s all.”

Nodding in understanding, Alex ran her left hand through her hair self-consciously and grimaced at the stab of pain it no doubt produced. Kara had to resist the urge to x-ray the bullet wound again to check on its healing process. She’d already gone far enough with her invasion of Alex’s privacy in that regard.

“Yeah, I know a thing or two about friends acting weird,” Alex said, sighing and lifting up her right shoulder in a shrug. “It’s not a great feeling, especially when you don’t know how to help them.”

“Tell me about it…” Kara agreed, shaking her head and slipping her hand from Alex’s bicep, letting her fingers run down Alex’s forearm briefly before pulling back completely. She was indulging herself, now that she was able to touch Alex again. “Want to go inside?”

“Sure,” Alex said, turning towards the door and pushing it open, waiting for Kara to pass, before she let it fall shut behind them both. The familiar smell filled Kara’s nose immediately. The sweet scent of sticky buns and their sugary icing, of freshly cut strawberries being pureed for delicious smoothies and milkshakes. The sounds were the same, too. Hearty chatter and the noises from the old coffee machine hissing and whirring in the corner.

Kara liked hanging out at  _ Noonan’s _ .

During her first week of living in National City, before she’d even started working at CatCo’s, Kara had spent a lot of time here, getting acquainted with the city and its people. She’d loved sitting in one of their easy chairs, working on her laptop, or sketching the different kinds of people she encountered in this new and exciting place.

“Oh, my favorite table’s free,” Kara exclaimed, dragging Alex over in excitement at this stroke of luck. “I used to hang out here all the time.” Sitting down in her favorite easy chair, Kara slipped off her trench coat and smiled. “I don’t have a lot of time to be here nowadays, but it’s still one of my favorite places in the city.”

Looking around and taking in the ambience, Alex sat herself down on the second seat across from Kara, and slowly, gingerly, started shrugging off her leather jacket.

Noticing the discomfort on Alex’s face immediately, Kara was on her feet in less than a second, slipping around the table to assist her. She stilled Alex’s own attempts, and curled her fingers under the tough collar of what was clearly a brand-new and beautiful piece of clothing.

“How are you feeling? How is your arm?” Kara asked gently, folding Alex’s leather jacket and setting it down on the table before sitting back down.

“I’ve had worse,” Alex said, face cheeky as she looked down at her arm. Kara loved seeing Alex in casual clothing. The light blue plaid shirt and dark jeans she was wearing today made her look soft and sweet and like someone Kara wanted to curl up with on a rainy Sunday afternoon. “Thanks for the assist, though.”

Kara rolled her eyes.

“I’m serious,” Alex said, making a grab for one of the menus, as Kara leaned back in the easy chair and sent her a dubious look. “I can deal with a little bullet wound to my non-dominant arm. It’s annoying, though, and my friend won’t let me change the bandage by myself.”

A little twinge of worry twisted Kara’s guts at those words, and she left her own menu on the table. She’d be ordering the same thing she ordered every time she came here. Two pieces of triple chocolate chip pie and two sticky buns, alongside a strawberry milkshake.

“Your friend?” Kara asked, trying to sound as nonchalant and casual as she possibly could in the face of this potentially devastating question.

Alex lowered the menu to her lap and looked at Kara, worry clouding her eyes and tightening the corners of her mouth. No sign of the dimples Kara loved to see so much.

Swallowing hard, Kara held eye contact with Alex for several long, agonizing seconds.

“Um, yeah,” Alex finally said, lifting her hand and scratching at her cheek, her eyes finally flitting away from Kara and landing on the menu again. “Selina’s been staying with me for a few days.” She finally confessed, refusing to meet Kara’s eyes. “She was worried and wanted to be there for me… to take care of me and stuff.”

It was like a bucket of ice water had suddenly toppled over in Kara’s chest, filling her heart and lungs with icy spikes of pain.

Alex had said that her friend Selina was one of the most important people in her life - that she spent a lot of time with her. But hearing about how the woman who had kissed  _ her  _ maybe-hopefully-soon-to-be-girlfriend was sleeping and living in Alex’s apartment was like a punch to the gut.

“She’s staying at your apartment?” Kara asked, crossing her arms over her chest, looking down at the edge of their table, unable to face Alex’s chagrined expression.

“Yeah,” Alex replied, one hand lifting to comb through her hair again.

“And does she stay in your  _ bed _ , or…?” Kara asked, jaw clenched and a feeling of heavy defeat sliding through her limbs. This was exactly what she had been afraid of.

Shoulders stiffening, Alex sighed and put the menu down on the table in between them, rubbing her hands over her face and closing her eyes. Kara took it all in without a word, still waiting for the answer to her question. She had a feeling she wouldn’t be happy about it.

“She’s my best friend,” Alex said through her fingers, before dropping her hands back into her lap. At her words, Kara lifted her eyes back up to Alex’s face, to those gorgeous, hazel eyes. Alex’s mouth was set into a determined line. “I want to make this work, Kara. I want to be with you, but my friends aren’t going to magically disappear or be less involved in my life.”

Alex’s hands were clenched, and Kara could hear her rapid heartbeat.

“I don’t want to stop seeing you, Kara, that is the last thing I want. But I need you to understand that my friends are a big part of my life,” Alex went on, bottom lip trembling. “They’re weird, overbearing, and they’re affectionate with the people they care about. And  _ yes _ , they sleep in my bed when they’re over at my apartment.”

Running her right hand over her thigh, Alex looked like someone had pulled out one of her teeth without anesthesia. Kara wondered how often Alex had been forced to give that speech throughout her life, with previous girlfriends. Considering the stilted and awkward way in which Alex was conducting herself, Kara figured it hadn’t been many, if any at all.

There was a moment of silence between them, Kara fiddling with the hem of her yellow sundress, and Alex swallowing hard.

Before either of them could say another word, a woman approached the table, a perky smile on her face, pen and paper clutched in her hands.

“Kara, it’s been too long! How have you been?” The woman said, stuffing away her utensils and opening her arms out wide for Kara to step into them. “I hope that dragon of a woman isn’t running you into the ground?”

“Hey, Lupita,” Kara replied, getting to her feet and wrapping her arms around her friend. Lupita, a black woman with a head of kinky, dark brown hair, had been the first person to talk to Kara at  _ Noonan’s _ almost four years ago. She also happened to be the owner. “Ms. Grant really isn’t that bad.”

“You keep telling yourself that,” Lupita said, squeezing Kara tightly before letting her go and turning her attention to Alex. “And who is this handsome lady?” Lupita’s smile was wide and genuine, and Alex returned it with one of her own.

Getting to her feet, Alex reached out with one hand.

“Detective Alex Danvers, ma’am,” Alex said, shaking Lupita’s hand and giving Kara a hesitant look. “Kara wanted to show me her favorite place in the city.”

“Well, then I won’t keep you for much longer. What can I get you?” Lupita asked, dropping Alex’s hand and slipping her pen and paper from her apron back into her hands. “The usual for you, Kara?”

Lupita was the embodiment of sunshine.

Nodding gratefully, Kara was glad she’d decided to pick  _ Noonan’s _ for her and Alex’s second date. Even if things weren’t going the way Kara had imagined they would (what with all of the talk of other women sleeping in Alex’s bed with her), she felt comfortable where she was.

“Yes, please,” Kara said, already looking forward to the sugar in her food.

“And what can I get you, Detective?” Lupita asked, sending Alex a truly kind smile, obviously pleased that Kara had found someone. There hadn’t been an opportunity for Kara to date anyone in the last four years she’d been living in National City. Maybe, just maybe, Kara might have whined to Lupita about this once… or twice. A few times.

After their orders had been noted down and Lupita had left them to their conversation with a wink and a squeeze to Kara’s shoulder, the silence once again descended over their table, coating Alex’s nervous gaze and Kara’s anxiety.

-

Alex had not anticipated their second date to involve so much silent staring and uncomfortable leg scratching. She wondered briefly, as she sat there looking at Kara’s drawn face, if she should have somehow stopped herself from bringing up Selina at all. She dismissed the thought as soon as it entered her mind. Selina, Pam, and Harley were pillars in her life. There was no way to understate their importance without outright lying to Kara’s face.

If Kara and her wanted to embark on anything romantic together, Alex would have to ensure that Kara was prepared. Would know that, even though her friends were overbearing and loud, they’d never try to encroach on what Alex and Kara had with each other.

“Lupita was the first friend I made in National City,” Kara said, jaw muscles clenched and eyes flitting across the shop, avoiding Alex’s eyes. It was clear she was trying to lift the mood after it had tanked so spectacularly. “ _ Noonan’s _ used to belong to her parents.”

Alex hummed, wondering how best to show Kara that she had nothing to worry about when it came to Selina. This date wasn’t at all going how Alex had envisioned it. All she’d wanted was to have a good time with the woman she cared for.

“I’m sorry I brought her up,” Alex said, sliding down in her easy chair a little and letting her head fall against the backrest. Alex didn’t bother clarifying who it was she was talking about. Kara knew. “I know it can’t be easy for you to hear about her being in my home… after what you saw… after what we did.”

Sighing, Kara mirrored Alex’s sitting position.

“I hate being jealous,” Kara grumbled, blowing a strand of hair out of her face that had come loose from her hairdo. “I mean, you said she doesn’t mean anything to you in that way, and I believe you, I really do, but…” Kara’s face broke into a frustrated little huff.

“Yeah…” Alex said, tapping her fingers up and down on her stomach.

“The thought of her… in your home, in your bed, of her  _ being with you _ ... It’s—it’s tough,” Kara mumbled, eyes sliding away from Alex once more and finding the ceiling. “I wish it didn’t, but it makes me feel…” Kara rubbed her naked arms gently. “Small.”

Alex’s heart seized in her chest, her mouth tightening into a firm line. Listening to Kara sound so defeated and upset made Alex want to take a blowtorch to her own kneecaps. She needed to fix this, and fast. It wouldn’t do to have Kara continue to feel this way.

Sitting up quickly, Alex drew Kara’s eyes back to herself, face determined.

“What would you say about coming with me after our date?” Alex asked, words quick and quiet. “To my apartment, to see Selina.”

Kara’s mouth fell open at those words, her eyes widening and her hands relaxing on her arms in shock. The sight would have been a funny thing to behold, if Alex hadn’t felt the anxiety crawl up the back of her throat with sharp, angry spikes.

When no answer was forthcoming, Alex leaned forward even further.

“All you have right now is my word,” Alex insisted, trying desperately to stop her hands from shaking. “And I know you trust me, I know that, but… Maybe, if you see her and talk to her, you’ll see that there’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Alex wasn’t sure if this was a brilliant or a self-destructive idea. On the one hand, seeing Selina might help Kara understand the weird relationship Alex had with her. On the other hand, Kara might realize she’d rather not deal with Alex and her crazy friends and simply decide to move on.

Still, if it eased Kara’s mind even a little bit, it was worth a shot.

Kara looked unsure.

“I don’t know,” she said, sitting up, too, eyes flitting from Alex to the kitchen door, where Lupita had just emerged with a tray of their food.

Swearing inwardly to herself at the interruption, Alex bit her lip and waited until Lupita had set down the different plates and their milkshakes. Alex’s was chocolate-flavored (of course). Their host sent them a gentle smile and winked at Kara as she slid two extra pieces of cake onto their table.

“On the house,” Lupita said, bumping Kara softly in the shoulder and placing her hands on her hips. “Just a little bribe, so maybe you’ll finally quit that awful job at the zoo and come work for someone better.”

Alex stared in fascination as a small smile flit over Kara’s face, her eyes twinkling with unrestrained fondness for her friend. Hopefully, one day, Kara would look at her that way again, without reservations.

“Someone better?” Kara asked, grinning, raising one eyebrow.

“I’m not a regular boss,” Lupita started, placing her hand over her chest and throwing her hair out of her face, “I’m a cool boss.”

At the reference, Alex had to crack a smile, too, rolling her eyes and bringing a hand to her mouth to hide her expression. She was always a sucker for a good movie reference.

“I’ll think about it,” Kara said, face devoid of her earlier troubles, if only for a moment.

“Liar,” Lupita replied, squeezing Kara’s shoulder one more time. “Enjoy your food.”

With a smile and a wave, they let Lupita get back to work, Alex picking up her milkshake and taking a long drag, hoping the cold would wash down her anxiety. With chagrin, all it did was give her a brain freeze, her hand going up to her head immediately as she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Damnit,” Alex cursed, waiting for the wave of cold to pass.

“I was going to suggest that someone needs to bundle you up in bubble wrap, but…” Kara said, her voice almost as loving and kind as it had been before the whole  _ Selinagate _ thing had taken place. “You seem like the kind of person who would find a way to accidentally maim herself no matter what.”

Still rubbing her forehead, Alex reopened her eyes to find Kara’s concerned gaze on her. Her comment about the bubble wrap might have been intended as light-hearted, but the sentiment that stood behind it was clear as day: Kara was worried for her safety.

The thought filled Alex with warmth.

“I have a penchant for getting myself hurt,” she admitted, eyeing her milkshake and wondering if it would be prudent to take another sip. She wanted to ask Kara about Selina again, but she didn’t want to force the issue, if Kara was uncomfortable with the idea. She didn’t want to pressure Kara into anything she might not want to do. “My mom hates the fact that I became a cop.”

Making a grab for her fork, Kara looked down at the coffee table in between them and stuffed a piece of cake into her mouth.

“When I was a kid, I was really into bio-engineering, and so my mom thought she was going to be getting a scientist, not a flatfoot,” Alex continued, unsure if she should stop talking or keep filling the air with words. “I think I nearly gave her a heart attack when I told her I wanted to join the force.”

Laughing awkwardly, Alex picked up her own fork and started eating the piece of cake in front of her. Kara had already devoured one of hers and had started in on one of the sticky buns. She was stress eating, by the looks of it, and Alex wished she knew what to say to make it better.

“Um… if you don’t want to meet her, that’s totally fine,” Alex tried, fiddling with her fork and shuffling her feet on the floor. Awkward central, party of one. “I just thought it might be a good idea… to get to know her… see she’s all bluster and no bite…” She trailed off, sticking a forkful of cake into her own mouth to give herself something to do.

Then, unable to stop herself, Alex went on.

“I just, I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want to. I understand one-hundred percent. Really,” she said, heart beating wildly in her chest. Everything about this was a complete disaster.

Before she could say another word, Kara looked up from her now empty plate, after she’d just devoured the two sticky buns, and licked her lips. Her facial expression was determined, and the sight caused blood to shoot into Alex’s cheeks.

“Okay,” Kara said, nodding to herself. “Sure, let’s do it.”

She didn’t look particularly happy about her own words, but Alex got the feeling she’d made up her mind and wasn’t going to be deterred. Alex admired her bravery. If she’d been in Kara’s position, Alex had no idea how she would have reacted.

“Maybe you’re right,” Kara continued, pulling the plate with the extra piece of cake towards her. “Maybe if I see her and talk to her, she’ll stop being this… dark presence, I guess.” Slowing down her eating considerably, Kara took a sip from her strawberry milkshake.

“Please don’t ever tell her that you called her a dark presence,” Alex said, her chest swelling with anxiety and anticipation at the thought of her maybe-girlfriend and her best friend being in the same room together. “She’d love that entirely too much. She might put it on a t-shirt.”

Snorting in amusement, Kara gave Alex a long look.

Alex nodded to herself.

“Great,” she said, wiping her sweaty palms over her jeans, “now that we’ve got the angst out of the way… how do you feel about pretending those horrifically awkward thirty minutes didn’t just happen?” She tried for a charming smile, hoping against hope that it wouldn’t end up looking like a hideous grimace.

“But it’s so much fun to watch you squirm,” Kara joked, lips stretching into a slightly wider smile and her eyes getting that all too familiar tender quality again. “The first time I saw you, I thought you were really cool. It’s nice to see I’m not the only awkward person in this relationship.”

Kara’s choice of words made Alex’s throat close up with emotion.  _ Relationship _ . She remembered distinctly how, at the beginning of their dating period, she’d intended to get a grip on her romantic proclivities.

That had worked out well.

-

“You did  _ what _ ?” Alex asked incredulously, sipping on her second milkshake and leaning forward in her seat, eager to hear the end of Kara’s story.

They’d been at  _ Noonan’s _ for the past three hours, trading childhood stories and trying to reestablish the familiarity between them that had been so thoroughly trampled upon by the first thirty minutes of their date. Alex was glad they had found their way back towards safer ground.

“I punched her in the face,” Kara said, voice a little bashful as she explained her run-in with three very unfriendly beauty pageant contestants. Barely able to believe her ears, Alex gaped at Kara before a grin broke out on her face.

“You punched a beauty queen in the face,” she said, shaking her head in wonder. “Oh, this is too good.”

“She and her friend were trying to steal something, and they’d been involved with a whole bunch of heists in the surrounding area, I heard them talking about it on the phone! They weren’t exactly subtle about it,” Kara defended herself, arms crossed over her chest and glasses slipped dangerously low on her nose. “Besides, I wasn’t alone, my cousin Clark was with me.”

“Hey, I’m not trying to discredit your actions here. I think it’s very badass, if extremely bone-headed, to go after a bunch of criminal beauty queens, but,” Alex could barely contain her mirth, “how did you manage to get yourself into this situation in the first place?”

Kara blushed, biting her bottom lip, before she looked away.

“I… may or may not have… participated in the  _ Miss Sweet Corn Pageant _ of Smallville’s centennial Corn Festival,” Kara confessed, stuffing a huge piece of sticky bun into her mouth as Alex failed to keep in her laughter, setting down her milkshake to stop herself from spilling it everywhere. “It was during my rebellious phase.”

“Oh man, this is amazing,” Alex exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear and mock-wiping her eyes. “Did you place? Or were you too busy busting up criminals? How come you didn’t become a police officer? I bet you would’ve looked great in uniform.” Now there was a line of thought worth revisiting later.

Kara smiled a little, too, obviously charmed by Alex’s joy.

“I didn’t just place, I won the whole damn thing,” she said, puffing out her chest. “You’re looking at 2007’s Miss Sweet Corn, show some respect.”

Sniggering, Alex bowed teasingly.

“I’m so sorry, your majesty. I’m sure you looked fabulous in your sash when you punched that other beauty queen in the face,” Alex snarked, before sucking up the last inch of her milkshake. This whole exchange was making her happier than she had been in a long time.

“I did,” Kara agreed, nodding regally, staying in character for a moment longer before she chuckled.

“I hope the local authorities appreciated that you helped them out with those three thieves,” Alex said seriously. “Cause this sort of sounds like they were too incompetent to figure it out themselves.” Alex shook her head in disappointment. “There were so many shitty cops in Gotham, you don’t even know.”

Kara hummed, shrugging a little.

“They weren’t exactly thrilled,” she said, finishing her last sticky bun thoughtfully. “A lot of weird stuff happens in Smallville.” She shrugged again, sighing. “They’re in a little over their heads sometimes. I don’t blame them for being cranky. The two meteor showers really did a number on our town.”

“Meteor showers?” Alex asked, leaning back in her easy chair and looking at Kara curiously. Kansas was very far removed from Alex’s field of knowledge.

“Yeah, they destroyed Smallville twice before I came to Earth. I mean, before I was born. Here, on this planet,” Kara amended, laughing nervously, her eyes flitting away from Alex, her cheeks blooming with redness. “Actually, wait, no, one of them happened before I was born and the other wrecked Smallville before I went to live with my aunt and uncle. That’s right.” More nervous laughter.

_ Before I came to Earth. _

It was the same kind of odd phrasing Alex had heard Kara use once before, during their first date.

_ This is what I see when I think of home. The  _ feeling _ of being home, I mean. Not my actual home; my actual home is on Earth, in Smallville, Kansas. Definitely not on any foreign planet. _

The thought pushed itself into the forefront of Alex’s mind. She’d found it weird then, too, but had dismissed it, because it hadn’t been relevant. Even now, it barely registered to Alex as something to be mentally dissected. While it pinged the radar inside of her that told her Kara was hiding something, Alex trusted her. If the woman she liked, maybe even loved, was keeping her alien identity a secret while they got to know one another, that was none of Alex’s business.

She was sure that, when the time was right, Kara would reveal whatever she was keeping under wraps. Alex wasn’t worried. After all, she had survived Pam’s poisons, Harley’s super strength, and Selina’s  _ everything _ . Finding out her soon-to-be-girlfriend was an alien was very low on her list of concerns. Besides, while Alex had never actually  _ met _ an alien (that she was aware of, at least), she’d heard things from her friends. Harley loved to tell tall tales about Power Girl and their ‘special bond’.

“Why did the meteor showers make Smallville weird?” Alex asked, instead of dwelling on Kara’s obvious nervous twitching, hoping to give her an out. Whatever hole Kara had dug herself into, Alex wouldn’t try to out her before she was ready. “I can imagine it destroyed a lot of things, but… I mean, towns can be rebuilt.”

Kara’s relief was almost palpable, and Alex knew she’d made the right decision.

“The meteors contained radioactive materials from another planet,” Kara explained, her face finally taking on its regular color again, now that the anxiety seemed to have cooled back down. Alex was all too happy to see it. “It’s a green mineral called Kryptonite and it can affect humans in a lot of different ways. Some people can develop powers when they’re exposed to it under special circumstances.”

“Wow,” Alex said, eyes widening, taking in what Kara had just told her. A radioactive mineral that could turn regular people into superheroes? “That actually sounds really awesome, though? Who wouldn’t want to have powers?”

Kara sighed and shrugged.

“Some people couldn’t handle their new abilities, and it made them lose sight of who they used to be. Some started attacking other people, or turned to a life of crime.” It was obvious to Alex that the thought of someone using their powers in such a way made Kara uncomfortable. “But anyway, that’s why the Smallville police force isn’t always on board with vigilante justice.”

Humming in understanding, Alex contemplated Kara’s words.

“I guess,” she agreed, eyes taking in Kara’s features. “But the mineral didn’t turn all of them into homicidal bad guys, right? Some of them must have ended up using their powers for good.” Alex had a hard time believing that none of those affected would turn their lives around. Or, at the very least, live with their abilities without ever using them for anything malicious.

“Oh, no, yeah, of course,” Kara said, sitting up straighter and shaking her head. “I’m sure most of them never hurt a fly. But you know how it is. A handful, or maybe even just one of them, does something bad, and suddenly they’re all dangerous meteor freaks who need to be put away for the safety of everyone else.”

Snorting in derision, Alex crossed her arms over her chest.

“Typical human bullshit,” she agreed, rolling her eyes. “This would make a really great metaphor for racial politics, too.” She shook her head, resent filling her chest at the thought of Lord, Godfrey, and their supporters. Disgusting.

When she looked back up, she noticed that Kara was staring at her, something akin to  _ awe _ on her face.

“And the mineral is called Kryptonite?” Alex asked, feeling slightly hot under her collar from Kara’s obvious appreciation. “Does that mean it has something to do with Superman and Supergirl? If I remember correctly, they’re both from a planet called Krypton, right?” Then, with a shit-eating grin taking over her face, Alex lifted her eyebrows suggestively. “I’m sure you, a  _ superfangirl _ , will be able to correct me if I’m wrong.”

The satisfaction of seeing Kara bluster and sputter to refute Alex’s words was  _ delicious _ .

-

After saying goodbye to Lupita and her wife Donna (who’d joined them all at  _ Noonan’s  _ shortly after they’d arrived), and paying for their exorbitant amounts of comfort food, Alex and Kara left the shop side by side.

Before they’d made their way outside, Kara had helped Alex into her leather jacket, her hands lingering briefly on the tightly muscled shoulders of the woman she had come to care for so deeply. While she couldn’t be sure, Kara was pretty certain she’d felt Alex lean into her touch.

“Is there anything I need to know before we do this?” Kara asked, walking alongside Alex on the sidewalk as they made their way over to Alex’s apartment on foot. It was nice out, and Kara had left her beige trench coat unbuttoned, her hands swinging back and forth. “Anything I shouldn’t say to her? I don’t want to make her angry.”

Alex had her hands stuffed into the front pockets of her jeans, glancing at Kara out of the corner of her eyes every few moments, their shoulders almost brushing against one another as they walked. Kara longed for any kind of physical connection between them.

“Selina’s pretty laid back,” Alex said, eyes flitting back to the crowd around them, scanning the faces of the people that surrounded them. Kara wondered if she was looking for any more attackers that would mean to cause her harm. The thought made her feel sick inside. “But you might want to prepare yourself for some light groping.”

“What?” Kara squeaked, hands going to her trench coat instinctively to pull it closed. As a woman in a major city of the United States, Kara was no stranger to people she didn’t know trying to cop a feel, but she wasn’t prepared to deal with something like that in the comfort of someone’s home.

A look of chagrin crossed Alex’s features.

“She’s going to be really excited to meet you, so she might try something,” Alex admitted, lifting her right hand to run it through her hair. Despite Kara’s bad feelings about the meeting, Alex’s innocuous gesture made blood shoot into her cheeks. “I don’t think she’s going to try to plant one on you, but she might go for an ass-grab. Or she might just hug you really tightly. I really don’t know.”

Kara loosened her hold on her trench coat, her fingers trying to smooth out the wrinkled fabric. She needed to be more careful; she was very fond of this coat and didn’t want to have to replace it because she’d let her superpowers run rampant again.

“That sounds vaguely terrifying,” Kara mumbled, trying to ignore the niggling doubt in the back of her mind again. If Alex’s best friend was so incredibly tactile and touchy-feely with total  _ strangers _ , how did she act around Alex? “What if you told her we were coming and asked her not to try anything?”

Shaking her head, Alex shrugged helplessly.

“She’d just do it on purpose to annoy us both. Better if we just surprise her. That way she can’t form a plan ahead of time.” Rubbing her cheek self-consciously, Alex’s eyes flit down to Kara’s hand before moving away again. “I promise, she’s a great person and an excellent friend. She’s just-“

“Inappropriate, yeah,” Kara finished Alex’s sentence, hands going back to swinging casually at her sides. She hoped Alex would take the hint and reach for her. Kara really needed the reassurance. “I just didn’t think I’d have to worry about being groped today.”  _ By anyone other than you _ , Kara wanted to add, before catching herself. Now wasn’t the time.

Alex heaved a big sigh, rubbing the back of her neck, looking back down at Kara’s hand again.

“I’m really sorry. Preemptively, for anything she might do.” She grimaced, eyes once again scanning the crowd and buildings.

“No, please, don’t apologize,” Kara said, biting her bottom lip and brushing her knuckles against the back of Alex’s left hand, which was still buried deep in the pocket of her jeans. “I know she means a lot to you and… I am going to try and give her a chance.”

“Thank you,” Alex replied, warmth infusing her words. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

Together, they walked in silence for several moments, Alex scratching her nose and sneaking glances at Kara’s hand every few minutes. It was both adorable and disheartening to see Alex so unsure about whether to hold Kara’s hand or not.

“We’re almost there,” Alex said, rounding a corner, ensuring that her shoulder didn’t brush Kara’s as they changed direction. “I haven’t tidied up the living room in a while and I don’t know how much of a mess Selina has made since I left her alone, but…” She trailed off, shrugging self-consciously.

“You know…” Kara started, dismissing Alex’s nervous rambling and stepping a little closer so their shoulders were unmistakably touching. “It’s okay, you can take my hand if you want.” Once more, she let her knuckles gently caress the back of Alex’s hand.

Head snapping up immediately, Alex’s mouth dropped open, before closing again silently, her cheeks flushing with blood. To her credit, Alex didn’t trip or fall or do anything else that might have been embarrassing. Instead, she gulped, her eyes dropping to Kara’s hand one last time, before she pulled her own free from her pocket and slipped it into Kara’s. Gently, gingerly, like the very act of touching Kara was something to be treasured.

Kara could feel Alex’s rapid heartbeat in her palm, their fingers intertwining naturally as they continued to walk, Alex looking away, blush pronounced more strongly than a moment ago. Even though Alex’s palm was a little sweaty and a little too warm, Kara held on tightly, cherishing the feeling of their heartbeats pressed together in between them.

Squeezing Kara’s hand experimentally, Alex sought out Kara’s eyes with her own, a feeling of wonder clouding her gaze.

“Do you think we’ll be okay?” Alex asked, face vulnerable and open.

Kara didn’t hesitate.

“Yes,” she said, squeezing Alex’s hand in return, “I think we will be.”

-

Taking a deep breath, Alex slipped her keys from the inside pocket of her new leather jacket and let go of Kara’s hand to unlock her front door. She missed the connection between them instantly, and breathed out slowly before she pushed the door open with her shoulder.

Alex liked her apartment and how she’d decorated it (without taking any of the tips her mother had given her before she’d moved), but she wondered how Kara would feel about it. In contrast to her own, relatively simple decoration, Kara’s apartment looked homey, showing how much care and thought had gone into everything Kara had placed in it.

Briefly, Alex entertained the thought of what an apartment might look like that both Kara and her had decorated, that they lived in. Together. As girlfriends.

As Alex closed the door behind them, the fantasy was shattered by a call from the couch.

“Hey, baby, home so soon?” Selina trilled from the living room, where she was very visibly still sitting on the cushions, not even bothering to look up from her  _ American Horror Story _ marathon. Herbert was draped over her legs and Trish was asleep at her feet, a tiny white speck of happy contentment.

At Selina’s words, Alex groaned in annoyance. What a great first impression. If Kara’s blush and the shuffling of her feet was anything to go by, Kara did not feel particularly happy to be hearing that term of endearment. It was clear that Kara felt as though she was intruding on something personal, especially considering that Selina still wasn’t wearing any  _ pants _ .

For all intents and purposes, Selina looked and acted like she lived here with Alex on a much more permanent basis than the extent of which Alex had told Kara about. Alex needed to derail this before it got any worse. It couldn’t be easy for Kara to see the woman who had, unwittingly or not, caused her so much pain for so long.

Swallowing her own anxiety about the impending doom of this situation, Alex shrugged off her leather jacket, hanging both it and Kara’s trench coat up on the coat hanger by the door. Next, she slipped her gun out of the waistband holster inside of jeans and placed it on the chest of drawers next to the door alongside her keys. It was time to face the music.

Softly shaking out her shoulders, Alex took another deep breath, and took Kara’s hand back into her own, making eye contact to let Kara know that they would be fine. That Alex was here with her and that Selina wasn’t anyone to be scared of.

At least, that was what her eyes were  _ trying _ to say.

Stepping out of the hallway and into the living room, Alex cleared her throat, keeping a tight hold on Kara’s hand and pulling her just a little bit closer. Considering how Kara gripped Alex’s forearm with her free hand, Alex was pretty sure Kara didn’t mind that extra bit of comfort.

After Alex had cleared her throat a second time, Selina rolled her eyes, pressed pause on the remote and looked away from the television, finally acknowledging the fact that they weren’t alone in the apartment this time.

A bead of sweat made its way down Alex’s back, as she watched the way Selina’s facial expression changed from surprised gaping to a shark-like grin. Her lips pulled back to reveal shiny, white teeth and Alex felt Kara shuffle just that little bit closer, obviously intimidated.

“ _ No _ ,” Selina said, drawing out the word, delighted disbelief coloring the single syllable. If Alex hadn’t known her for years, she might have missed the spark of genuine fondness and happiness in her eyes, before it was wiped away to be replaced by an uncontrollable amount of sheer  _ mirth _ . “Supercop, don’t tell me you brought  _ the Super-Girlfriend _ .”

The words took the tension right out of Alex, her shoulders losing their anxious jitter and her hands relaxing considerably. In an instant, Alex didn’t know what she had been so worried about. This was  _ Selina _ . She knew how to handle Selina’s special brand of crazy.

This whole thing with Kara had her way too twisted up inside.

Rolling her eyes, Alex pulled Kara further into the room, Kara seemingly panicking for a second and gluing herself to Alex’s back again.

“Selina, meet Kara,” Alex started, mouth twisted into a disapproving scowl at Selina’s interested expression. “Kara, meet my inappropriate friend.”

Now it was Selina’s turn to roll her eyes, though her expression of sheer  _ delight _ didn’t waver in any other way. Her eyes moved to Kara briefly, and Alex instinctively shifted further in front of her, something which she was sure Selina hadn’t missed.

Instead of commenting on Alex’s unplanned defensive posture, Selina winked at Kara and smoothed her hand over her naked thigh and shin. Then, her eyes returned to Alex, an exaggerated pout taking root on her lips.

“Could’ve called first, baby,” she complained, running a hand through her hair suggestively as she slumped further into the couch, “I would’ve put my pants on to meet the girlfriend.” In a fluent move, as though it were rehearsed, Selina lifted her bare legs into the air, before jumping to her feet, pulling Herbert tighter into her arms and vanishing into the bathroom.

Leaning even further into Alex, Kara brought her lips close to her ear.

“Now I see what you mean about ‘inappropriate’,” she murmured, the hand on Alex’s forearm stroking Alex’s skin nervously.

Alex just sighed, tilting her head towards Kara, eyes flitting briefly down to her lips before she caught herself. Kissing was so far out of the question right now, Alex didn’t even want to think about it.

“That’s nothing,” she ground out instead, rubbing her forehead with her right hand. She knew this was necessary, but she was slightly apprehensive about the stunts Selina was probably planning in the bathroom right this second. “Can I pour you some juice or a glass of water or something?” If she couldn’t save Kara from Selina, she could at least make sure she was comfortable and well taken care of.

However, Kara’s attention had already shifted away from her, sidetracked by a tiny, white ball of fur that had just walked up to her, cautiously looking Kara up and down. Trish was friendly, but Alex had no doubt that she wouldn’t be above scratching anyone she didn’t like.

“Oh my God, hi,” Kara said, letting go of Alex’s hand and arm, kneeling down slowly, and holding out her fingers, so Trish could sniff at her. Alex watched in fascination as her kitten moved her nose forward ever so slightly, took a few long drags of Kara’s scent, before quickly curling her head into Kara’s open palm.

A smile broke out over Alex’s face. Of course Trish loved Kara.  _ Of course _ she did.

Walking further into the apartment and leaving Kara to pet her cat, Alex made her way into the open kitchen area to get that juice Kara hadn’t asked for. When Selina sidled up next to her silently, Alex didn’t startle. She merely gave her a mildly interested glance before going back to grabbing a glass.

“She’s good with cats, that’s a good sign,” Selina murmured, watching Kara with unguarded interest, her butt leaning against the kitchen table. Her eyes were keenly taking in every little thing about Kara, from her hair down to her glasses, to her winning smile as she played with Trish.

“Sorry to jump this on you like that, but I think introducing you to her will help us work out our stuff,” Alex said, opening the fridge and pulling out a carton of orange juice. She gave Selina a long look. “So, you know, don’t screw this up for me.” She reached out and gave Selina’s ear a flick.

“Oh please.” Selina placed a hand over her chest. “I work best when under pressure, Supercop.” Lifting her fingers, Selina made a grab for Alex’s cheek and pulled on it with a grin. “Don’t you worry, baby, just leave it to Auntie Selina.”

“Shtop that,” Alex protested, swatting at Selina’s arm so she’d let her go, pulling her face free and rubbing her cheek where it had been pinched. “You’re a jackass.” Alex was fighting very hard against the pout that wanted to make itself comfortable on her face.

Instead, she looked away from Selina and back over to Kara, who was standing in the living room, watching them. She’d straightened up, Trish happily purring in her arms, rubbing her tiny head against the underside of Kara’s chin. The sight would have been adorable, if Kara hadn’t looked weary and defeated.

“Juice?” Alex asked, holding up the carton she was still clutching. Sweat was gathering at the back of her neck at the hesitant expression on Kara’s face. She had a feeling her and Selina’s banter wasn’t filling Kara with a whole lot of confidence.

“Yeah, sure,” Kara mumbled, hugging Trish a little tighter to her chest.

As though she could feel the mood becoming tense around her, Selina swooped in with a grin and a pat to Alex’s shoulder.

“Alex is a shit cook,” she started, patting Alex so hard she almost spilled orange juice all over the counter. “She can barely hold the juice carton right side up. Just a heads up, lover.” She winked at Kara, sending her a roguish grin. “Of course, you can put up with a lot if you also get to sleep with her. Or so I’ve been told.”

Kara’s cheeks flushed with color just as Alex set down the carton and punched Selina in the shoulder.

“Always so violent,” Selina tutted, shaking her head at Alex’s scowling face. “I can’t believe you’re supposed to be the cop here. Though, I guess it makes a certain amount of sense. Police brutality is rampant in this country.”

Before Alex could say another word, Selina had left her behind and made her way over to Kara, who tensed when Selina stopped next to her. For a moment, it seemed all Selina wanted was to scratch Trish behind the ears. Then, suddenly, her fingers moved from the tiny cat ears over to Kara’s cheek, touching her gently, inquisitively.

Kara remained frozen, staring at Selina, while Alex nearly poured the juice right next to the glass again.

When Selina moved forward slightly, bringing her face closer to Kara’s, Alex grabbed the glass more tightly, muscles strained almost to the breaking point.

“Selina,” she warned, voice holding a much sharper edge than she’d intended.

“What?” Selina protested, pointer finger running down Kara’s cheek. “I’m just looking. With my hands.” Then, to Kara, she continued, mouth curled into a sultry smirk. “I look better with my hands, sweetheart.”

Blushing hotly, Kara pulled her face away and quickly walked around the couch, taking the longer route towards Alex so she wouldn’t have to pass by Selina. Alex wondered if Kara had just remembered her comment about the impromptu ass-grab.

“It’s, um, very nice to meet you,” Kara pressed out, hiding slightly behind Alex, even though she was taller than her. If Alex hadn’t been participating in the scene that was unfolding around her, she would have likely laughed at all of them.

“Why do all the people in this city always run from my touch? I don’t get it. People love me,” Selina complained, placing her hands on her hips and shaking her head in disapproval. “National City needs an attitude adjustment. I’m a fucking delight.”

Alex snorted and sent her a look.

“Maybe it’s a sign for you to get your ass back to Gotham,” she said, rolling her eyes, finally pouring Kara’s juice. Glass in hand, Alex turned around, stroking Trish behind the ears and holding out the drink to Kara. Their fingers brushed as Kara gave her a small smile.

“But you’d miss my ass, baby, don’t even try to deny it,” Selina retorted, slapping her own butt for emphasis and wiggling her eyebrows. “And, Kara, it is very nice to meet you, too. Supercop here has told me so much about you.”

-

Feeling decidedly unbalanced, Kara wondered what Alex had revealed to her friends about her. As she kept clutching the most adorable little kitten she’d ever seen to her chest, Trish’s purring was one of the few things keeping her grounded in this moment of uncertainty and worry. She asked herself how much ammunition about her Alex had unwittingly handed over.

Slipping her palm under Trish’s belly so she could hold her up with one hand, Kara looked at the side of Alex’s face while she sipped her juice. It was fascinating to see Alex interact with Selina. Their banter was so different from what Kara had experienced around Alex before. It was like a whole new side of the woman she wanted to have a relationship with was suddenly laid bare to her eyes.

“Do you want any juice?” Alex asked Selina, holding up the carton and shaking it a little, sloshing noises filling the air around them as she waited for a response.  Then, as though Alex suddenly remembered Selina’s remarks from earlier, she set down the carton and glared at her friend. “Also, I’m a  _ great _ cook.”

With an offended expression, Alex turned back to Trish and started stroking her back.

Looking over to Selina to gauge her reaction, Kara watched with interest as she rolled her eyes and shook her head, making eye contact with Kara. She pointed to Alex, before drawing her finger across her throat in an obvious gesture of ‘eat her food and die a painful death’, widening her eyes meaningfully.

“Of course you are, baby,” Selina said with a placating tone, shaking her head ever more vigorously, and drawing the smallest of smiles out of Kara, which she hid behind the rim of her glass. She was surprised to find herself trying not to laugh at Selina’s antics and gestures.

Selina looked immensely pleased with herself.

Relief flooded Kara’s veins as she felt some of the anxiety in her bones ebb away. The easy rapport between Alex and Selina spoke volumes about their friendship, and reminded Kara of the banter between herself and Lucy.

Nosing Trish’s head gently, Kara giggled when the small feline leaned up to lick her chin, the foreign sensation of the little, barbed tongue filling her chest with warmth. Even if nothing else came of this afternoon, at least Kara could be sure she’d have Alex’s cat on her side.

While Alex had been busy with getting a second glass from the cupboard, Selina had been leaning her weight on the back of the couch, studying them both silently. More than once during her time on Earth, Kara had dreamt of being born with at least some of J’onn’s powers. She really wished she knew what Selina was thinking about.

Eyes shifting back over to Alex, she was a little gratified to see the detective’s gaze snap back down to the new glass in her hand, away from Kara, cheeks blushing darkly. How much easier Kara’s life would be if she could simply read  _ Alex’s _ mind. Issues about invasion of privacy aside.

Selina lifted herself from the couch and sauntered over to them, obviously done with being so far away from the action, hips swinging and eyes gleaming with mischief. Winking at Kara, she stepped up next to Alex and plucked the carton of orange juice right out of her hands.

“Pouring two glasses in one day? Wouldn’t want you to overexert yourself, baby,” she purred, pressing a long, lingering kiss on Alex’s cheek and grinning at Kara from over Alex’s shoulder. Then, she patted Alex’s butt and shooed them both away to go sit on the couch. “Sit down, sit down, let Auntie Selina take care of everything.”

Kara’s chest was once again tight with jealousy at the obvious familiarity between them, though the feeling didn’t have time to marinate. Before Kara could contemplate the best way to extract herself from this painful and awkward interaction, Selina had her hand on Kara’s butt, too, clapping it once, firmly.

The surprise was so all-encompassing, Kara nearly dropped Trish to the floor. She yelped, unprepared for the feeling of embarrassment taking hold of her body. With no idea about how to react to such an outright attack on her personal space, Kara felt extremely out of her depth, shuffling as quickly as  _ humanly _ possible over to the couch in the living room, blushing face hidden behind Trish’s tiny frame.

It took everything inside of her not to simply super-speed away as quickly as possible.

Looking back over to the open kitchen area, Kara observed as Alex glared at Selina, got a wink in return, rolled her eyes, then heaved a heavy sigh and started walking, too. Her mouth pulled itself into a grimace as she noticed Kara was watching them again.

“You, uh, have a little something,” Kara mumbled when they’d both sat down on the couch, Kara pressing herself into the armrest at her left side so there would be no way for Selina to settle in next to her. “Right there.” She pointed to Alex’s cheek, where a huge, dark red lipstick stain had been left behind after Selina’s kiss.

“Shit,” Alex swore quietly, wiping at her cheek with her hand, only succeeding in smearing the lipstick around on her face. “Sorry.” She rubbed for a moment longer, her entire cheek now covered in the stuff. “Is it gone?”

Kara wanted to be mad and hurt, she really did, but in the face of Alex’s adorably worried expression, looking as though she were a three-year-old who’d just discovered paint for the first time, Kara couldn’t hold on to those feelings. No matter how hard she tried.

“Not quite,” she murmured lovingly, cupping Alex’s clean cheek and wondering how best to get rid of the stubborn material. She should probably ask Selina where she’d bought this excellent brand of lipstick. She was sure Lucy would appreciate the tip.

Before Kara could even so much as think about asking for a tissue, Selina was holding out a clean rag to her, winking and pointing her thumb at Alex before rolling her eyes. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time Alex had managed to smear lipstick all over herself. Kara wasn’t sure if she found this tidbit of information cute or slightly disturbing.

With Selina back in the kitchen, pouring Alex a glass of juice, too, Kara cupped the detective’s chin more firmly and started cleaning her cheek. Alex made a face, scrunching up her nose and trying to pull herself away.

“I told you to stop being a child,” Selina called over to them, making Kara chuckle quietly to herself. She had to admit… this was kind of nice. In between bouts of anxiety and jealousy… Maybe, just maybe, Kara could actually grow to like this woman.  _ Maybe _ .

-

Alex wasn’t sure how well this encounter was going. She’d seen Kara smile a little, but she’d also seen a fair few wounded stares and worried glances. Naturally, Selina wasn’t restraining herself (much), but Alex hadn’t expected anything else from her. She wasn’t angry about her behavior, not really, considering she’d wanted Kara to experience firsthand how her friend acted around the people she cared about.

Taking comfort in the loving expression on Kara’s face as she wiped Alex’s cheek with tender, gentle strokes, Alex barely noticed when Selina set the two glasses of juice onto the coffee table. One for her, and one for Alex, before draping herself over the recliner next to the couch.

Face finally clean, Alex turned her head towards her friend, who was grinning from ear to ear, watching the situation in front of her unfold. She looked more like a shark than a cat in this moment, and Alex was suddenly afraid of what was to come.

“While I would have  _ loved _ to sit next to you, Kara, my ladylove, I figured it would be better not to distract you with my amazing and perfect physique as I tell you this,” Selina started, legs hanging off the side of the recliner, one hand running through her hair. She winked. “I really need you to hear me here, sweetheart.”

Alex gritted her teeth, but kept her mouth shut. Even if it killed her, she would give Selina the opportunity to say her piece. Who knew, maybe she’d even manage to convince Kara that she had no intention of breaking them up. At any rate, Alex was willing to take the risk.

“Alright then, now that I have your full attention,” Selina said, mischievous grin once more planted firmly on her mouth, as she grabbed the glass of juice and cradled it in her hands, “I imagine you might feel a little intimidated by me. My power, my beauty, my sexual prowess.” She sighed mockingly and lifted one shoulder.

Alex snorted in derision. Selina went on.

“And, of course, by how  _ utterly _ I have our little Supercop here wrapped around my little finger,” she said, holding eye contact with a tense Kara, whose back was ramrod straight.

“Hardly,” Alex interjected, rolling her eyes.

Selina reached over with her foot and kicked Alex’s right shoulder.

“Don’t interrupt me when I’m monologuing,” she said, giving Alex a reproachful look.

Huffing, Alex geared up to reply, when she felt Kara’s hand on her forearm, gently holding her back from saying anything. Trish was still purring in her arms, but Kara’s attention was focused solely on Selina and what she had to say.

Alex closed her mouth.

“As I was saying, before  _ someone _ here made such unqualified and rude comments.” Selina kicked Alex once more with her bare foot, lifting one eyebrow in a silent challenge for Alex to interrupt her again. She seemed satisfied when Alex kept her mouth shut, her eyes returning to Kara’s face.

“Kara, babe.” Her voice was matter-of-fact. “I’m an amazing woman.” She let her words hang in the air for a second, letting Kara soak in the moment. “I’m brilliant, I’m hilarious, I’m beautiful, and I’m resourceful. I’m  _ basically _ perfect.”

While she spoke, she tried to touch Alex’s face with her outstretched toes, Alex working hard to pull herself out of the line of fire, batting her foot away with both hands. At least Selina’s feet were  _ clean _ .

“Only an  _ idiot _ would not fall in love with me,” Selina went on, exasperation curled tightly around each syllable.

Alex glared at her fiercely, wondering what the  _ hell _ Selina was trying to get at.

“Thankfully, my love,” she finished, winking once more at a stiff Kara, “Supercop is one of the dumbest, most thickheaded idiots you will ever have the misfortune of meeting. I can personally attest to this; I’ve known her for years. So trust me when I say this: There is no need for you to worry about little old me.” She grinned, self-satisfaction painting her face with a flush of pleasure, as she set down her glass of juice and folded her hands over her stomach.

Kara stared at her.

Alex was  _ fuming _ .

“You get the idiot all to yourself, kiddo. Make the best of it,” Selina continued, obviously not done with the fun she was having. “All I’m here to do is make sure she doesn’t electrocute herself while using the stove or let her arm get infected because she couldn’t bother getting off the couch.”

Grinding her teeth, Alex wanted nothing more than to jump over to her recliner and  _ strangle _ her best friend.

“I hate you,” she said, arms crossed over her chest, glaring impressively. “I’m never introducing anyone to you ever again.  _ Ever _ .” Alex had to remind herself that she loved Selina, that Selina was always there for her, and would very likely die for her if need be.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be  _ pissed _ at her.

-

Staring at Selina, Kara couldn’t believe someone could be this shameless. And yet… it was kind of… endearing? She was pretty sure most of it was actually meant as a joke, but, strangely… it did reassure Kara. No matter how strange Selina’s little monologue had been.

Before Kara could say anything, Selina smirked darkly and went on.

“Not that you’ll have to, baby. From what Red tells me, you’re planning on buying a house with the Super-Girlfriend and having three tiny, adorable Supercops with her anyway, right?” She asked, studying her perfectly manicured nails as though she hadn’t just dropped a major bomb in the middle of the living room.

“ _ Selina _ !” Alex exclaimed angrily, blushing the deepest shade of red Kara had ever seen on her.

“What? I’m just saying. Delirious you was apparently surprisingly sweet,” Selina said, grinning and wiggling her eyebrows. “I think it’s adorable. And I approve, as long as I get to be the little rascals’ godmother.”

Now Kara was blushing, too, taking a huge gulp of her juice to cool down. Her face had grown warm, and she was pretty sure her skin was hotter than her own heat vision. Hearing about Alex and how she felt about their future was overwhelming, even if the news has been delivered through Selina’s teasing. Alex certainly hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d told Kara her friends were inappropriate.

Quite frankly, _ inappropriate _ was almost too kind a description.

She couldn’t even think about what Selina had said, about Alex wanting them to buy a house together, to settle down and have kids. They’d barely hurdled over the first few problems together. She’d have to file this information away for later, when she wasn’t juggling so many different, difficult emotions.

Disgruntled, Alex carefully plucked Trish out of Kara’s arms (a development which Kara did  _ not _ approve of), and held her up around the waist, arms and legs stretched out towards Selina.

“Attack the mean cat lady, Trish,” Alex whispered to her, looking personally offended when, instead of clawing at Selina, Trish started pawing and scratching at whatever part of Alex she could reach while hanging prone from her hands. Pouting, Alex set her down on her lap and poked her in the belly. “Traitor.”

Selina chuckled as Alex nursed her wounds while Trish licked at her, Kara barely able to stifle her giggle at the adorable sight. How someone as obviously badass as Alex Danvers could simultaneously be so sweet and cute would forever be a mystery to her.

“Remember who gave you that kitten, Supercop,” Selina gloated, looking entirely too pleased with herself. “She still recognizes her mom. Don’t you, baby?” She cooed, Trish jumping from Alex’s lap to Selina’s legs and balancing over to her, purring loudly.

Alex looked honestly crest-fallen.

Sliding a little closer to her on the couch, Kara loosened her grip on her glass and set it down on her knees, trying to show Alex through her proximity that they were okay. That Selina’s words hadn’t made things weird between them.

Well, weird _ er _ .

“You gave Alex her cat?” Kara asked, sipping her juice as she watched Trish roll herself around on Selina’s stomach, showing them all her belly. At the sight, Kara decided it was worth dating Alex for this little ball of sunshine alone.

Pleased with Kara’s interest, Selina smiled at her kindly.

“I did, indeed!” She said, green eyes flashing with affection at the sight of Trish gnawing at her hand. “She was a scrawny little thing. Just… tiny.” A quick shimmer of sadness stole over her face as she hugged the small feline to her chest. “I found her behind CatCo Gotham, trying to scavenge some food from a dumpster.”

Trish mewled a little in protest as Selina kissed her head and pressed her cheek against Trish’s face.

“She was malnourished and just… she was a little baby, I don’t know how she managed to survive on her own for so long.” Selina let her go and Trish bounded over quickly into Kara’s lap, kneading her thighs through her sundress with her tiny claws before rolling herself up and closing her eyes.

Heart clenching painfully at the thought of Trish living alone on the streets, barely surviving, Kara brought her hand gently to the cat’s back and stroked her softly. Trish purred. She didn’t seem to have suffered any lasting consequences, but Kara’s heart still hurt for her.

“I knew I couldn’t leave her there by herself, so I picked her up and took her home. And, as luck would have it, Alex finally came home just a few days later.” Kara could feel Alex tense up next to her at the mention of her ‘coming home’, so Kara didn’t prod, letting her hand rest against Alex’s back instead, massaging the tense muscles with reassuring fingers.

“I didn’t want Supercop to be alone in National City, so I figured those two were a match made in heaven,” Selina concluded, nudging Alex’s right bicep with her toes again, this time much less aggressively than before. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, Kara. Our sweet, sweet cop over there might be a hardass when it comes to her work, but she almost cried the first time she held Trish in her arms. Like a proud momma.”

Kara could feel her chest fill with warmth at the thought of Alex holding an even smaller Trish in her hands, taking care not to hurt or crush her.

“I did not  _ almost cry _ when you gave me Trish,” Alex said, arms once again crossed over her chest, glaring at Selina before she looked at Kara. “I didn’t, don’t listen to her.”

“Yes, you did, don’t try to deny it now,” Selina retorted, sitting up and grabbing for her juice. “It was incredibly sweet and remains one of my most cherished memories of you.”

“I did  _ not _ ,” Alex said, eyes narrowing into a fierce glare.

“Did, too!”

In the wake of their stand-off, Kara could feel herself slowly relaxing into the moment, soothed into a lull of slowly building familiarity. The more she listened to them and watched them interact, the more similarities she saw to her own friendship with Lucy. She’d noticed it before, but as she watched them squabble like this, it became more apparent than ever.

Lucy would be  _ pissed _ , if she ever realized how  _ cool _ Selina was. If they’d all met under different circumstances, Kara had a feeling Selina and Lucy would have ended up being an unstoppable force together.

“Well,  _ you _ cried when Dana died on  _ The L Word _ !” Alex shot out, rubbing her left bicep and scowling fiercely at her friend.

Selina didn’t stay quiet for long.

“So did you! We watched it together, you asshole,” she retorted, arms crossed over her chest and eyes rolling impressively in their sockets. “And stop touching your bullet hole. Besides, you cried during  _ Frozen _ .  _ The entire time _ .”

“I had a  _ cold _ , that’s why my eyes were so red,” Alex spluttered comically, cheeks filling with blood. To Kara’s unending surprise, however, Alex actually dropped her hand from her arm, leaving her wound alone without further prompting.

“Yeah, baby, I bet you had a  _ Frozen Fever _ ,” Selina said, high fiving herself, before cupping her hands around her mouth and affecting the sound of an arena. “And the crowd goes wild as Selina Kyle utterly destroys Alexandra Danvers on the field.”

While Selina smirked and Alex huffed, Kara laughed at both of them, before placing her hand on Alex’s thigh. She was glad to realize that the woman she cared for was just as ridiculous as she was, and that if it ever came down to it, Alex would be just as likely to cry as Kara while watching a movie or a TV show.

Squeezing gently, Kara watched with growing satisfaction as Alex’s cheeks flushed bright red, before she moved her hand to cover Kara’s, refusing to look either her or Selina in the eye.

Selina seemed to be loving the display, a shit-eating grin taking root on her face.

Not for the first time today, Kara had a feeling that everything would be just fine.

-

“So, Selina gave Trish to you when you moved to National City?” Kara asked, hours later after they’d finished five episodes of  _ American Horror Story _ and had all had dinner together. Alex and Kara’s fingers had been intertwined on Alex’s thigh throughout the entire marathon, Selina’s feet on the arm of the couch next to Alex, who had spent most of their watching time gently rubbing Selina’s shins.

To her own amazement, Kara had felt only the tiniest twinge of jealousy at the domestic gesture.

Now on the couch once more, cuddling Trish to her chest, it was almost time for Kara to go back to her own apartment. This had only been her and Alex’s second date, after all, and she was not about to spend the night at Alex’s apartment, no matter how much she might have wanted to.

“No, after I came back I spent a few weeks in Gotham before I moved here,” Alex said, stroking Trish’s back and smiling at Kara. “We got used to each other pretty quickly, so the move was fairly uncomplicated for both of us.”

Kara hummed in understanding, plucking Trish from her lap and setting her down on a nice, black kitty blanket. But before Kara could so much as make a move to go, Trish had left the blanket and was back on Kara’s thighs, purring and rubbing her body against Kara’s chest.

“Looks like she doesn’t want you to go,” Alex husked, eyes full of warmth as she gingerly, carefully, placed her hand on Kara’s and squeezed it. “She’s not the only one.”

Mouth running dry, Kara turned over her hand so their palms were touching, eyes flitting down to Alex’s lips. Still, it was too soon, especially with Selina puttering around in the kitchen and with a cat on Kara’s lap. Their first kiss, after all of this pain, would have to wait another day.

“Alex…” Kara whispered, leaning forward ever so slightly despite herself. “It’s late.”

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, lowering her eyes to their hands, fingers drawing small spirals and squares on Kara’s wrist and forearm. When goosebumps broke out on her skin, Kara put Trish back on the couch and got to her feet.

If she didn’t leave now, she never would.

Selina looked up from what she was doing as Kara straightened, Alex’s face taking on a dejected grimace when their hands disconnected. Next to her, Kara heard small, upset mewling. Everything in Alex’s apartment told her to stay, but she’d have to resist the impulse. Now wasn’t the time.

“You’re leaving, kiddo?” Selina asked, wiping her hands on a dish towel as Kara made her way around the couch. “But it was just starting to get really fun. If you’re tired of  _ AHS _ , we can watch something else. Supercop won’t mind.”

Even Selina was asking her to stay. This was going to be tougher than Kara had anticipated.

Scraping together the very last of her willpower, Kara shook out her shoulders, walked over to Selina and pulled her into a hug, the surprise evident in Selina’s entire body. For an instant, she was stiff as a board, before she realized she wasn’t under attack, and relaxed into the embrace.

“Bye,” Kara whispered, closing her eyes, “and thank you. For taking care of her and… yeah… just, thanks, for being there.”

More than anything, Kara felt an overwhelming amount of  _ relief _ .

Relief that Alex and Selina weren’t lovers, would never be lovers, and would never leave Kara in the dust to be with each other.

But also, relief that Alex had a best friend who loved her so much, who refused to leave her side even when Alex told her to go away. Who had helped nurse Alex back to health, who had flown over all the way from Gotham to change Alex’s bandages and make sure she was fed and well-cared for.

Kara squeezed her tightly, Selina patting her back soothingly.

“Hey, no problem, Kara. Someone’s got to take care of our dumbass. I’m glad she’s got you, too,” Selina replied, voice sincerer than it had been all afternoon. “But maybe you should let go of me now. I think Supercop is having an aneurysm on the couch, trying to figure out what’s going on.”

Chuckling, Kara pulled away, smiling at Selina before turning back towards Alex, who was indeed staring at them with a weird mixture of worry, relief, and apprehension on her face. When she saw Kara’s smile, her stiff shoulders relaxed a little.

“Don’t look so weirded out, Supercop,” Selina tutted, walking over and draping her arm around Kara’s shoulder. “You know the women flock to me. It was only a matter of time before sweet Kara here succumbed to my charms. As previously established, you’re the only idiot in the apartment.”

“Fuck you,” Alex said, mostly joking, as she, too, got to her feet, ready to walk Kara to the door.

“I’m sorry, baby, but you’ve missed your chance. I’m going to marry Officer Vasquez and you can’t do anything about it. But first,” Selina said, turning her head towards Kara and lifting one eyebrow. “I know I still owe you a kiss, Kara. Since I stole one so heinously from your sweetheart, I figure it’s only fair if I give you one back.”

Just as Selina leaned in to plant a kiss on Kara’s unwilling lips, Kara ducked out from under her arm and speed walked back around the couch. She stopped next to Alex, hiding slightly behind her. Just because she appreciated Selina’s place in Alex’s life and was on her way to liking her as a person, didn’t make Selina any less intimidating.

“Oh, come on,” Selina whined, hands once again at her hips. “Stunts like that can really hurt a woman’s ego, you know.”

“Your ego’s the size of Australia, I’m sure it can handle itself,” Alex snarked, taking Kara’s hand and pulling her over to the front door. The warmth of her palm made Kara want to stay put even more. This was going to be an uphill battle until she was home.

“Excuse you, my ego’s at least the size of Russia,” Selina called after them, before she went back into the kitchen to clean the dishes and glasses. Kara noticed how her position gave her an excellent vantage point to observe what was going on at the door.

Her attention shifted away from Selina when Alex let go of her hand to grab Kara’s coat, holding it open so Kara could slip into it. Thankfully, Alex’s hands didn’t linger on her after the help she’d offered. Kara needed to stay strong. Alex’s hands were not conducive to staying strong.

“Thank you for this,” Kara said quietly, standing outside of Alex’s open apartment door, and fiddling with the sides of her trench coat. “I had my doubts, but… It was a great idea.”

Beaming at her, Alex leaned her weight against the doorjamb, fingers tucked into the front pockets of her jeans. Kara wanted nothing more than to cup those smiling cheeks, press her thumbs into those dimples and bring their lips together in a loving, earth-shattering kiss.

Instead, she dug her nails into her own forearm.

“I’m glad it helped,” Alex whispered back, shuffling her feet a little. “I know I keep saying it, but… I really, really want this to work.”

Alex’s face was so earnestly hopeful, Kara was unable to stop herself, tipping forward on her shoes. Her hands grasped Alex’s neck and pulled their faces together, as she pressed her lips gently but insistently against Alex’s cheek.

Hearing Alex’s breath halt in her chest, listening to her heart beat out of order, and feeling her soft skin under her lips was almost too much. Add to that the delicious scent of Alex’s perfume, mixed with the barest hint of her sweat, and Kara was pretty sure she never wanted to be with anyone else ever again.

“Me, too,” Kara husked, stroking Alex’s neck, unwilling to let her go.

Before she could do something dumb, like brushing a kiss somewhere much different than Alex’s cheek, Kara pushed herself back out of the door again. Alex’s eyes were barely fluttering open once Kara had returned to her original position, her chest filling with warmth as she was reminded of the first kiss they’d shared.

Alex looked just as dazed now as she had then.

“Bye,” Kara said, her fingers once again latching onto her own trench coat. “Thanks again.”

Nodding a little, Alex smiled dopily.

“I’ll see you around, Kara,” she whispered, slipping her right hand from her jeans pocket and rubbing the tattoo on her forearm absentmindedly. “I’ll call you. And text you.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Kara replied, her feet planted firmly on the ground. She still wasn’t ready for this evening – this  _ day _ – to end.

On the verge of something else to say, Kara startled a little when Selina’s voice reached them from the kitchen, where she had started to sing. Loudly.

If Kara wasn’t mistaken, it was the song  _ Kiss the Girl _ from  _ The Little Mermaid _ .

Laughing quietly to herself, Kara rolled her eyes at Selina’s antics, while Alex pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Having endured years of shenanigans like this seemed to have made Alex quite resigned to her fate. Kara had a feeling that soon, once she had spent more time in the presence Alex’s friend, her reaction might end up being quite the same.

“You better go, before she starts singing something more explicit,” Alex ground out, shaking her head when Selina’s singing grew even louder. “Selina was the one who changed Harley’s ringtone before our first date. She knows her dirty songs.”

Kara smiled more widely, thinking back to that unbearably awkward moment.

“I’ve got to admit,” Kara said, bringing her hands up to fix the collar of Alex’s light blue plaid shirt, “I was pretty weirded out when your phone rang.” Alex groaned and leaned herself further into Kara’s touch.

“Definitely a contender for  _ worst moment of your life dot com _ ,” Alex added, cheeks pinking ever so slightly. “I thought you were going to bail on me for sure.”

Thinking about how she most likely  _ would _ have bailed if she weren’t a Kryptonian and didn’t have access to her superpowers, Kara flipped up the collar of Alex’s shirt before neatly folding it down again.

“Will you come to CatCo’s tomorrow?” She asked, hands smoothing down the fabric covering Alex’s strong, beautiful shoulders.

“I’d love to,” Alex replied. “Lunch?”

“It’s a date.”

And with the smallest of kisses to Alex’s cheek, Kara was off to the elevator, hands stuffed into the pockets of her coat, her head held high.

As she waited for the doors to open, she turned around and made eye contact with Alex, who hadn’t moved at all from her spot against the doorjamb, watching Kara with a bittersweet expression. When the door of the elevator slid open, Kara waved and stepped inside.

The last thing she saw was Alex’s smile.

It was time to go home.

-

Sliding the front door shut once she was sure Kara was gone, Alex leaned her head against the wood and closed her eyes, her heart beating a mile a minute.

She was sure Kara had been on the verge of kissing her, and while Alex was disappointed that they hadn’t, she understood why Kara had kissed her cheek instead. They’d barely found back to one another, and they’d both need time to feel comfortable with each other again.

Still, that kiss against her cheek… it had left her rattled. Weak in the knees.

“You’re so screwed, Supercop,” Selina’s voice trilled over to her from the kitchen, where she’d finally stopped singing. “And you’ve got absolutely  _ no game _ whatsoever. I was waiting for an epic, rom-com worthy smooch over here. I’m disappointed.”

Pulling her head away from the door, Alex turned towards her friend, making quick strides through the living room and into the kitchen, where Selina had planted herself on one of the chairs, looking entirely too smug for her own good.

“Shut up, Selina. Kara is worth more than some stupid rom-com crap,” Alex said wearily, contemplating if she should sit herself down next to Selina or go back into the living room and fall headfirst onto the couch. “She’s not ready for us to kiss again and I’m going to respect that.”

Selina hummed and reached out with her hand, grasping Alex’s fingers loosely.

“Look at you, being all adorable and in love. I’m proud of you, baby. Good for you, making such adult decisions,” Selina said, her tone only slightly mocking. If she was trying to hide her sincerity, she was doing a godawful job of it.

Alex didn’t bother commenting on the whole  _ being in love _ thing.

Instead, she pulled lightly on Selina’s hand and shuffled her feet a little.

Selina took the hint without needing to be asked, getting up from Alex’s kitchen chair and curling her hand around Alex’s cheek, just as Alex pulled her into a tight hug, tucking her head into the crook of Selina’s neck. With her eyes closed, Alex breathed in Selina’s familiar scent and enjoyed the feeling of her friend’s fingers running along her cheek and temple.

“Thank you,” Alex mumbled into the fabric of Selina’s shirt. “Even though this was absolute torture.”

“You’re welcome,” Selina replied, letting go of Alex’s fingers so she could curl her other hand around Alex’s back. “You know I just want you to be happy.” Pressing kisses against Alex’s hair, Selina hugged her back tightly. “For what it’s worth, she seems like a keeper. I get why you were so hung up on her, baby. She’s a sweet kid.”

Sagging in her arms a little, Alex let out a long breath, her body and mind completely exhausted.

“God, please don’t call her a kid. You make me sound like a creepy pedophile. She’s only a year younger than me,” Alex grumbled, the tips of her fingers digging into Selina’s lower back.

Selina chuckled.

“Fine, fine. She’s a sweet  _ babe _ . There, does that make you feel better?” She asked, pressing her cheek against the top of Alex’s head and scratching up and down the back of Alex’s neck.

Annoyed, Alex pulled out of the embrace and grunted in derision.

“Ugh, fuck off, I don’t even know why I put up with you,” she said, walking over to the couch and letting herself fall, narrowly missing Trish with her head.

“And she’s not just a sweet babe,” Selina went on, completely unperturbed by Alex’s adverse reaction. “She’s also got a very nice ass.” Walking into Alex’s field of view, she mimed groping motions with both hands.

Alex grunted again.

“I hate you, just, so much,” she said, momentarily blinded by Trish’s belly as she stalked over Alex’s head and made herself comfortable on her stomach.

“I love you, too, Supercop. So very, very much, and so does that girl,” Selina said, sitting herself down next to Alex’s legs. “You know, I had an idea. Once Officer Vasquez and I are married-“

“ _ Oh my God _ ,” Alex interjected, burying her face in her hands.

“-the four of us can open up the G.A.A. The Gorgeous Ass Association,” Selina concluded, clapping her hands in front of her chest and wiggling her eyebrows. “Officer Vasquez’s butt is just too good not to get some kind of monument built in its honor.”

“Please stop,” Alex said through her fingers, voice defeated.

“Also, get it? Ass-ociation? You get it, right?”

-

Kara had decided that walking home would give her more time to stew in her own emotions than taking the easy way, which would have been to fly herself back to her apartment. She had her phone clutched in her hand, holding it so tightly she was on the verge of breaking it with her super strength while trying to text Lucy.

Being the excellent friend that she was, Lucy was waiting for Kara at her apartment, no doubt wondering why the hell Kara was taking so long to come home from what was supposed to have been a simple  _ coffee date _ .

It was pushing ten pm, and while Kara had been itching to stay at Alex’s place before, right now she was just glad to be alone so she could  _ process _ . Even though it ultimately didn’t do her much good. As her apartment building came into view, she still hadn’t come to any conclusion. And by the time she’d unlocked and opened her front door, the ghost of Alex’s cheek under her lips was all Kara could focus on.

There was a sense of déjà vu as Kara looked up from her keys and saw Lucy sitting on her couch with a glass of wine in her hand, waiting for Kara to come home. As had been happening all throughout this day, Kara was reminded of her and Alex’s first date. It probably shouldn’t have surprised her, considering their second date could theoretically have been called a second  _ first _ date.

Keeping her face carefully neutral, Kara closed the door and threw her keys onto the chest of drawers next to the entrance, observing the phone Lucy held in her left hand. She wondered who Lucy had been texting, aside from Kara herself. Siobhan, probably. Maybe James.

Ironically, Kara’s television had been paused on an episode of  _ American Horror Story _ .

“You’re home a lot later than expected,” Lucy said, her words careful and non-threatening as she sipped at her wine and watched Kara put away her coat. “How did it go? With the dumbass? Did you two get along?”

Letting out a deep sigh, Kara let her hair fall in front of her face for a second so Lucy couldn’t see her thoughtful expression. When she lifted her eyes back up again, Lucy had put down her wine and smartphone and looked, for all intents and purposes, like she was trying to offer herself up as the perfect shoulder to cry on. Just in case.

It took Kara a good few moments to answer, her mind a jumbled mess of emotions, memories, ideas, and conflicting feelings.

“It was… it was different,” Kara finally decided on, turning her body away so she could look at herself in the mirror next to her coat hangers. Her face looked the same as before, but maybe, if she squinted, the tightness around her eyes seemed to be less pronounced. Or maybe that was just her imagination. “Very different. We went to her apartment after our milkshakes and pie at  _ Noonan’s _ .”

Shuffling noises sounded from the couch, no doubt Lucy trying to decide whether she should get up from where she was sitting or stay put and wait for Kara to come to her.

“And was that a good thing?” Lucy asked, while Kara stared into her own eyes, wondering if imagining the kiss between Alex and Selina could still hurt her.

Finally turning around, Kara screwed up her face into a ponderous expression, before walking over to Lucy and staring at the motionless television screen. Sarah Paulson was kneeling, crying over a lifeless Lily Rabe.

“Yeah… I met her friend Selina,” Kara said, looking at Lucy to gauge her reaction.

Lucy’s jaw dropped.

“You  _ what _ ?!“ Her mouth opened and closed a few times, before she regained her composure. “Selina? The asshole douchebag who made out with your girl, even though she knew the two of you were going out? What the fuck?”

Sitting down next to Lucy, Kara made a grab for the wine bottle, setting it against her lips and taking a few hearty gulps, chugging the wine down the way only a practiced drinker or a Kryptonian could. The wine wouldn’t do anything for her, but Kara appreciated the aesthetic.

Putting the wine back down again, Kara leaned her head against the back of the couch and turned her face towards her gaping friend, brows furrowed.

“She’s… funny,” Kara started, trying to make sense of her own emotions. “I… I think I actually like her. She really cares. And if I want to have a relationship with Alex, her friends are part of the deal.”

Lucy shook her head.

“You really are too good for this world, Kara,” Lucy said, curling her arm around Kara’s shoulders and pulling her into a tight side-hug. “Why the fuck would Detective Dumbvers take you to see her mistress? What the fuck is wrong with her? I swear, fucking kids these days.”

Snuggling into her side, Kara smiled a little at Lucy’s genuine affront.

“The issue kind of came up as soon as we started talking. Literally, right as we sat down,” Kara explained, head resting on Lucy’s shoulder now. “And you know I trust Alex, I do, but… there is…  _ was _ still that little bit of doubt in the back of my mind.”

Lucy hummed in understanding.

“So, we talked about it and Alex offered to go to her apartment, where Selina is staying right now, because Alex got shot.” While Kara couldn’t see Lucy’s face, she could hear the small scoff and perfectly  _ imagine _ the look of disbelief on her best friend’s features. “Just like any best friend would do, like you would do for me if I ever got hurt somehow.”

“The difference is that I don’t make out with you,” Lucy whispered, as though she honestly believed Kara wouldn’t hear her snark.

“Yeah, well, now that I’ve seen how they are around each other… I’m still jealous, I think, but…” Kara curled her arm around Lucy’s waist and huffed into her shoulder. “I’m jealous of what Selina  _ has _ with Alex. It comes so easy to her, while Alex and I still struggle to  _ talk _ to each other sometimes.”

Hugging her even tighter, Lucy brushed her hand through Kara’s hair and listened attentively.

“Selina knows Alex in a way I probably never will, but… that’s okay. I think,” Kara said, talking more to herself than to Lucy. “I mean, you know the me from years ago that Alex will never know… I just need to find a way to live with that.”

When Kara’s words lulled, Lucy pressed a kiss against the top of her head.

“The easy talking comes with time. And if it doesn’t, then it’s not meant to be,” she said, squeezing Kara’s back.

The thought of Alex and her not being meant to be made Kara feel empty inside.

“I really,  _ really _ want it to work,” Kara breathed, surprising herself with how much she meant it.

“Then it will.” For a second, Lucy hugged Kara so tightly she was afraid Lucy would accidentally hurt herself on her steely skin. “I will keep my fingers crossed for you, and if it’s Detective Dumbass that you want, then so be it.”

Kara laughed.

“Thanks, Luce. I don’t know what I would do without you,” she mumbled, head burrowing even further into Lucy’s neck and breathing in her familiar scent.

Lucy was family.

“You’d probably cry yourself to sleep every night, dreaming of meeting someone like me,” Lucy sassed, kissing Kara’s head one more time. “Thankfully, kiddo, you’ll never have to find out what it’s like to be without me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who remembers that Smallville ep where Kara complained about Clark getting to be a big football star and she just wanted to do something for herself!!! and ofc it was a fucking beauty pageant, because what the fuck else would Kara want to do as a proper Girl^TM. amazing. 
> 
> Oh and before anyone asks - yes, Selina will one day apologize to Kara for what she did. I'm not telling you when tho :P :P :P that would spoil the fun, now, wouldn't it?
> 
> as always, beta-d by the amazing and perfect Coara!
> 
> And if you want to talk to me, find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr!


	11. Time to Let Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex has a decent morning, while Kara... well... not so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *yawns* 
> 
> Hope you have a good time! 
> 
> **Note** : Contains the description of an anxiety attack, as well as a small amount of racist rhetoric.

> [Alex Danvers]: Sweet dreams, Kara. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow ♥.  _ Sent 10:33pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: And to motorboat those sweet tits ♥.  _ Sent 10:45pm _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: O-kay… ???  _ Sent 11:21pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: SELINA STOLE MY PHONE I AM SO SORRY.  _ Sent 11:22pm _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: I had a feeling…  _ Sent 11:22pm _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Sleep tight, can’t wait to see you tomorrow, either ♥♥♥.  _ Sent 11:23pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: ♥♥♥.  _ Sent 11:23pm _ .

-

At ten am on a Thursday morning, Alex Danvers barely managed to bring herself into wakefulness after a night of heavy sleep. She was wrapped in a blanket, with a solid weight draped over her back, and a soft wind caressing her neck every few seconds.

It took her a moment to realize that the wind was a slow and steady breath, and that the weight was someone else’s body.

A woman.

For the fraction of a second, Alex tensed, having grown unaccustomed to sleeping next to someone else, wondering who could possibly be in bed with her. During her year away, Alex had had plenty of sexual partners – drowning out the noise of her own pain with the screams of another woman during the throes of ecstasy – but she’d never actually slept next to any of them.

In Gotham, before  _ the incident _ had uprooted, chewed up, and spit out her life, Alex had been accustomed to having one of the sirens stay over in her apartment. It hadn’t been every night, or even every week, but her friends had loved nothing more than to break into Alex’s apartment at night and curl up with her under her blankets. Whether they were having a tough time, or just wanted some cuddles, Alex had taken them in without (much) protest.

She’d never admitted it to any of them, but once they’d become friends, their presence had always been a comfort to her.

Another second of tense silence passed, before Alex realized that the only person who could be in her bed beside her, on top of her, was Selina.

Friend, not foe.

While Selina had been staying with her for a couple of days now, Alex still wasn’t used to having her back in her bed. The thought irked her. Alex hated what _ the incident _ and her year away had nearly done to their friendship. She knew it was mainly her fault; she’d been the one who’d put so much distance between them. No phone calls, almost no texts, barely a letter or a postcard.

She’d simply vanished and left them all behind.

Thinking about how selfish she had been, with the guilt almost devouring her alive from the inside out, Alex slipped herself out from under Selina without waking her. Chancing another glance down at the peacefully sleeping face of her friend, Alex grabbed her smartphone and left her bedroom to call her mother.

Over a year ago, when she’d packed up and left without much of an explanation, Alex had hurt her mother most of all. Her mother, who had needed Alex’s support above anyone else’s, who’d tried desperately to stay in contact with her, whom Alex had rebuffed at every turn, over and over and over again.

The line rang all of two times before Eliza Danvers picked up her daughter’s call.

“Hey, mom,” Alex said quietly, putting on the kettle to brew some water before pulling out two cups and the tea bags her mother had given to her as a housewarming gift. With some luck, Selina would still be asleep by the time Alex had breakfast ready for them.

“Alex, hi,” her mother replied, voice warm and loving, instantly easing Alex into a state of happy relaxation. She would never again take for granted how much her mother loved her. “How are you? Is Selina still with you? She sent me a text.”

“I’m good,” Alex replied, surprised by how much she meant it. “Selina’s still asleep. I left her in bed to make us some breakfast.” Alex pretended not to hear her mother’s half-muffled scream of excitement and joy. Her mother would probably never accept that Alex and Selina wouldn’t actually end up together. “How are you doing? How’s your friend, um, Bridget, was it? How is she handling the divorce?”

Alex had no interest whatsoever in hearing about her mother’s friends and their problems, but she knew her mother appreciated the attention, and Alex wanted to make her happy. She had a lot to make up for. The year had been necessary for her own recovery, of that Alex had no doubt, but her own peace of mind had come at the expense of her mother suffering without her.

“Oh, you know how she is, sweetheart,” Eliza started, diving headfirst into the intricacies of Bridget’s divorce, sparing Alex no details about her husband cheating with his secretary. And Bridget, in her sixties, finally realizing she would much rather sleep with Helen than to go back to dating men.

“That sounds… genuinely terrifying, mom,” Alex said, when her mother’s tirade finally lulled, while Alex had moved on to chopping strawberries for Selina’s pancakes. “I don’t know how you keep finding people like that. Remind me of this the next time I’m entertaining marriage, so I can decide against it.”

Eliza hummed and chuckled, and Alex imagined her shrugging her shoulders, running her finger over the rim of her tea cup, Caesar draped over her lap like a thick, black pillow. With claws. And teeth.

“You take what you can get when you get to be my age, Alex, and as long as you marry the right person…” Eliza said, voice only slightly teasing. Alex smiled as she poured the strawberries into the pancake batter. “Were you planning on waking Selina? Or are you going to surprise her with breakfast in bed?” Then, after only a second of silence, Eliza added, mischievously. “I don’t know why you’re waiting to ask her out. She’s not going to wait for you forever.”

Sighing quietly to herself, Alex flipped the first pancake with her spatula and rolled her eyes.

“Selina and I are not going to get together, ma,” Alex replied, voice only slightly annoyed, as she flipped the second pancake onto a plate. “How many times do I have to tell you that? Selina and I are friends. I know you think we’d be good together, but we don’t feel that way about each other.”

Alex wondered how many times she’d have to say this to people. Just because Selina and her were close, closer perhaps than other friends, did  _ not _ mean that they had to end up together. In another life, maybe, but certainly not in this one.

“Fine, fine,” Eliza relented, obviously displeased with Alex’s words. “I was  _ just _ saying. I only want what’s best for you and her. And I think you could make each other very happy.”

“Yeah, sure,” Alex replied, spraying whipped cream onto the pile of pancakes. “You don’t have to worry about me, mom, I’m already very happy.” She placed both tea and pancakes on a tray, phone wedged in between her shoulder and ear more tightly as she carried the tray over to her bedroom.

Eliza perked up at her words.

“Oh? Did you meet someone?” Her voice was instantly interested, like a shark in bloody water. Alex regretted her words the second they were out of her mouth. She didn’t want to tell her mother about Kara, not yet, but she also didn’t want to lie to her.

Seeing as Selina was still dead to the world, Trish draped over her back, Alex walked back to the kitchen. She sat on one of her chairs, putting the tray down onto the table, phone in her hand, ready to deflect her mother’s inquiries about her love life.

“It’s all still very new, mom, please don’t make a big deal out of it,” Alex said, nipping at her own cup of tea and crossing her legs. What she was saying wasn’t  _ technically _ a lie, even if Kara and her had known each other for a couple of months now.

“I’m just so glad you’ve found someone,” Eliza said, sounding only marginally like she was eating glass at the prospect of Alex ending up with someone who wasn’t Selina. Then, as though Alex’s thoughts had somehow reached her mother, Eliza went on. “How is Selina handling the fact that she’s going to have to share you with someone else now?”

Rolling her eyes, Alex vaulted herself to her feet and walked over to the windows of her living room to scratch Herbert under his maw. The tiny plant curled himself against her stomach immediately as she petted him.

“Selina is taking it just fine,” Alex retorted, watching as something small and undoubtedly Supergirl flit across the sky, far away from Alex’s apartment building.

Alex wondered what she was doing.

Probably patrolling.

“Are you sure? She was so distraught when she heard you’d been shot,” Eliza prodded, voice full of pain. “She came by after your phone call to see how I was doing.”

Clenching her jaw at the thought of Selina being in pain, Alex let go of Herbert and rubbed her eyes instead, letting a long stream of breath slowly escape from her lungs. No matter how many times Alex put herself in danger, the thing she really hated wasn’t what happened to  _ her _ , but how her family and friends reacted to it.

“She seems like she’s recovered from the shock,” Alex muttered to herself, angry with herself. Hank was alive and for that Alex was grateful, but she’d carry the pain of her loved ones with her for a long time. “Did she say anything to you?”

Eliza tutted disapprovingly.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, Alex. Us girlfriends have got to stick together. It wouldn’t feel right to tell you what she told me,” Eliza replied, obviously fighting with herself about how much she should share. “But, Alex, please, be more careful at work, will you? I’m used to it because of your father, but you really frightened Selina.”

Audibly sighing this time, Alex ran her hand through her hair, before smiling down at Herbert, who was pawing at her face to get her attention, seeking to distract her from whatever was making her sad.

“Thanks, mom,” Alex finally said, fingers drawing Herbert’s leaves away from her cheek. “I promise I’ll try not to get shot again.” Not that she could possibly make any credible promises about her job. It was out of her control when someone decided to take a shot at her or her partner.

In the next instance, Alex felt arms wrap around her torso from behind, and a sweet voice whisper a  _ good morning, baby _ into her ear.

Flinching at being interrupted so suddenly, Alex glared at Selina and covered the bottom of her smartphone with her hand.

“I’m on the phone with my mom, can you please keep it down a little with the nicknames?” Alex hissed, hoping against hope that her mom with her fox-like ears wouldn’t be able to pick up on her words. “She already thinks we’re secretly screwing behind her back.”

Rolling her eyes, Selina patted Alex gently on the butt, squeezing it for just a few seconds too long to make Alex uncomfortable (Selina’s favorite sport), before she slumped back over to the open kitchen area to feed Trish. She was wearing a pair of Alex’s blue boxer shorts and one of Alex’s crisp, white silk shirts.

Alex lifted her hand from her phone.

“Sorry, ma, Selina’s up and our breakfast is getting cold, I’m going to have to call you back,” she said, disentangling herself from Herbert and making her way over to the tray Selina was busy unloading. The whipped cream on top of the pancakes looked suspiciously like someone had run their fingers through it.

“Alright, honey, give Selina my best,” Eliza said, sounding entirely too mischievous not to have heard Selina’s mumbled greeting. “And don’t wait too long to call me again, please? It’s nice to hear from my child, not just when she’s hurt.”

Feeling the guilt resettle on her chest like a coat of lead, Alex turned her back to Selina to hide her chagrined expression. “Okay, mom, I promise. I’ll call you again soon,” Alex said, trying to hide the emotion that suddenly clogged her throat. “I love you.”

Pausing for a moment, surprise laced Eliza’s words as she answered.

“I love you, too, Alex.”

When she’d ended the call, phone held loosely in her hand and face turned towards her windows again, Alex let her shoulders slump a little as she contemplated how she could possibly make up the entire past year to her mother. Even worse, Eliza didn’t even blame her for leaving the country. And then, for leaving the city so soon after she’d come back home.

“You’re so sweet,” Selina murmured, leaning over the table and pressing a kiss against Alex’s cheek. “I’m sure Eliza appreciated the call. And you didn’t even have to get shot, or mauled, or maimed to call her. I’m proud of you.”

A second kiss followed the first one.

“Shut up,” Alex retorted, secretly grateful that Selina had distracted her. “Eat your breakfast.”

-

Patrolling through the streets before her shift at CatCo’s, Kara let herself drift along the wind as she made her way over to Alex’s apartment to check in on her.

After their...  _ slightly _ unorthodox second date, all Kara had been able to think about was the feeling of Alex’s thigh under her hand as they watched TV together. The way Alex had been watching Kara more than the television screen, and how Alex had grown soft and pliant under her hands as Kara had kissed her cheek.

As she soared through the air far enough away from Alex’s apartment that she hopefully wouldn’t be spotted, Kara narrowed her eyes at Alex’s building, surprised and relieved to find Alex walking across her living room, stopping in front of her big windows with a phone held to her ear.

Taking a moment to indulge in the view, Kara observed Alex in her unguarded state. She was wearing a simple, dark blue t-shirt, with a  _ Gotham Police Department _ logo stamped on the left breast, and a pair of boxers featuring…  _ chubby Pikachus _ ?

Kara smiled, endlessly charmed by the woman she found so enticing.

She shook her head and averted her eyes, not wanting to spy on Alex any more than she already had. Having accomplished her goal, to check and see if Alex was alright, and more than satisfied with finding her safe and sound, Kara turned around and sped away, one arm stretched over her head and her cape fluttering in the air behind her.

Accelerating slightly, Kara took a sharp turn and flew to the next location on her to-do list.

Earlier this morning, Kara had called J’onn to ask him for a meeting. He’d tried to deflect, tried to tell her he didn’t have the time to meet up with her, but he hadn’t been able to deter her. He knew very well that she was sick and tired of his secrecy and his desire to protect her from threats she was more than capable of fighting herself.

Knowing the kind of person her cousin Clark tended to be, Kara had no doubt he had asked J’onn to look out for Kara and to keep an eye on her when she’d moved to National City four years ago. To Kara’s great chagrin, it seemed J’onn had taken Clark’s request to heart.

Kara appreciated the feeling of someone having her back, she really did - she’d always believed in her family’s motto of  _ stronger together _ . And she liked working with J’onn and helping him solve his murder cases, but his attitude towards her could be condescending at times. Patronizing, even. There were some things she knew he couldn’t tell her, important police information she had no business knowing, but when it came to other things, Kara simply could not take his secrecy lying down.

He had gotten better about his worry over the years, letting her in on more dangerous cases and feeling confident that she could handle herself in almost any situation. During her three years as Supergirl, she had become a force to be reckoned with amongst National City’s criminal underbelly.

Still, sometimes, J’onn tried to shield her from danger, even when it was completely unwarranted.

This morning, Kara had asked him to meet her at Griffin Park, National City’s biggest and most luscious public park, to get to the bottom of whatever he was covering up this time. One way or the other.

She’d brought Oreos with her to bribe him, just in case.

Touching down on the nearly emerald-colored grass, Kara strolled along the secluded trail they’d picked as their meeting place, leaves and small sticks crunching under her heavy, red boots. She was about to smell one of the blooming rhododendron bushes at the edge of the trail when she heard familiar footsteps behind her.

With a grin on her face, Kara turned around and waved, J’onn face splitting into a smile of his own.

“Supergirl, what a pleasant surprise,” J’onn said, stopping a few feet away from Kara and stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants. He was wearing a nicely tailored, black suit with a crisp, green shirt. His tie was red and Kara appreciated the irony of his outfit.

“Yes, Sergeant Henshaw, such a coincidence,” Kara replied, grinning brightly. “It’s almost like I called you.”

“Almost,” J’onn humored her.

They stood motionless for a few seconds, J’onn with his hands in his pockets and Kara with her arms crossed over her chest. They both knew exactly why they were here. Kara had made it very plain that she wouldn’t be kept in the dark, not this time.

She’d swept the area with her x-ray vision before she’d touched down, and even now, she kept her ears wide open for any human noises that could possibly approach them.

They were alone. At least for now.

“So, what’s the deal, Sergeant?” Kara asked, keeping up appearances, just in case someone was monitoring the area and had somehow escaped her notice. They really needed to install a secret meeting place in National City.  _ Clark _ had one in Metropolis where he met  _ his _ superpowered friends. “What are you keeping from me?”

J’onn twisted his mouth into a contemplative frown.

“I don’t think I should tell you,” J’onn started, mimicking Kara’s pose and bringing his arms up to cross them over his chest. “My partner and I are working on a case right now that I want to keep as far away from you as possible.”

Trying to keep her annoyance in check, Kara dug her nails into her biceps, careful not to rip a hole into the fabric. Manufacturing these suits quietly and discreetly was not only expensive, but also a pain in her backside.

“How do you expect me to protect myself, if I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be protecting myself from, Hank? Just tell me what’s going on, you  _ know _ I can handle whatever it is. And more importantly, I can help  _ you _ . If this case is so bad that you want to keep me away from it, then you obviously need all the help you can get,” Kara argued, shaking her head at her friend’s stubbornness.

J’onn was over three-hundred years old.

Sometimes, it showed.

Sighing audibly, J’onn fixed Kara with a stern glare. She imagined it was a remnant of the way he used to look at his children when they had all been together on Mars. Before tragedy had struck and had left him all alone.

“You remember the crime scene from early March? Two people with their eyes burned out of their heads?” J’onn asked, tapping the tips of his fingers on his arm and regarding her with exasperation. “When you told me the crime seemed looked like someone had used alien tech on the victims?”

“Yes,” Kara responded with no hesitation. “You know I don’t forget anything.”

J’onn rolled his eyes.

“Of course,” he said, not even a hint of mirth coloring his words. “We gathered fresher evidence from another crime scene a few weeks later.” He seemed reluctant to go on, but a glare from Kara made him give in. “My partner asked a friend of hers to analyze some samples.”

“And?” Kara asked, perhaps a little more impatiently than was warranted in this situation. J’onn was talking, but he was stalling just a bit too much. Placing her hands at her hips, Kara wished he would just spit it out already.

“One of the substances used to kill those people contained  _ sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide with fluorine _ ,” he explained, face chagrined as her mouth fell open in surprise, jaw completely slack.

“Kryptonite,” she whispered, the world around her falling silent for a moment as she took in this new piece of information. Someone was experimenting with  _ Kryptonite _ . Someone was using Kryptonite to kill  _ humans _ . “Why?”

“I think someone is trying to devise a weapon to kill you,” J’onn said, again mimicking Kara’s pose and placing his hands at his waist. “I thought maybe they were trying to think of a way to stop your aunt and her army, but…” He shook his head, worry clearly gleaming in his eyes.

“But why would someone who is trying to save the city from Astra go through so many human bodies first,” Kara finished his sentence, words trailing off as she watched a robin fly from one tree to the next, trilling angrily at their presence.

Taking in what J’onn had just told her, she thought back to Monday evening, and what Alex had said to her on the phone about one of the men who had tried to kill her in cold blood. Just thinking about what had almost happened made Kara feel empty and lifeless inside.

_ When he held me at gunpoint, he said something about how I should say hello to Supergirl once they were done with whatever they’re doing. _

Kara was sure J’onn was right. They  _ were _ trying to have her killed, and they were most likely testing whatever weapon they were using on human civilians first.

But what did Alex have to do with all of this? Why would they assault her in the street and make it look like a gang-related attack? Was Alex in some way connected to J’onn’s case? Was that why she was being attacked? Sure, Alex had been shot because she’d pushed her partner out of the line of fire, but maybe whoever had shot at them had intended to murder them both anyway? Maybe Alex had been a target all along?

But  _ why _ ?

Because of her connection to Batman? Did they expect her to be in cahoots with Supergirl, too? Were they worried Alex would somehow uncover their plan and stop them from killing Kara? Alex had told her she would do anything to keep Supergirl safe, and Kara had no reason to doubt her, not on this. Not when she’d heard so much about Alex’s heroic and impressive record from Lucy.

But how could anybody else be aware of this? Was Alex very vocal about her opinions on the ‘hero menace’-movement at work?

“I think you’re right,” Kara said, mind still about a thousand miles away. She wondered if she could find Alex’s heartbeat across the city if she really tried. “I think someone is targeting me and they’re using humans to test whatever it is they’re working on.”

The fact that they knew about her weakness to Kryptonite troubled her. If they tried to kill her, they would undoubtedly try to kill Clark as well. Kara couldn’t let it come to that. She’d been sent to Earth to protect her baby cousin, and while she’d been unable to raise him, she would do anything to keep him safe now. Even if it cost her her own life.

“We need to figure out what’s going on.” Kara’s voice was determined, and she pulled herself away from Clark and Alex and all the other people she cared about, pulled herself into the here and now. “If someone really is targeting me, we need to find out who’s behind it and stop them before it’s too late.”

Grim exasperation flit over J’onn’s face.

“ _We_ are not going to do anything,” he said, raising one finger and pointing at her stoically. “ _You_ are going to stay as far away from this as possible. They have _kryptonite_ _weapons_.” His eyes were steely. “And we need to stop meeting like this, it’s too dangerous. If Lord thinks he can get to you through me, then so will whoever is behind all of this.”

She was about to respond with an angry retort, when she heard the distinctive sound of a gun being cocked. It was far enough away that she hadn’t considered the footsteps to be threatening, but now, her head whipped to the side and her eyes found the man with the sniper rifle squatting in a tree house generally used for bird watching.

She could tell that he’d seen her, but she was at his side before he could do so much as twitch.

-

“You know, I give you a lot of crap for your cooking, which is totally justified, by the way, but you do some really good pancakes, Lexie,” Selina moaned, rubbing her stomach happily and wiggling her legs on Alex’s lap. “Honestly, I would marry you for your pancake skills alone.”

They were sitting together in the kitchen, Selina draped inappropriately over her chair and Alex’s lower body. Having just devoured most of Alex’s strawberry pancakes, her tea cup sat empty on the kitchen table. The noises she’d made while eating would have been perfectly at home in a pornographic radio serial.

“I still can’t believe you told Kara my cooking is tolerable as long as she gets to fuck me. Do you ever think before you speak?” To emphasize her displeasure, Alex poked and pulled at Selina’s calf, giving her an unimpressed look.

“Unlike you, I don’t have a stick up my butt,” Selina sassed back, pulling on Alex’s left ear. “Which reminds me, we still haven’t finished our conversation about the  _ Great Ass Association _ .” Upon Alex’s annoyed groan, Selina whacked the back of her head gently. “Don’t smother my life’s work and creativity with your sass.”

“When will the higher powers let me die,” Alex whispered, pressing her hands over her eyes and sighing into her palms. “Have I not suffered enough?”

Chuckling, Selina pulled herself fully onto Alex’s lap and pressed her lips against her forehead.

“Our universe loves you too much to let you go, Supercop,” she whispered, pressing her cheek against the top of Alex’s head and smiling into her hair. “You know… we could also open up our own crime syndicate.” Her voice was full of mischief as she tortured Alex. “We could call ourselves  _ The Triple As _ .”

Waiting for the inevitable explanatory pun, Alex didn’t even bother interjecting.

“ _ The Ass Assassins _ ,” Selina concluded, voice so unbearably smug Alex nearly pushed her down and onto the floor. “Ass, ass, ass, get it?”

-

The rifle broke cleanly in two, Kara’s eyes glowing red as she kneeled over the frightened little man she’d knocked over with a hefty punch to the gut. He was young, white, his dark hair neatly cropped. As she stood over him, panting furiously, her hands balled into fists, she noticed he’d made a grab for the handgun at his side.

“Oh no,” she said, snagging the weapon from his hand and pulverizing it with her fingers. “You’re not getting out of this one quite so easily.” She grabbed the front of his shirt and hauled him into the air like a ragdoll, his feet barely touching the ground as he struggled. She made sure to keep her eyes glowing dangerously.

“Let me go, you freak,” he said, fingers curling around her arms, pulling to no avail.

“Oh, what a great idea, call the woman who’s got you by the lapels a freak. Very original, too,” Kara mocked him, rolling her eyes as he tried to kick her with his feet. He howled in pain as his foot struck Kara’s shin particularly hard.

Kara barely felt it.

“Fuck, let me go, fuck,” he howled, squeaking when she hefted him even higher. “You’re not even a fucking woman, you’re an alien abomination and when we’re through with you, you’re going to see just how disgusting you really are.”

Lifting one eyebrow, Kara observed him with growing interest as he struggled in her grip.

“Oh, how cool,” she said sarcastically, “you’re one of the people who are trying to have me killed, are you?” She half-noticed J’onn climbing up the tower and entering the treehouse through a small latch in the floor. “We were actually just talking about you.”

“We will rid our planet of your infestation! We will make our planet gr-”

Just as he started to yell, Kara decided she’d heard enough out of him. She didn’t particularly enjoy having racist rhetoric thrown at her, no matter how used to it she was. If anything, his words confirmed that he was at least  _ sympathetic _ to the people who wanted to have her killed.

Pulling one hand free from his t-shirt, Kara flicked her finger against his temple, hard enough to knock him out, but not hard enough to cause any damage. After all,  _ she _ wasn’t the monster they all made her out to be.

He slumped in her grip, eyes rolling into the back of his head, hands falling from her arms, legs finally stilling. A relief, since Kara had started to worry he might break one of his feet on her.

“He was getting on my nerves,” Kara said, laying the man on his front and pulling his hands back so J’onn could handcuff him appropriately. “Did you hear what he said before you climbed up?” She patted down the sniper’s legs, arms, and torso, uncovering another hidden handgun and an engraved switchblade. “Hello, Benjamin.”

Upon further searching, Kara slipped a small listening device and a GPS tracker from the man’s shoe, crushing both in her hand. Whoever had sent this guy, they’d wanted to make sure they’d be able to track him.

“He seemed rather intent on insulting you,” J’onn replied, placing his hand on the back of the unconscious man’s skull, his eyes glowing red as he started reading his thoughts. “Looks like he was sent here by someone to shoot me.”

Slapping her palm with the closed switchblade, Kara watched as J’onn worked, thinking about why this man could have possibly thought his plan would work out for him. He must have been aware that Kara would hear him, would super speed over to stop him before he could so much as pull the trigger on his rifle.

So why come here? Why do this?

J’onn frowned thoughtfully as he pulled his hand back, looking at Kara with a contemplative face.

“Did you find out who sent him?” Kara asked, studying J’onn’s familiar features.

“A man named Desaad,” he replied, looking back down at the perp and pursing his lips. “Our friend here was recruited at a ‘Hero Menace’ wine and cheese.”

Kara scoffed.

“Of course, where else,” she replied, pushing herself to her feet and running her hand through her hair. “I’ve never heard that guy’s name. Do you know him?” She scowled, and he shook his head. “His plan makes absolutely no sense.”

“I agree,” J’onn said, rising to his feet as well.

Why send a sniper to a location where Kara could so easily intercept him? And if they knew about kryptonite, why equip their lackey with standard-issue bullets without a trace of the radioactive mineral?

Fine, so J’onn had been their target, but nevertheless, the fact remained that Kara was perfectly capable of moving faster than a speeding bullet, something which the whole world was aware of. Well, any part of the world that cared.

“Did he tell you anything about why he attacked us in broad daylight? And how he  _ found _ us in the first place?” They’d arranged their meeting together only a few hours before, which meant their perp most likely worked with people who had a way of tracking them. A troubling thought, indeed. She had to wonder if they were being recorded even now, even though she’d dispatched of the sniper’s tracking equipment.

“He got a text telling him where to go and what to do. I doubt he even considered how unwise his actions would be.” J’onn showed her the phone and the text message in question from an unknown number, telling their would-be-sniper the time and location. Leaning closer, J’onn lowered his voice so only Kara could hear him. “I erased some of his memories. He won’t remember what happened.”

“Too bad you can’t make him forget how much of a xenophobe he is,” Kara mumbled in response, annoyance coloring her every syllable, handing the phone back over and kicking the unconscious man lightly against his right thigh. He didn’t even twitch.

The only explanation that made sense to Kara, was that whoever had sent this man, this  _ Desaad _ person, had intended him to function as a warning. Not to threaten them with the rifle, but to threaten them with  _ knowledge _ . They all knew Supergirl couldn’t simply be gunned down.

No, this was different.

This was meant to show them that whoever was behind this was  _ watching _ them. Listening in on their conversations, following them. And, most importantly, they were trying to scare them. To make them paranoid and worried.

“He’s nothing more than a pawn,” J’onn mused, arms once more crossed over his chest. “But at the very least, this Desaad character is a lead my partner and I can follow up on.” When Kara opened her mouth, J’onn held up his hand. “I know I can’t keep you from this, but please, let me do my job before you barge in head-first. I promise I will keep you informed of whatever discoveries we might come across.”

Closing her mouth, Kara nodded.

“You need to be careful, too, Hank,” she said, placing her hand on his shoulder and making meaningful eye contact with him, trying to convey to him that she wasn’t the only one who needed to be protected. “Whoever they are, this whole thing makes it pretty darn clear that they’re watching us.”

The only thing they most likely wouldn’t be banking on was the fact that J’onn was a Martian, not a regular human. They probably didn’t anticipate that their little sniper puppet would unwittingly reveal the name of the man who had spoken to him at their bigotry meet-up and recruitment center. Kara found it very unlikely they would have sent someone, knowing how much information he would provide them with.

“Promise you’ll be careful, you and your partner,” Kara said, eyes intense as she refused to let J’onn go.

With a warm smile, he placed his own hand over hers and squeezed.

“I promise.”

-

The couch dipped as Alex planted herself on a cushion, phone once again clutched in her hand and a glare permanently affixed on her face. Selina’s constant puns were seriously starting to grate on her nerves, and although she was aware that she might live to regret it, she was going to call Pam to hear someone else’s voice other than her own and Selina’s for at least a few minutes.

Alex didn’t have to wait for very long, as Pam picked up on the second ring, just as Selina made herself comfortable on the right side of the couch, browsing Tumblr on Alex’s laptop.

“Pam, please, save me from Selina’s horrible puns, she’s driving me crazy. I need her to shut up for a few seconds, or else I’m going to let Herbert gnaw off her toes,” Alex said, before Pam could so much as open her mouth to greet her.

Upon hearing his name, Herbert lifted his head from the end of the couch where he was curled up together with Trish on Selina’s black kitty blanket.

“Sounds like you’re in a truly…  _ thorny _ situation right there, dandelion,” Pam responded, a small snapping sound reaching Alex’s ear through the receiver. Unbidden, the image of Pam pointing a finger gun at her phone came into Alex’s mind.

“No,” Alex said, head falling against the back of the couch in exasperation, “not you, too.”

Before Pam could say another word, Harley’s voice joined her, her tone a little too mischievous for Alex’s liking. Clearly, she was up to something, and Alex had a feeling whatever it was, it wouldn’t end well for her.

“ _ Red _ , be honest with Supercop,” Harley trilled, just a little too loud to be comfortable. “You’re the one who’s  _ thorny _ right now.”

The announcement was followed by a breathy laugh, one that sounded suspiciously like…  _ Oh, no _ .

“Why do you even pick up the phone when Harley’s hand is down your pants, for fuck’s sake,” Alex lamented, sliding down the couch and pouting at Selina, who looked up from the laptop, regarding Alex with unabashed interest.

“It’s not Harley’s hand, honey,” Ivy replied, a satisfied little chuckle escaping her.

“Please tell me you’re not having a threesome right now. Why do you guys keep doing this to me?” Alex closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering, for the umpteenth time why she even put up with their shenanigans.

“Fine, I won’t tell you I’m about to ride somebody’s strap-on in a few minutes while Harley and I fool around up top. I hope you’re sorry you brought it up,” Ivy said, clear satisfaction coloring her words. “But I would love to hear about your date. I am more than capable of multi-tasking.”

“Call me back when you’re done,” Alex said, voice conveying how dead she felt on the inside after having been forced to listen to Ivy and Harley’s penchant for oversharing again. “I’ll deal with Selina myself.”

Quickly hanging up the phone before either Pam or Harley could respond with something crude or uncomfortable, Alex threw her phone onto the coffee table and rubbed her face, barely flinching when the motion caused her left bicep a considerable amount of discomfort.

She was _so_ _over_ having a bullet wound.

Suddenly, she was pushed onto her back, Selina smirking down at her and wiggling her eyebrows, holding herself up with one hand while the other sneaked under Alex’s t-shirt and over her abs.

“Oh, Detective Danvers, tell me exactly how you want to deal with me,” she purred, pushing herself against Alex’s body and simulating gross and ridiculous sex noises, making Alex sigh and close her eyes.

Alex really needed a drink.

“You need a hobby,” she grumbled, bringing up her hand and pushing Selina’s face away from her.

“I have lots of hobbies,” Selina replied, pulling Alex’s hand away from her face and cuddling into her chest instead, head pushed against the underside of Alex’s chin. “I steal things, and punch ugly men in the face, and I’m  _ really _ good at making Batsy feel inadequate at his job.”

Huffing a little, Alex wrapped her arms around her friend and relaxed into the embrace, Trish biting and licking at her hair.

“Annoying you is my favorite hobby,” Selina mumbled, pressing a kiss against Alex’s throat and snuggling even further into her.

“Please imagine me right now, giving you the finger,” Alex said, looking up as Trish curled herself against her cheek, Herbert shuffling over and hunkering down on the other side of her face.

“Alright... Where exactly do you want me to imagine said finger?” Selina mocked, her chuckle rumbling through Alex’s chest and making her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

“Fuck off,” Alex laughed, perfectly trapped between her friend and her two pets, and not minding for a second, even if she’d never tell them. Then, with a glance at her watch, confirming that she still had over an hour before she’d get to see Kara again, Alex shifted her eyes over to the blank television screen. “Okay, which one of you is going to turn on  _ Jessica Jones _ ?”

-

Hurrying into the alley next to  _ The Silver Banshee _ , Kara looked down at her phone in what felt like roughly the thirtieth time in five minutes. She wasn’t nervous, not even a little bit, but she wanted to make sure she’d left Siobhan’s gallery at the right time.

The screen told her it was seven twenty-five in the evening, leaving her with just enough time to change into her Supergirl outfit, fly over to the  _ Alphina Arthouse Cinema _ , and meet Alex at seven thirty so they could go see a movie together.

Kara wasn’t nervous. She  _ wasn’t _ .

Not after Alex had come to see her every day to have lunch together at CatCo’s, holding Kara’s hand and nudging her feet against Kara’s shins. They were still getting to know each other, their conversations barely scratching the surface. But Kara had a good feeling about it, like they were slowly making their way back onto solid ground.

In the alley, she changed into her suit in a matter of seconds, all the while keeping the area around her in her sights, just in case J’onn wasn’t the only one who was being spied on. Yet, she doubted that whoever was after her actually knew her real identity. If they did, they’d have tried something by now, she was sure of it, alien tech or not.

Having met up with Siobhan at six pm, Kara had talked to her about the quickly approaching vernissage that Kara’s mysterious benefactor was financing. While Lucy had hammered out most of the details with Siobhan, Kara had spoken to her about which pieces they would show off and whether or not it would be logical for Kara to start in on any new projects before the big opening would take place, since she only had a little over a week for any additional works.

It was Friday now, and Siobhan and Lucy had been working overtime since Monday to ensure everything would be in place and ironed out for next week’s Saturday evening.

To organize an entire vernissage in two weeks was immensely difficult and time-consuming, but since Kara’s benefactor would be off on a trip to Hong Kong after next week’s Sunday, they’d all had to act fast or lose the support for at least another few weeks, possibly months. None of them wanted to wait that long.

Kara still had not met the woman, but Siobhan had reassured her that she was absolutely enthralled by Kara’s work, and that it would be an important step forward in her career. After googling her benefactor’s name, Kara was inclined to agree.

Hurtling herself through the air quickly, Kara smiled as she thought about how happy and relieved she felt about the direction her life was going at the moment, in spite of people trying to have her killed with advanced kryptonite weapons.

Her art was being appreciated, her job at CatCo’s was going well, and she and Alex were finding their way back to one another, one small touch and kind conversation at a time.

Now if only Kara could help  _ Lucy _ with her problems. Between James being distant and Lois blaming Lucy for it, Kara had a feeling her best friend wouldn’t be able to hold it together for much longer. It had been a week at this point, and still Lois refused to apologize for her words.

If she kept it up for much longer, Kara would be forced to stage an intervention, just like she’d promised Lucy she would.

Reaching the cinema, Kara surveyed the area with her superior senses before setting down quickly behind a dumpster in the alley adjacent to it. She’d long since figured out how to fly quickly enough so no human eye could capture her descent, before throttling her speed immediately when she reached the ground.

It had taken her some time to master the landing without destroying the asphalt or stone underneath her, but she’d managed it eventually.

A moment later, Kara super sped herself into the clothes she’d stashed in the alley a few hours earlier, knowing she’d likely be forced to fly over to the cinema from Siobhan’s gallery.

With another look to her phone, Kara was gratified to see she still had three minutes left. After all, she’d sworn to herself she’d never make Alex wait on her again, and she was going to keep that promise, even if she had to break the sound barrier to make it happen.

When she rounded the corner, the first thing she saw was Alex Danvers throwing her hair out of her face before scratching her nose, her face scrunching up adorably. As always, Alex looked amazing in a pair of washed-out jeans that clung to her hips, her new black leather jacket, and what looked to be a dark grey t-shirt with Harley Quinn herself printed on the chest.

“Hey,” Kara called, smiling and waving as she made her way over to Alex’s side.

The smile that broke out on the detective’s lips was disarmingly handsome and charming.

Kara needed help.

“Hey,” Alex replied, warmth infusing her tone as she opened her arms to accept a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Kara. Unwilling to let her go, Kara held onto Alex’s back for what would have been an uncomfortable amount of time if it had been anyone else. “Feels like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

It had barely been six and a half hours.

Grinning down at Alex as she let her go, Kara reached for her hand and held it tightly as they turned towards the doors of the huge building in front of them.

“Must have been weeks since the last time we last saw each other,” Kara joked, holding onto Alex’s right hand with her left and curling her free one around Alex’s bicep, cuddling close to her shoulder as they made their way inside. “Days and days.”

Alex chuckled and led Kara over to the queue in front of the ticket booth.

“Which movie do you want to see?” Alex asked, looking up at the posters and monitors displaying which movies were playing at the moment. Kara only had eyes for the side of Alex’s face. “The one where the burly white dudes fight a totally unambiguous terrorist cell, or the one where the burly white dudes fight to protect Earth from a hostile zombie invasion?”

Shrugging unconcernedly, Kara brushed some of Alex’s hair out of her face as they made their way forward slowly, while the other people in line ordered and paid for their tickets and food. For a Friday night, it was surprisingly empty.

“How about the totally cliché romantic comedy?” Kara asked, pointing up at one of the posters that was off to the side. It showed two women standing with their backs to one another, both looking annoyed. “I read online that nobody dies in this one.”

Alex hummed, eyes following Kara’s finger and zeroing in on the poster.

“Sure, why not. Anything’s better than burly white dudes,” Alex said, shrugging with one shoulder, apparently deciding for herself that the matter was closed. “I really love your outfit, by the way. You always look great, of course, but, yeah…” Alex blushed and smiled shyly.

Immensely pleased, Kara smoothed down her light blue dress with one hand, before cupping Alex’s cheek and pressing another kiss against her flushed skin. Being so close to Alex, Kara could hear the detective’s heart beat sharply in her chest.

“Thank you,” Kara breathed, her fingers stroking along Alex’s chin and throat when she pulled her hand back down to Alex’s bicep, squeezing in appreciation for her kind words. Instinctively, Alex flexed her muscles under the touch, and Kara’s cheeks took up a slight flush of their own. Now really wasn’t the time to be thinking about Alex’s muscles. “I love your t-shirt, too.”

Looking down at herself, it was like Alex suddenly realized she was wearing her friend’s face and hammer in neon colors on her chest, Harley winking and biting her tongue as she held her weapon hefted over one shoulder.

“Oh, yeah,” Alex said, scratching the back of her head with her free, left hand. If Kara hadn’t been looking, she would have missed the slight flinch that accompanied it. “I wear this sometimes to piss Selina off, because I won’t wear one with  _ her _ face on it.”

Kara furrowed her brows gently as they moved closer to the ticket booth, only four groups of people now in front of them.

“Is she someone famously criminal, too?” Kara asked, secretly thinking to herself that something along those lines would explain  _ a lot _ of Selina’s strange behavior.

Alex barely flinched at Kara’s words, like she was trying to hide something. With a reaction like this, Kara took Selina’s criminal background as confirmed, even if Alex decided not to share her identity with her. Kara could respect that. She knew all about keeping one’s secret identity, after all.

“Nah, Selina’s not a criminal mastermind. She’s just annoying,” Alex replied, tone cool and collected, like she’d lied about this a thousand times before. Knowing Alex would keep someone’s secret if needed filled Kara with a lot of confidence about how Alex would react someday about finding out who  _ Kara _ really was.

“Okay, I was just wondering,” Kara said, without bothering to prod further. “You do seem to know an awful lot of villainesses and heroes.” She poked Alex in the stomach. “With you being best friends with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn and  _ Batman _ . Figured you might know some more.”

Snorting in derision, Alex shook her head at Kara’s words.

“Yeah, I know plenty,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s not as fun as it sounds, though. Harley gave me this t-shirt as a birthday present once.” She shook her head one more time. “Who gives someone their own merchandise as a birthday present?”

“And yet…” Kara started, giggling at Alex’s curious face as she paused.

“And yet what?” Alex asked, her bottom lip starting to look suspiciously like it was on the verge of pouting. Big bad Detective Danvers acting like a stubborn five-year-old was Kara’s new favorite thing.

“ _ And yet _ , you’re wearing it. Outside, where Selina can’t even see you,” Kara finished, pressing herself closer to Alex and smiling at her with genuine affection. “Admit it, you’re wearing the shirt because it makes you happy.” When Alex huffed, Kara squeezed her hand. “I think it’s sweet.”

For a moment, Alex looked like she was on the verge of protesting Kara’s statement, before her mouth closed again and she turned her eyes away from Kara, a new blush spreading over her cheeks. Apparently, Alex Danvers didn’t know how to respond to genuine compliments on her character.

Yet more things to be charmed by; the list never seemed to end.

-

The feeling of Kara’s hand on her own was electric, as they watched two attractive women on the big screen fall in love against all odds. About ten minutes into the movie, Kara had slid over her hand on the armrest and curled her fingers over the back of Alex’s knuckles, drawing shapes and letters into Alex’s rough skin.

Now, almost two hours later, Alex felt like she was barely able to recall what the movie they’d been watching had even been about. Kara’s casual touches had been more distracting and satisfying than any romantic comedy ever could have been, even when it was about lesbians.

“That was pretty good, actually,” Kara said, her hand starting to swing back and forth in between them, pulling Alex’s along with her. “I especially liked the brunette one; she sort of reminded me of you. Very cheeky.”

After the movie, they’d left the theater to go have dinner in one of the late night diners in the area, Kara bubbling over with excitement over the cute ending, no matter how cliché and overdone it might have been.

Alex frowned at Kara’s assessment.

“Watch who you’re calling cheeky, Ms. Kent. Wouldn’t want to have to lock you up for slandering a police officer,” Alex said, gently bumping Kara’s shoulder with her own, and pulling Kara over to the door of the  _ Flash Flash Diner _ .

Giggling, Kara pushed open the door and held it so they could both access the restaurant without having to let go of one another.

“I’m just telling it how it is, detective. Your scare-tactics don’t work on me,” Kara teased, still giggling as Alex laughed and pulled her over to an empty booth in the back. She’d deliberately decided against sitting in front of the big windows. She wouldn’t feel comfortable with both of them so exposed.

“Scare-tactics? Me? I’m offended,” Alex teased back, immensely charmed by Kara’s adorable words and happy smile.

Shrugging off their jackets, they sat down opposite one another, Alex resting her elbow on the tabletop and placing her chin in her palm, gazing at Kara with a mixture of adoration and reverence. If Selina had been here, Alex was pretty sure she’d have called her a sappy fool who was beyond help.

Alex recognized her friend was right.

She also didn’t care.

Reaching across the table with both hands, Kara curled her fingers around Alex’s left hand, turning it over and stroking the palm gently. It seemed to Alex like she was taking in the grooves and callouses, and the small touches sent shivers and goosebumps up Alex’s spine.

Kara’s forefinger caressed a long, white scar on the inside of Alex’s left wrist.

“I got that when I fell out of the cherry tree in our backyard when I was ten,” Alex explained, smiling at the memory. “My mom had a fit. I wasn’t supposed to climb up there. I scratched myself on a branch before I fell down.”

Kara’s fingers trembled slightly.

“That must have been terrifying,” she whispered, thumb drawing over the scar lovingly, as though she was trying to make it better, even though it had healed over years ago. “Did you get into a lot of trouble?”

Alex shrugged, eyes moving from her own arm to Kara’s beautiful face.

“Nah,” she replied, her own thumb stroking along the side of Kara’s hand reassuringly. “My mom was just scared, because I landed on my back and she thought I’d seriously hurt myself.” Apparently, her words weren’t filling Kara with a lot of confidence about how bad the situation had been. “I was okay, though, I only had the wind knocked out of me.”

“I guess your proneness to accidents started when you were a child?” Kara asked jokingly, the tips of her fingers creeping over to Alex’s tattoo, tracing the bright green leaves and crimson flower petals. Thankfully, the touch didn’t elicit a feeling of anxiety, not like the first time Kara had touched her there. Alex took that as a good sign.

“I’m not accident-prone,” she retorted, her arm burning under the gentle caress of Kara’s fingers. “I have an adventurous spirit that doesn’t always correspond well with my human physiology.”

Kara snorted.

Before either of them could say another word, a waiter came over - a tall, lanky white guy with a friendly smile and a head of short, brown hair. He jotted their orders down quickly and efficiently, before scurrying off to get them their dinner.

When they were alone once more, Kara blushed a little and pushed her glasses further up her nose.

Alex raised one eyebrow.

“So…” Kara started, staring intently at Alex’s tattoo. When nothing else was forthcoming for a few seconds, Alex leaned in a little closer.

“Yes?” She asked, lifting her head from the palm of her right hand, wiping her fingers on her jeans and intertwining them with Kara’s.

“Um… There’s this… thing,” Kara said, sliding one of her hands away from Alex and fiddling with her glasses.

“What kind of thing?” Alex asked, concern lacing her words in the face of Kara’s nervous behavior.

“You remember how about a week ago, I left you standing outside my door for half an hour, because I was super late?” Kara asked, rubbing her arm, finally looking up to make eye contact with Alex, who simply nodded and encouraged Kara to go on. “I was late, because my friend Siobhan, well… she negotiated with a benefactor for me. Someone who appreciates my art and wants to support it. Financially. With a, uh, a vernissage.”

A smile broke out on Alex’s face, and a genuine sense of happy glee threatened to take over every faculty in her body at the thought of Kara being appreciated for her mind-blowing art, which Alex still couldn’t wait to see up close and personal.

“That’s amazing, Kara!” Alex exclaimed, squeezing Kara’s fingers and grinning at her proudly. “That is so great. Wow, a vernissage. That’s going to be such a huge break in your career, congratulations!” Words didn’t seem adequate to express her joy, but they would have to do.

Kara blushed even harder at Alex’s praise.

“Yeah… Yeah, it’s… very, very cool,” Kara agreed, her face breaking into the tiniest of smiles as she regarded Alex. “I was just wondering, if… if you’d like to come with me next Saturday. To the opening. To, uh, I don’t know, support me, maybe, or… yeah,” Kara said, noticeably squeezing her own arm, as she bit her bottom lip in anticipation of Alex’s response.

Alex’s first instinct was to fly across the table and kiss Kara senseless, but she restrained herself. She wanted Kara to be the one to make the decision of when their next first kiss should take place, and she wouldn’t change her mind about that just because she’d been infused with a heavy dose of  _ feelings _ . Feelings that seemed an awful lot like love.

Instead, she reigned herself in, lowering her head slightly to catch Kara’s eyes.

“Of course I’ll be there,” Alex said, conviction lacing her every word. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

The smile that broke out over Kara’s lips was beautiful and wide, and by far the best thing Alex had ever seen in her entire life. It made her heart beat fast in her chest, her head feeling like it had been stuffed with cotton as she sat there, letting the moment wash over her.

She returned the smile.

-

They were sipping on their milkshakes (Alex’s second, Kara’s third), both having long since demolished their burgers and fries. Their conversation had lulled a little while they’d been eating, a comfortable silence descending on them as they quenched their appetites.

Their feet had tangled under the table while their hands had been separated, and Kara couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this comfortable with a person she’d been interested in dating. She’d even been fine during an anecdote Alex had told her about Selina, and the shenanigans the two had gotten up to one night.

“Do you keep in contact with all of your old friends from Gotham?” Kara asked, contemplating whether or not she should order a second burger. She was still hungry, and she’d be patrolling the streets soon enough. Patrolling on an empty stomach wasn’t fun, even if Kara could go a lot longer than any human without food.

“No, I let a lot of things slide after I moved. Before, too, really,” Alex said, sipping slowly on her chocolate milkshake. Maybe she was remembering the brain freeze she’d given herself the last time they’d been on a date together. “I should probably call some of them up, actually. Especially my old partner Stef, she’s going to be so pissed at me.”

“Were you and her very close?” Kara asked, curling her feet more closely around Alex’s left ankle, pulling on it a little, making a smile appear on Alex’s gorgeous face.

There they were, those dreaded and most loved dimples.

“Her wife and kids were basically my second family,” Alex said wistfully, playing with her straw, a faraway look on her face. “Stef used to joke that I was like her fifth adopted child.” Another smile, this one a little sad. “Stef and her wife Lena have one biological child from Stef’s first marriage, and four great adopted kids.”

Kara smiled at the image of Alex surrounded by people who loved her, who had her back.

“How come you haven’t talked to them in a while?” Kara asked tentatively, nudging Alex’s shin with her foot. “If you don’t mind me asking. It’s totally fine if you don’t want to tell me.” Alex had talked very little about why she’d moved to National City, or about why Selina had mentioned that Alex had ‘come home’ from something. Kara had no idea where Alex had disappeared to, or how long she had been gone for.

“No, it’s okay,” Alex said, finishing her milkshake and sliding the tall glass away from her, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Something happened at work about a year ago and I needed some time away from everything, so I didn’t really keep in contact with anyone for a while.” Alex squirmed in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with their topic of conversation. “I’ve been putting it off, to be perfectly honest.”

Humming quietly in understanding, Kara finished her own milkshake, fiddling with the glass rather than sliding it away from herself. She had no idea what event Alex was talking about that had derailed her career and her life so thoroughly she’d needed to avoid contact with anyone.

Even with everything going on between them, Kara had refused to google Alex, something which had been incredibly hard to do while they had taken a break after the whole Selina debacle. Still, she’d stayed strong, wanting for Alex to reveal her past to Kara herself.

“I’m sure they’ll be happy to hear from you,” Kara tried to reassure the detective, hating that slightly dejected look on her face. “Even if they’re mad at first, I’m sure they’ll come around.” Finally pushing her glass aside, Kara opened up her palm to Alex, gratified when she took it. “How long did you and Stef work together?”

“We were partners for four years, before I was promoted to detective,” Alex replied, scratching her forearm. “She always got so angry at me for getting myself into dangerous situations.” A fond grin spread over Alex’s mouth, and she chuckled. “I used to grab dinner at her house all the time. Even after I was promoted.”

“You sound like you miss her,” Kara said gently, unwilling to push too hard. “Maybe you should call her.”

Nodding a little, Alex sighed.

“Yeah, I know,” she replied. “Like I said, I’ve been putting it off.” Her gaze was vulnerable and open when she locked eyes with Kara. “Thanks.”

“Of course, anytime,” Kara replied, trying to keep the overwhelming feelings of affection at bay.

-

Saturday morning, Alex was sitting on her couch, sliding her phone from one hand to the other and back again, contemplating if she should call Stef or not. Kara had been right yesterday evening, Alex did miss her old partner and her family. But opening her phone and punching in the number seemed like a gargantuan task.

She hadn’t spoken to Stef since the night of  _ the incident _ .

While Alex fiddled with her phone in the living room, Selina was in Alex’s bedroom, making important calls of her own. Considering Selina’s line of “work”, Alex suspected she would probably do best not to ask what kind of negotiations her friend was conducting right now. She hadn’t heard anything about break-ins in National City  _ yet _ , but it wouldn’t surprise her if Selina would seize the opportunity to stage a few heists.

Biting her bottom lip, Alex realized she was stalling again, thinking about Selina and what she was doing. Either she was going to call Stef now, or she was going to crawl back into bed and hide from the rest of the world for another year.

“Okay, okay, I can do this. I can totally do this,” she psyched herself up, unlocking her phone screen and opening up the calling app, her left hand going to Trish’s belly and stroking it gently. Her cat was conked out on her knees, belly up and paws twitching every few seconds. “Just type in the number and go.”

Her fingers hovered over the number pad.

“Just do it,” she said, typing in the first three digits, the number burned into her brain from the amount of times she’d dialed it over the years. “Just call them.” Slowly, gingerly, she keyed in the next three numbers, biting her bottom lip and drawing circles on Trish’s belly.

It took her another five minutes to type in the rest, her finger hovering over the green button for another few, agonizing moments.

Then, finally, she pressed call and brought the smartphone to her ear, waiting for it to ring. If she remembered correctly, everyone should be awake by now, making it unlikely that Alex would have to wait for long. She’d probably be disturbing them during breakfast, but she didn’t want to risk having them all run off on their Saturday activities. Whatever those may be.

It rang three times, the sound of it making Alex wince over and over again. After what felt like an eternity, she heard the clicking and crackling that signified her call had been accepted, causing her heart to seize in her chest.

“Lena Adams Foster,” the warm and kind voice on the other end of the line said, making Alex freeze and grip her phone just that little bit tighter. What if Lena didn’t even remember her? What if Alex had been completely erased from their lives, never to be thought of again? Lena, a black woman with a beautiful smile, who gave the best hugs in the world, had always been one of the people who had been most supportive of Alex’s choices. The thought of being forgotten, of their relationship being non-existent, was devastating.

On a logical level, she knew it was a ridiculous idea, considering they’d spent five years together before she left, but some part of her, the part that was white-knuckling the phone, wouldn’t be deterred. And even if Lena did remember her, what if she was going to be angry? What if she yelled at Alex for disappearing on them all?

Lena had never yelled at her before, she’d always been the one to keep Stef at bay when she tried to reprimand Alex about any reckless behavior on the job. Still, Alex knew a lot could change in a year of no contact.

While Alex was contemplating all of this, the line remained silent, Lena obviously waiting for some sort of response after she’d introduced herself. When nothing was forthcoming, Alex was startled out of her thoughts by a cleared throat.

“Hello?” Lena asked, quite obviously able to hear Alex’s breathing on the other end of the line and wondering whether or not Alex was a creep.

“Um,” Alex started, hoping Lena wouldn’t hang up on her. “It’s, um, it’s Alex…” Then, as though afraid Lena wouldn’t recognize her voice, she continued. “Alex Danvers.”

The line was quiet for several seconds, and Alex imagined Lena’s stunned facial expression, the shock that would be clearly visible in her every feature.

“Alex?” Lena asked, quiet disbelief coloring her words. Before Alex could say anything else, Lena was calling for Stef, making Alex gulp in anxiety. There it was, the end of her life, looming just beyond the horizon. “Stef, Alex is on the phone!”

For a moment, there was silence, then the sound of multiple voices reached Alex’s ear as Stef and Lena’s kids all wanted to get their hands on the phone and talk to her.

Quickly though, there was silence again, as Stef barked at them all to take a step back and leave the room. Teeth chattering, Alex noted Stef had bribed them with the opportunity to talk to her after Stef was  _ done with her _ .

Alex could just imagine the angry scowl on Stef’s face as she stomped towards the phone, the righteous indignation coloring her every word. The disappointment in her voice would be worst of all. Quite frankly, Alex was on the verge of hanging up.

Just as she was contemplating actually pressing the end button, she felt a tiny, painful scratch at the back of her hand. Looking down, she saw Trish staring up at her reproachfully, ten tiny claws clutching Alex’s skin. Not only had Alex stopped petting Trish’s belly, she’d actually dug her fingers into her cat’s fur in a fit of anxiety.

Gazing down apologetically, Alex loosened her fingers and ran them gently over the disturbed fluff. Obviously satisfied, Trish blinked up at Alex and retracted her claws, turning herself around and curling up on Alex’s lap.

Alex was so distracted, she startled terribly when she heard Stef’s voice over the line, bellowing at her through the receiver.

“Where the  _ hell _ have you been, Danvers?” Stef demanded, her voice so loud Alex had a feeling she’d snatched the phone right out of Lena’s hand. “You up and run away for a year without telling anyone and then you get a transfer behind my back?”

Flinching terribly at the words, Alex felt the rising feeling of regret starting to choke her.

“Honey, please, is now really the time?” Lena interjected, her voice a little muffled but still clearly audible.

“Now is the perfect time!” Stef barked back, obviously unwilling to let herself be calmed down by her wife. “She can’t just ignore us for a year and expect everything to be hunky-dory.” Alex could imagine her old partner perfectly. Face distorted with anger, blonde hair flying wildly around her face as she snapped at Lena, hand at her waist in indignation.

The image didn’t help.

“I’m sorry, I just… needed some time to myself after everything that happened,” Alex mumbled into the phone, shrinking in on herself when Stef snorted in derision at her weak excuse. Some things never seemed to change.

“And your solution to being sad is to leave the  _ country _ for a year? Without even having the decency to call and let us know what you were doing?” Stef was breathing heavily now, obviously fired up from over a year of the silent treatment. “We had to call your  _ mother _ to find out what the hell was going on with you.”

Alex’s mouth opened to respond, but Stef obviously wasn’t done with her tirade.

“Not only were we all worried sick about you at the precinct, we could have really needed your help rebuilding after that fiasco,” she continued, Alex focusing on the way Trish’s belly lifted and fell as she breathed to keep herself calm. “Do you even know how rampant the crazies in town ran when you left us?”

Alex  _ didn’t _ know. For the few weeks she’d been back in Gotham before moving over to National City, she’d barely left her apartment. She’d only been outside of her home to visit her mother, her friends, or to buy groceries. She’d avoided the precinct like the plague.

Sighing, Alex rubbed her stinging eyes.

“Look, I wouldn’t have been any help to you, anyway,” she tried to reason, shoulders hunching even further. “I wasn’t in any condition to deal with them. I told you, I needed some time--“

“Yeah, well, we all needed some time, Alex,” Stef interrupted her, voice brittle and far too emotional for Alex’s taste. There it was, the disappointment, the pain, the feeling of letting down yet another one of her friends, her found family. “But unlike some of us, I went to counseling sessions and got myself some actual help. How about you? What did that year away do for you?”

Alex could feel bile rise in the back of her throat.

“Stef!” Lena chastised her wife sharply, anger now coloring her words as well. Anger at how Stef was handling the situation, when they hadn’t spoken in so very long. “Alex was suffering, we need to cut her some slack.”

“We were  _ all _ suffering, Lena!” Stef shot back, the emotion from before suffocated by her righteous anger. “Commissioner Danvers meant a lot to all of us.”

At the mention of his name, Alex could feel the old, familiar tightness return to her chest, telling her to calm herself down, lest she wanted to live through more painful flashbacks and start hyperventilating again.

“He was her  _ father _ , Stef,” Lena tried again, making Alex grit her teeth and squeeze her eyes shut before she ripped them open again. She needed to stay in the moment, stay in the here and now.

“I—I need to go,” Alex said, her hands shaking, her ears ringing, trying to think of the calming techniques Harley and the therapist she’d briefly visited had told her about. She needed to start counting her guns.

“Oh no, kiddo, you’re not hanging up on me now,” Stef demanded, unwilling to relinquish her. Alex was sure that if Stef knew what was happening to her right now, that she would let her go, would talk her through this anxiety attack. But she  _ didn’t _ know, and Alex didn’t know how to tell her. “We’re going to talk about this  _ right now _ .”

Trying to keep her breathing under control, Alex pressed the fingers of her left hand against her neck, searching for her pulse, reminding herself to  _ stay in this moment _ , to stay in reality, not to give in to the memories. This was real, this was now. Desperately, Alex counted the beats of her rapidly beating heart.

“ _ Stef _ ,” Lena said again, exasperation plain as day in that one, four-letter word.

“No, Lena, Alex needs to take responsibility for her own actions,” Stef insisted, while Alex could feel her breathing becoming more and more labored, her legs and arms trembling. “I won’t let her—“

Interrupting Stef, Alex choked out the words that were incinerating her from the inside out. The truth. The only truth that mattered in this moment.

“I killed my dad,” Alex rasped out, tongue leaden in her mouth, as the images flooded her mind. His head, his face, his smile. Gone. Gone, gone, gone. Stef and Lena fell silent immediately, their squabbling replaced by an endless, deafening silence. “ _I killed_ _my dad_ , that’s the difference.”

All she heard before she pressed the disconnect button on her phone was Stef’s sharp intake of breath and her almost frantic reply.

“Alex,  _ no _ , you di-“

The phone fell to the couch as Alex dropped it, trying to catch her breath, her breathing coming in short gasps, her lungs feeling strangely like they were closing up. There had been many nights when Alex had woken up just like this, unable to breathe, unable to stop seeing the blood, hearing that terrifying laughter, the sound of a blast.

Gasping in terror, Alex barely noticed Trish starting to mewl and whine loudly, paws on Alex’s chest. It was like her ears weren’t working properly, her eyes unfocused. Trish’s small face, the face of her father, the  _ blood _ .

Trish’s cries were so loud, Selina came running from the bedroom, her hands cupping Alex’s cheeks and trying to make her focus, trying to bring her back to the now. Away from the memories, away from the pain.

“Alex? Alex, what’s wrong?  _ Alex _ ?” Selina was screaming now, too, her hands stroking over Alex’s forehead, her cheeks, her chin. Alex could barely hear her, could barely focus on anything but the panic that was gripping her tightly.

In the next instant, Selina had her phone pressed to her ear, her frantic eyes roaming over Alex, her teeth biting her bottom lip, her free hand keeping Alex’s face steady.

“Harley, fuck, I need your help,” Selina called out, while Alex continued to gasp for breath, trying to focus all her energy on watching Selina, memorizing her familiar face. “Alex is having some sort of panic attack. Fuck,  _ fuck _ , I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what happened.”

For about half a minute, Selina listened, before she lowered her hand, placing the phone on the table behind her.

“Okay, love, okay,” Selina said, voice obviously trying to be calmer than she was. “You can get through this, baby, I am so proud of you.” She curled her hands around Alex’s cheeks again and established eye contact between them, Alex’s hands trembling terribly and gripping her jeans.

“Alex counts her guns when she’s anxious,” Harley’s tinny voice reached them from the coffee table, her tone clearly indicating she was in her professional, Dr. Harleen Quinzel mode. There wasn’t so much as a  _ hint _ of her usual unhinged-ness.

“Alright,” Selina said, stroking Alex’s cheekbones. “Alright, baby, what you are feeling right now is scary, but it is not dangerous. Why don’t you tell me about your guns, okay?” There were tears of horror in Selina’s beautiful, green eyes. They glittered in the sunlight of the early morning.

“Glock…” Alex started, her jaw feeling locked and painful. “Glock 43, standard-issue for law-enforcement.”

“And the serial number?” Harley asked from the coffee table, her voice revealing none of the anxiety she must have surely been feeling.

“Serial number… D… 4 K… 5 5… 6,” Alex said, the words and letters stilted and rough.

“Good job,” Selina said. “Remember, we are here right now. We are in your apartment in National City. Those memories are not real. You are Alex Danvers. You are here with me and Harley and Trish, and we love you.” Quickly, almost too quickly for Alex’s slow reflexes to catch, Selina wiped away a tear that had managed to escape her left eye.

“Tell us about the rest of your guns, Alex,” Harley chimed in, and Alex obliged her.

> AK-47 assault rifle, hidden under her bed, serial number  _ 2014 D N 1 5 4 7 _ . Tactical semi-automatic handgun, twenty-two calibers, taped to one of the cupboards in her living room, serial number  _ A 6 G 9 8 5 _ . AR-15 carbine rifle, stashed in the closet of her hallway behind old boxes of junk, serial number  _ 0 5 8 9 5 3 _ .

It took almost eight minutes for Alex to calm herself down, Selina and Harley talking her through every step. Breathing with her, reminding her of where she was, grounding her with physical touches and warm words.

When it was finally over, Alex’s breathing back to normal, save for the occasional hiccup, Selina collapsed next to her on the couch, forehead pressed against Alex’s temple, a muscle twitching in her jaw as she curled her arms around Alex’s neck and held her tightly.

Alex brought her hand up to her friend’s arm and squeezed it.

“Thanks,” Alex husked, “it’s… been a while since I’ve had one of these.”

In response, Selina pressed her lips against Alex’s cheek and forehead, kissing her over and over again, the tears finally falling freely from her eyes. She’d had to be strong for Alex during the ordeal, hadn’t allowed herself to cry, had stayed calm for her, and Alex was grateful.

“We’re here for you, Supercop,” Harley chimed in. “Happens to the best of us.”

“Yeah,” Alex replied, feeling the old, familiar guilt return to her belly. She’d never meant to inconvenience her friends like this. She knew it wasn’t her fault, knew that she’d lived through horrific trauma that was bound to leave a mark on her, but still. It irked her.

“Maybe you should think about finding a therapist in National City,” Harley continued tentatively, as Selina hugged Alex even closer and buried her face in the back of Alex’s neck, tears dripping onto her t-shirt, soaking her back. Alex didn’t complain.

“Maybe…” Alex agreed, resting her cheek on Selina’s shoulder.

It was barely ten in the morning and she was already beyond exhausted.

Clutching Trish tightly to herself, who purred and rubbed her head on Alex’s chest in concern, Alex closed her eyes and let out a long breath.

Harley was right. She had been carrying around this… this  _ thing _ inside of her for far too long. It was time to seek professional help, especially if she wanted to be the very best version of herself she could be.

For her friends, her mother, her colleagues.

For Kara.

It was time to let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just when you think things are looking up, right? Ah well. I'm just glad Alex finally decided that she needs to seek professional help, because there's absolutely no shame in doing that. Even when you're a big bad detective. Side note: I am so goddamn tired, why is university like this.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts!
> 
> As always, this was beta-d by the beautiful and kind Coara, bless her soul.
> 
> Find me on tumblr @goshdarnitjay.


	12. Now or Never

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Kara both seek help - for different problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy your time with this chapter! 
> 
> And before I let you go, I wanted to - once again - thank you for all of your awesome comments and kudos :)) They make all of this doubly worth it! ♥

The sign next to the door read _Lauren Zhou, Ph.D._ in bold, black letters.

Clutching the phone in her hand tightly, Alex bit her bottom lip and contemplated her next move. She’d made it this far, and no matter how queasy her stomach was feeling, she wasn’t going to chicken out of this now.

If it got to be too overwhelming, she could always call Harley to talk her through it.

She had gotten damn lucky to score herself an appointment with Hank’s most favored psychologist in National City so soon. With Selina by her side and with a hand on her thigh, steadying her, Alex had called her partner early Monday morning to ask him for the list of recommendations he’d offered her a few weeks ago. He’d been kind about her request, his voice warm and concerned, and while she hadn’t asked him for it, he’d pulled some strings for her.

Ultimately, she was glad for it.

Getting an appointment with a psychologist in a timely fashion was about as likely as stopping Selina Kyle from making a cat-related pun in any given situation. Not to mention the problem of finding someone who was compatible with Alex’s special brand of screwed up, or someone who knew what the hell they were talking about.

Since Alex was still on medical leave for her very annoying and completely unnecessary bullet wound, she’d been free this Wednesday morning at eight am sharp to meet Dr. Zhou in her office for their first session. The woman had made an exception for Alex, setting up a meeting before her official hours even started up.

Alex had barely protested when Selina had kicked her out of bed at six thirty this morning.

Having last week off from work and being able to sleep in however long she wanted had somewhat screwed up her sleeping cycle. Seeing as she’d have to return to getting up at six am on a regular basis again soon, she did not appreciate this turn of events.

Pulling her thoughts back to herself and away from Selina threatening her with a bucket of cold water, Alex looked down at her phone and at the messages she’d received yesterday evening from Kara. They’d texted back and forth, talking about old Grey’s Anatomy episodes, while Selina gently ran her hands through Alex’s hair.

Selina had been much more affectionate these last couple of days, which Alex attributed to her anxiety attack shaking them all up inside. None of her friends had ever seen her during an episode like that before. During the week following _the incident_ , she’d been delirious and drunk, but her expression of pain and trauma had been an altogether different one.

While Alex was mad at herself for it, she’d ignored any and all texts and calls from Stef and Lena, refusing to so much as think about possibly talking to them again before she’d gotten herself some actual help. She’d been thinking about sending them a message, to quell any mounting worry, but she hadn’t quite been ready to come up with an idea about what to tell them. She was hoping Dr. Zhou would be able to help her work through the anxiety.

Right now, Alex was glad she was alone, so none of her friends and family would see her look so nervous and distraught. The thought of going into that office in front of her and spilling all of her secrets to some stranger wasn’t one-hundred percent appealing to her, even if the prospect of having an outside perspective was alluring.

Gently shaking her head, Alex rolled her shoulders and pushed out a shaky breath.

It was now or never.

Just as she’d lifted her hand to knock, someone spoke next to her and Alex jumped. She’d been so completely caught up in her own thoughts and anxieties, she hadn’t heard the footsteps walking towards her.

“Hey, are you the 8am Hank asked me to squeeze in?” The woman asked, her smile turning into concern as she saw Alex’s surprised reaction. She was a tall and slender white woman, her platinum blonde hair pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head. Her cheeks dimpled when she smiled. “Oh no, I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Moving her hand away from where it had reached instinctively for her concealed firearm, Alex forced her breathing to slow back down again. Silently, she cursed herself for letting down her guard, for retreating too far into her own mind to realize someone else had entered the hallway.

“No, no, it’s okay,” Alex said, wedging a smile onto her face that felt more like a grimace.

The woman stretched out her hand, the smile returning to her face, even though her eyes remained concerned, sizing Alex up with a quick flick of her eyes. She was wearing a blue blouse and a dark burgundy pencil skirt. Her color palette almost reminded Alex of Supergirl’s outfit.

Alex grasped the outstretched hand with her own and shook it.

“Again, I am so sorry for startling you,” the woman repeated, her grip firm and decisive. “I’m Indigo, Dr. Zhou’s assistant.”

“Alex Danvers,” Alex replied, her heart forced back into its regular beat. “And I mean it, it’s fine. I was loitering around out here anyway.” She relinquished the other woman’s hand, before stuffing both of hers into the pockets of her leather jacket. “Thank you for squeezing me into Dr. Zhou’s busy schedule.”

“Anything for Hank,” Indigo replied, smiling kindly as she slipped past Alex and opened the door to Dr. Zhou’s practice. “He helped me get rid of a pretty hefty virus once that nearly destroyed my life, so if he asks me to help out a friend of his…”

Nodding, Alex followed Indigo into the room.

-

Dr. Zhou was a striking woman.

She was tall, with shoulder-length black hair and high cheekbones, her eyes a beautiful shade of dark brown. There were freckles dusted along her nose and cheeks, and her lips spread into a smile as she opened the door to her office to admit Alex.

“Good morning, Detective Danvers,” Dr. Zhou said, her voice warm and professional as she stretched out her hand.

“Good morning,” Alex replied, nervousness choking her as they shook hands. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice during your free time. I hope it’s not too much of an inconvenience for you.” She slipped off her leather jacket, standing in the middle of the room as Dr. Zhou closed the door behind her.

“Not at all,” Dr. Zhou said, gesturing to the comfortable-looking red sofa on the other side of the room. “Indigo explained your connection to Sergeant Henshaw. We’re always happy to help out.” Her smile widened a little as she sat down on a well-worn, brown leather chair, a pad of paper in her hands.

“Thank you,” Alex repeated, sitting down on the edge of the couch, hands folded in her lap, fingers gnarled together to hide their tremor.

Dr. Zhou smiled kindly at her, before crossing her legs.

“Before we start, I just want to tell you that our conversations here are protected by a doctor patient confidentiality. Nothing you say in here will ever leave this room,” she said, pad of paper balanced on her knee, hands folded atop it. “This is a safe space. I want you to feel comfortable here.” She eyed Alex’s stiff posture. “Have you been to therapy before, Detective?”

Sliding her hands under her thighs, Alex gnawed on her bottom lip.

“I went to a therapist three times a little over a year ago,” she said, trying to avoid making eye contact with Dr. Zhou. Slightly paranoid that the woman would be able to see Alex’s feelings of guilt reflected in her eyes, Alex kept scanning the room instead. “And one of my best friends is a psychologist. She helped me a lot, too, with, uh, coping and stuff.”

Of course, talking to Harley had not been enough to help Alex get her life back on track. It wasn’t Harley’s fault; Alex simply hadn’t been able to accept her friend’s genuine offers of help and support. Not when she’d barely been able to so much as _look_ at any of the people closest to her.

“And what made you decide to seek treatment now?” Dr. Zhou asked, ballpoint pen at the ready.

Alex stared at the deep blue color of the pen as she thought about Saturday morning. The fear, the pain, the feeling of not being able to breathe. Selina’s terror-stricken face and Harley’s calm, constrained words filling her mind.

Her friends, funny and unhinged as they were, should never wear such faces of seriousness. Not because of her.

“I, uh, I had a—an anxiety attack,” Alex confessed, pulling her left hand out from under her thigh and rubbing her right arm with it, looking sheepish and small. She hated how weak this confession made her feel. There was nothing weak about what had happened. “I scared my friends and… I don’t want to do that again. I don’t want to feel like this anymore.”

Dr. Zhou hummed, her striking features a perfect model of understanding as she made further notes on her sheet, nodding to herself as she took in Alex’s words.

“And have you had anxiety attacks before this one? Or was it your first?” She asked, looking up from her notes and fixing Alex with a deeply penetrating look, like she was trying to assess what she’d be facing when dealing with Alex’s mental condition.

“I’ve had a few over the last year, but it’s been a while. It’s the first one I’ve had since moving to National City at the end of February,” Alex explained, wishing she could go back in time and undo that horrific phone call that had started it all.

Nodding and humming again, Dr. Zhou smiled encouragingly as Alex lifted her eyes from her knees.

“Well then, let’s get to know each other, shall we?” The woman asked, leaning back in her chair and gesturing with her hand as she spoke. “Tell me where it all started. Walk me through it.”

And so, swallowing her anxiety, Alex told her.

-

A little over an hour later, Alex was standing outside on the sidewalk, throat clogged with emotions too big for her to handle, especially when she was about to meet Kara and Lucy for a shopping spree in downtown National City.

She hadn’t thought about this possible outcome when she’d agreed to meet up with them a few days ago. It had been stupid not to consider it, but she hadn’t anticipated that talking to a professional about the personal hell she’d been living through would make her feel like this. Like curling up into a ball on the couch was the only acceptable course of action.

Alas, she’d agreed to come and see them, and she wasn’t going to let Kara down.

Not when they’d just found back to being in a good place with one another.

Most importantly, Alex knew she should send her friends a text or a quick selfie, letting them know that she was alright, but her hands were shaking from the stress. She needed to pull herself together, and fast, only then would she be able to slip out her phone and contact them.

Seeing as the rapidly approaching vernissage was being pulled together practically out of thin air by Lucy and Kara’s friend Siobhan, Kara had asked Alex to help her pick out an outfit for the event.

Alex had been more than ready to say yes, even though she barely knew anything about what would be appropriate for Kara to wear to an event like this. Alex had no trouble dressing herself, and she knew plenty about style, but she had to confess, she was just a little out of her depth.

Still, Alex wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet up with Kara, even if it meant running around expensive clothing shops for hours, listening to Lucy insult her while Kara reprimanded her for it. In the last one and a half weeks that Alex had been visiting Kara during her lunch breaks at CatCo’s, Lucy hadn’t warmed up to Alex one bit.

While she wasn’t downright hostile to Alex anymore, she still glared and poked at her, making snarky comments about Alex’s choice of clothing and the dopey expression that came over her face when she looked at Kara.

It wasn’t endearing, not even a little bit, but it was _fine_. Alex would take this sort of treatment any day if it meant she could see Kara and talk to her. A little bit of grief from Lucy was nothing compared to the grief Selina, Harley, and Ivy had subjected her to over the years. Alex was a tried and true survivor of the _Siren_ _treatment_. She could handle anything.

Scraping together what was left of her emotional stability, Alex shook out her shoulders, breathed out slowly and started walking, hands stuffed into the pockets of her leather jacket. She didn’t have time to stall and grieve if she wanted to make it to their meeting place on time.

Thankfully, _Lance Legacy_ wasn’t too far away from where Alex had met with Dr. Zhou.

-

“Okay, okay, repeat after me,” Kara said, hands on Lucy’s shoulders and eyes intently focused on her friend’s disgruntled face. “I will not be mean to Alex today, and I will not call her Detective Dumbass to her face again. Repeat, please.”

Huffing, Lucy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’ve told you before, Kara, if she can’t handle a little light ribbing, she’s not good enough for you,” she said, cocking her left hip and raising her eyebrows. “I can call the dumbass whatever I want.” She huffed a second time. “I don’t even know why you invited her to this. You just want her to salivate over you when we get to the lingerie section.”

Blushing furiously, Kara dropped her hands and balled them into fists at her sides.

Lucy smirked triumphantly.

“Shut up,” Kara said, voice a little shaky from the fluster of imagining Alex and her being down to their underwear together. “I’m not going to be picking out underwear for this, and especially not _lingerie_.” Kara pressed out the final word through her teeth, checking around her to see if Alex was anywhere in sight yet.

With a fresh roll of her eyes, Lucy gave Kara a disbelieving look.

“Of course you’re going to buy some nice lingerie to go with the outfit. As much as I despise the thought, I figured you might want to look nice when you finally bone her.” Lucy’s tone was matter of fact, like she was going to put away her scorn for Alex so Kara could get laid.

The thought was at once heart-warming and disturbing.

“I’m not going to sleep with Alex after the vernissage,” Kara shout-whispered, stepping closer to Lucy, eyes still searching for Alex’s face in the crowd. “I mean, I will, at some point, but, you know, not _right after_.”

“Why not?” Lucy asked, unfurling her arms and placing her hands on her hips. “You deserve good things, Kara. With all the shit she put you through, you deserve some hot, tender lovin’.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. It was obvious that Lucy had fully embraced the idea that Kara wasn’t going to be kicking Alex to the curb. “I just want what’s best for you, Kara.”

Kara sighed. There was no arguing with Lucy.

“Fine, we can go buy some nice underwear,” she relented, shaking her head. Besides, just because she wouldn’t be using the lingerie on Alex after the vernissage, didn’t mean she never could. It would be good to have a nice new set at home, for when the time came and they both felt ready for that next step. “But not today, and not while Alex is here.”

The first time Alex saw her in her underwear, Kara wanted them both to be alone in one of their apartments, possibly after a nice dinner and some wine.

Before she could follow this nice train of thought any further, Kara’s ears picked up on a distinctive heartbeat not too far away from them, and she turned her head instinctively. It was like her ears had tuned themselves to the frequency of Alex’s body, notifying her whenever the detective was close. She would have found it disturbing, perhaps, if it hadn’t already proven so very useful.

“She’s here,” Kara said, eyes picking up on Alex’s form not too far away from them. If only Kara could pick up on bad guys as easily. “Please behave. I want this to be a nice afternoon,” then, fearing what Lucy might say, she continued, “for _all of us_. I get that giving Alex grief is entertaining for you, but it’s exhausting for me.”

“Fine,” Lucy agreed with a sigh, looking as though Kara had just told her their bi-annual trip to Paris had been canceled. “Ruin my fun, trample my crops, salt my earth, why don’t you.” But her words held no malice. It seemed like she was enjoying the reprimanding as much as the act of needling Alex itself. “See how Detective Dumbass copes without my constant reminders that she’s not _all that_.”

“I really don’t know where you got the impression that she’s arrogant,” Kara whispered out of the side of her mouth, Alex waving at them and giving them a small smile from the other side of the street as she waited for the light to turn green. “She’s really not.”

Concerned, Kara recognized a small hunch to Alex’s shoulders, and now that she was standing still, it was more apparent that her smile wasn’t as wide as it usually was. She wondered what had happened to Alex to make her look so… downtrodden. _Sad_.

“Someone who looks like her has got to have some serious issues with an over-active self-confidence,” Lucy hissed, forcing a pained smile on her face as Alex started walking again.

“Shut up,” Kara whispered back, stepping away from Lucy and smiling gently as Alex reached them, looking, for all intents and purposes, like she’d stepped straight out of one of Kara’s dreams, wind-blown hair and all. The visual would have been perfect, had it not been for the signs of distress Kara could very clearly see in her face, hidden behind a smile.

Kara had spent too many hours staring at that face not to notice its smallest intricacies by now.

“Hey, Kara,” Alex said, stepping forward and opening her arms for a hug, which Kara was all too prepared to step into. As she wrapped her arms around Alex, she closed her eyes and buried her nose in the detective’s shoulder, holding her tightly and breathing in her scent.

Perhaps she should have been used to it by now, the feeling of Alex being close to her, but it was a revelation every time.

It was like she could feel the anxiety leave Alex’s body as she relaxed into the embrace, arms tightening around Kara’s waist, face pressed against Kara’s shoulder. The detective’s body sagged a little, bringing their bodies even flusher against one another.

Kara could have stayed in this embrace forever, just holding Alex and keeping her together, keeping her safe from whatever was making her so upset. She didn’t need to know what was causing Alex pain, not now. All she needed to know was that her touch, her presence, was making it better somehow.

She pulled back when she heard a throat being cleared loudly next to them.

As though she’d been burned, Alex jumped back from the embrace to look at Lucy, Kara gritting her teeth as she wrenched her eyes over to her best friend, who was innocently gazing down at her nails, one hand placed on her hip.

When no one spoke, she looked up and regarded them both with a bored expression.

“Oh, sorry, did I interrupt a tender moment there?” She asked mockingly, the hint of a smirk playing along her lips. “I’m allergic to sap, I’m so sorry.” She sized Alex up with her eyes, taking in her leather jacket and dark jeans, the old boots. “Besides, we’re here to do some serious shopping. I hope you weren’t planning on derailing that plan, detective?”

“No,” Alex said, voice deadpan as her hand slipped into Kara’s, tangling their fingers together and holding on gently, seeking a connection. “What about you? Think you can pull yourself together long enough to get some shopping done?”

Kara squeezed her hand, hoping that the comment of defiance wouldn’t result in Lucy going back on her promise of being nice to Alex. Especially not now that Kara knew something was wrong.

Looking physically pained at holding back her no doubt snarky reply, Lucy breathed out slowly through her nose and crossed her arms over her chest once more. Kara was afraid Lucy would end up blowing a blood vessel in her eye if she kept restraining herself like this.

Finally, Lucy opened her mouth, obviously poised to retort with something meant to cut. Smelling the danger from a mile away, Kara gave her a look, making Lucy deflate before she’d so much as taken a breath.

Grimacing, Lucy forced the pained smile back on her face for Kara’s sake.

“Just don’t say anything too stupid, detective,” Lucy grumbled, before turning around to look up at the huge sign above them reading _Lance Legacy_. The clothing empire was run by two sisters, whom Kara had met about a year ago, when Supergirl had been called to help out in Star City. For obvious reasons, the Lance sisters kept it a secret that they were the ever-popular Black and White Canary.

She loved shopping at their stores, and so she’d put it down as their first destination. Even back when she’d been studying art at Metropolis University, before she’d even entertained the thought of one day becoming a superhero herself, she’d always liked perusing their shelves and checking out their latest designs.

“I’ll do my best,” Alex retorted, a sarcastic undertone lacing her words, making Kara close her eyes and take a deep breath. While it was good to see that Alex could still snark, she wished these two people, who were so very important to her, would just get their stuff together and play nice.

As Lucy made her way into the shop, Kara leaned closer to Alex’s ear, curling her free, right hand around her bicep.

“Can you cut back a little on the sarcastic comments today?” She whispered, gratified to hear Alex’s heart beat faster at her proximity. Maybe she could distract Alex a little from what was ailing her. “I already talked to Lucy about it, and she said she’d behave. I just want to have a nice afternoon with my best friend and my—uh, with you.”

Acting a little sheepish, Alex looked directly into Kara’s eyes, her gaze flicking down to Kara’s lips briefly before she yanked it back up again. The tense lines around her eyes relaxed as they held eye contact.

“Yeah, sure,” Alex agreed, squeezing Kara’s hand and brushing first her nose and then a gentle kiss against Kara’s cheek. “I’ll do my best to behave, scout’s honor.” Her smile was a little lopsided and lazy, and Kara felt a blush spread over her cheeks.

Smiling shyly, she returned the gesture and pressed a faint kiss against Alex’s cheekbone.

“Thanks,” she murmured, hand tightening ever so slightly on Alex’s arm.

She was just about to say more, when a loud voice broke them out of their little bubble.

“Well? Get a move on, we don’t have all day! I need to be at the _Dirty Robber_ by seven and you guys eye fucking each other out here isn’t going to get us to an outfit,” Lucy snarked, lips quivering from holding back her pleased smile.

She held the door to _Lance Legacy_ wide open as she regarded them almost fondly. It was quite clear that it was becoming more and more difficult for her to stay mad at Alex when she could get Kara to smile like that. It filled Kara with a feeling of happy anticipation. One day, hopefully, they could all go shopping together and just have a good time, without Kara having to worry that her best friend and her… _girlfriend_ were going to go at each other like rabid dogs.

“Coming, coming,” Kara said, stalking forward swiftly and dragging Alex after her by the hand, who stumbled a little at being pulled into action so suddenly. Kara didn’t comment on the fact that it was barely nine thirty in the morning and that Lucy had almost nine hours to find Kara an outfit. Why pour even more oil into the flames?

“Let’s do this,” Lucy said, sounding like a coach at a little-league football game.

Kara sighed.

This was going to be a long shopping spree.

-

“Here, hold this,” Lucy said, grabbing a dress and stuffing it into Alex’s arms.

“Don’t you think it shows a little too much skin at the back?” Kara asked, examining the dress critically on the mannequin next to the rack. “I don’t want to give the wrong impression at my first big opening.” Studying the piece of fabric intently, Kara squinted her eyes and tilted her head a little, looking supremely adorable.

Alex hadn’t anticipated that she would end up feeling so relaxed after the harrying first session she’d endured barely an hour before. While she’d managed not to cry during her conversation with Dr. Zhou, she’d come close multiple times, especially when she’d reached the point in the story where she’d, well, _killed_ her father.

There was no point denying that she’d been directly responsible for his death, no point trying to sugarcoat the decisions she had made, the path that had led them all to that place. She was at fault, and no matter what anyone said, Alex knew she’d never be able to forgive herself.

“Babe, you’ve got a great body, and we need to show it off for this,” Lucy said, moving on to another dress. The store employee, an Asian woman with a kind face, stood next to them and nodded along enthusiastically. “See? Stacy agrees with me.” Lucy’s eyes flicked to Alex, who was standing next to them all with an armful of clothing, contemplating how odd it was that she didn’t feel quite as awful anymore. “I’m sure Detective Dark and Douchey wouldn’t mind seeing a bit more skin.”

Alex’s eyes widened a little as she was pulled out of her thoughts, Kara looking at her with a hopeful expression, her glasses having slipped down her nose a little. Swallowing hard, Alex turned her eyes from Kara to Lucy, to Stacy, and back to Kara again. Apparently, they were all waiting for her input.

“Um, I think Kara should wear whatever makes her feel most comfortable,” Alex said, gratified to see the smile on Kara’s face that told her she’d said the right thing. “But I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to at least try it on.” The suggestion had been uttered without any hidden agenda on Alex’s part, or so she told herself, as she eyed the small piece of fabric they were going to force Kara into.

Lips pursed, Lucy shrugged her shoulders.

“As much as it pains me to agree with her, Kara, you should listen to your girl toy,” Lucy said with a smirk, bringing a scowl to Alex’s face. _Girl toy_. The nerve. “Don’t knock it before you’ve tried it.” Again, their store employee Stacy nodded along, all too happy to assist them and give her positive feedback.

The banter and nicknames pulled Alex away from Dr. Zhou’s office and into the present, and it made Alex almost grateful for Lucy’s faux-hostile attitude.

“Alright,” Kara agreed, pulling her eyes away from the mannequin’s naked back and sliding back over to Alex’s side, which was an absolutely welcome development. Whenever Kara was around, it felt easier to keep the demons at bay. She knew it was good that she was seeing a psychologist, because love couldn’t fix what was going on with her, no relationship could, but she was glad for Kara’s warmth and gentle nature all the same.

The sweet scent of her perfume filled Alex’s nose, and she leaned closer to Kara instinctively, her hands tightening on the mountain of fabric. Their shoulders brushed and Kara’s fingers danced gently over Alex’s clothes, sliding under the leather jacket and stroking over the dimples at the small of Alex’s back.

The sensation was incredible, even if it made Alex a little anxious that Kara would feel the concealed handgun in Alex’s waistband holster, hidden inside her jeans. Despite her head being buried far in the past, Alex needed to be ready for anything.

She could still be attacked at any moment, and she wanted to be able to keep Kara safe, if push ever came to shove. Just because Kara was an alien, as Alex suspected she was, didn’t mean Kara was bulletproof like Supergirl. For all Alex knew, Kara didn’t have any powers at all.

Alex would need to be strong for both of them, and she was planning on doing just that, no matter what sort of dangerous situation was looming on the horizon.

“Alright,” Lucy called, clapping her hands once and pivoting around on the heels of her shoes. “Let’s get you into some new clothes.” She snapped her fingers and looked over her shoulder at Alex, gently amused derision obvious in the slope of her mouth. “Follow me, detective. Chop, chop.”

Snorting in annoyance, Alex forced herself to stay calm, focusing all her energy on the feeling of Kara’s hand on her back and her warm presence filling her chest with pleasant content. As long as Kara was there, she could tolerate just about anything.

-

“I can’t wear something like this,” Kara complained, trying and failing to pull the dark blue dress further down her legs. She felt naked, the fabric barely covering all of her private parts. She didn’t dare pull any harder, though, for fear of ripping it cleanly in two. “I can barely even walk in this without everyone seeing everything.”

Her eyes flicked over to Alex, who was apparently trying not to stare, keeping her eyes on the ceiling instead, a pile of clothes still clutched tightly in her grip. She’d relaxed fully into the shopping spree after another half hour had passed, which made Kara feel very relieved. If nothing else, it meant Kara’s cruel fate of having to try on uncomfortable dress after uncomfortable dress was good for something.

According to the light flush that dusted Alex’s cheeks and nose, Kara had a feeling the dress she was wearing right now could be of use for something else. Maybe Kara _should_ consider buying it. Just… maybe not for the vernissage.

“Are you kidding me? You look great,” Lucy said, pulling Kara’s fidgeting fingers away from the hem of the dress and looking her up and down. “You’ll definitely make a splash with this one. What do you think, Danvers?”

Kara’s gaze shot back over to Alex, whose eyes finally fell away from the ceiling and took in Kara’s form. Gratified, Kara saw the detective visibly swallow, unprepared for the question, her eyes fighting to stay on Kara’s face.

This dress was definitely going in the pile.

“I, uh, I think she looks great,” Alex said, shoulders straightening up a little under the heavy gazes of the three other women who were all looking at her. Kara’s heart made a leap at the obvious want in Alex’s eyes. “You might want to wear something else though, Kara, if you want your guests to look at anything other than you.”

The tortured expression was now completely gone from Alex’s face, and she grinned at Kara, curling her arms more firmly around the clothes she was clutching to her chest. Kara had no idea how someone this handsome could look so sweet.

While Kara felt about ready to leap over and press Alex against the nearest wall, Lucy shook her head, sighing gently at their ridiculously lovey-dovey exchanges. If Kara hadn’t known Lucy for so long, she might have missed the fond expression in her eyes, before she wrestled it back down again.

“Fucking gay-ass nerd,” Lucy mumbled to herself, stalking over to Alex and taking the next dress out of her arms, this one bright green and a little bit longer than the other one. “Fine, you don’t like this one, that’s alright, we’ve got a bunch of other stuff to get through.” She smiled at Kara and handed the new dress to her, motioning with her hand for Kara to get a move on.

Before Lucy could close the door of the changing room in Kara’s face, Kara stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Pulling her best friend closer, she leaned in so Alex couldn’t hear them.

“Put this one on the list,” Kara whispered, sliding her glasses further up her nose and pointing at the dress she was wearing. She might not wear this in public if she could help it, and it would be an absolute pain for her to get out of if she were to be called into action as Supergirl, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t put on a little show for her detective in the future. In the privacy of her own home.

Lucy picked up on her train of thought immediately.

“Dirty, dirty Kara.” She grinned, momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to be annoyed with Alex’s entire existence. “I bet she’s going to love that. Send some pictures. I need some love, too.” She wiggled her eyebrows and Kara rolled her eyes, finally pushing Lucy away from the door and closing it behind her to try on another dress.

-

 

> [Harley’s Quinning]: How’d the session go? _Sent 10:02am_.
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Pretty good, pretty good. Didn’t even cry once. _Sent 10:02am_.
> 
> [Harley’s Quinning]: Macho prowess intact!!! _Sent 10:02am_.
> 
> [Harley’s Quinning]: Would’ve been fine if you’d cried tho. _Sent 10:03am_.
> 
> [Harley’s Quinning]: Jsyk. _Sent_ _10:03am_.
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: I know. _Sent 10:04am_.
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: Gotta go. Kara is wearing a really short dress ♥. _Sent 10:04pm_.
> 
> [Harley’s Quinning]: PICS PICS PICS. _Sent 10:04pm_.
> 
> [Harley’s Quinning]: And don’t forget to text Selina!!! _Sent 10:04am_.
> 
> [Alex Danvers]: NO. And I already did! _Sent 10:05am_.

-

Three hours and two clothing stores later, they were no closer to finding the perfect outfit.

In a logical but frustrating turn of events, they’d need to buy the right _clothes_ first before they could move on to shoes and accessories, yet none of the dresses they’d tried so far had seemed good enough for such an important event.

All the while, Kara had kept her eyes open for anyone who might be following them, since she wasn’t entirely convinced that it was only J’onn they were surveilling. It had been a few days since the almost-shooting in Griffin Park, and in the days following, she’d had no contact with J’onn whatsoever. He hadn’t spoken to her about Desaad, or who else might be behind the attacks on those humans.

Despite his proposed ban of communication, she was sure he wasn’t purposefully keeping her out of the loop again, but the silence between them was making her anxious nonetheless. She wanted to be there to help him out, even though he’d asked her to stay out of it. Most of the time, he still refused to use his powers, afraid he’d end up luring more White Martians to Earth, which left him in a vulnerable position.

The need to protect, to put herself in between J’onn and whatever danger might be ahead of them, was like an itching in her limbs, distracting her in the most inopportune times.

Looking for the perfect clothes wasn’t exactly high on Kara’s list of priorities right now, no matter how important this vernissage was for her artistic career. Her heart would always belong to the people she was trying to protect, much more than it did to her creations.

Alex hadn’t been any help either, as Lucy was all too eager to point out. She loved Kara in every outfit, and could hardly take her eyes off her, no matter how hideous and outrageously ugly the outfits in question turned out to be.

Of course, that wasn’t necessarily a _bad_ thing, as it did wonders for Kara’s self-confidence, but it didn’t get them any closer to narrowing down their choices. Lucy seemed to be the only one who was focused intently on getting them to their proposed goal. Kara suspected that it had something to do with Lucy trying to forget the fact that her marriage wasn’t in the best place right now, and that her sister was blaming her for it.

Lucy needed a task, a purpose, and making sure that Kara was going to have the best reception anyone could possibly have was likely as good a project as any. If she was honest with herself, Kara was more grateful than resentful that Lucy kept pushing her to focus today.

Still, that didn’t mean she had to enjoy how long this was taking them all.

“I’m hungry,” Kara lamented, staring at herself in the full-length mirror and patting her flat, muscular stomach. “I don’t know, Luce, I don’t feel like we’re getting anywhere with this.” She pulled at the top of the strapless dress, trying to keep it from sliding off her frame. “Maybe I should just put on what I usually wear.”

It would certainly speed up the process, and Kara had no problem greeting everyone in a nice sundress and a cardigan, even if it wouldn’t exactly be flashy. In her mind, she was already running through the different combinations she could go with.

Holding three more dresses in her arms, Alex was standing just to Kara’s left, her eyes roaming her naked shoulders. The last three hours had been agony in terms of finding something to wear, but it had been nice to watch Alex get progressively more flustered as time went on. The urge to pull Alex into the closest dressing room and ravish her mouth was becoming difficult to resist.

Even with all the anxiety about possible attacks making Kara twitchy, glancing at Alex always made her feel better.

“Excuse me?” Lucy said, shaking her head in disapproval at Kara’s obvious lack of enthusiasm, pulling Kara out of her Alex-induced daydream. “This is your first vernissage, Kara. You need to make a lasting impression; you need to let those people know who you are and that you mean business.”

Lucy was sitting on a couch with a small backrest, the shop assistant Loreen, a slender black woman with gorgeous braids, standing next to her, eyeing Kara’s outfit and offering supportive comments whenever conversation lulled.

Grimacing a little, Kara pulled the slipping, strapless dress even further up her chest.

“Who I am usually wears cardigans and sundresses,” Kara grumbled to herself, feeling particularly petulant in this moment, due to the annoying and uncomfortable piece of badly sewn fabric she’d been forced to put on her body. She knew any form of resistance was futile, but she was bored and mentally exhausted, and the thought of meeting her mysterious benefactor in less than a week only added to Kara’s stress levels. “Maybe everybody is just going to have to deal with that.”

“No,” Lucy interrupted her, raising both hands and making a gesture as though she was trying to wave away Kara’s negative thoughts. “No, no, I am not going to let you show up to your first grand opening in a _cardigan_. No, over my dead body.”

Kara sighed and spontaneously slumped against Alex, who had been watching their back and forth silently for several moments, having relaxed into their banter. Gone were any traces of her earlier worry.

Dumping the dresses behind her on a chair, Alex wrapped her arms around Kara’s stomach and held her tightly against her, chin on Kara’s shoulder. Sometimes, Kara forgot that Alex was actually shorter than her, considering the prominence of her personality. It was cute, and so very comfortable.

Smiling a little, Kara entwined their fingers on her stomach.

“You know I love shopping for clothes, Luce, but we’ve been at this for _hours_. I need a break,” Kara said, perfectly aware that she was probably the only one out of the three of them whose feet didn’t actually hurt. “Besides, look at me, does this dress look like classy, independent rebel artist to you?”

Alex hid a snort of amusement behind a cough and Kara pinched the skin of her finger in revenge.

This feeling of domesticity with Alex, of the familiarity they shared between them, was worth more to Kara than she could have anticipated. Just having Alex wrapped around her so casually was like a gift, was something precious to be cherished.

Leaning against the back of the couch, Lucy raised one eyebrow challengingly.

“Oh, because your usual attire just _screams_ rebel artist? Pink cardigans and all?” She asked mockingly, letting out a breath of gentle frustration. “Sure, this dress isn’t perfect, but I think we’re on the right track with it, don’t you?” She crossed her legs and placed her arms on the back of the couch, tilting her head and scrutinizing the dress with a critical eye.

Turning her head to the side, Kara looked to Alex for her input.

“What do you think?” She asked, disentangling one of her hands from Alex’s so she could pull up her slipping dress once more. She was really starting to hate this thing. No matter what she wore on Saturday, it would most definitely have straps or sleeves. She didn’t want to wonder and worry about whether her dress was going to stay up or slip down all night long.

She watched in fascination as Alex’s face morphed from mild interest in her and Lucy’s conversation to that sweet, dopey expression she got whenever she looked at Kara. The transformation was amazing, and it cemented Kara’s belief that what they were doing here was _the right thing_.

“I think you look beautiful,” Alex whispered to her, arms tightening around Kara, as though their current proximity wasn’t enough for her. As though she needed to emphasize how much she meant her words.

Heart filling with unspeakable warmth, Kara barely noticed it when Lucy mumbled _Tiffany, you useless lesbian_ under her breath and rolled her eyes all the way up to the ceiling to give her performance even more of a dramatic effect.

“Once again with the helpful words there, detective,” she grumbled, staring in mock-annoyance as Kara and Alex continued to make eyes at each other. Kara didn’t care, she was just glad to be able to relish in this feeling, to have Alex back. “Seriously, guys, what is it with the staring and the meaningful silences, we have _got_ to pick out an outfit.”

Kara sighed, but she knew Lucy was right. Staring at Alex’s handsome and beautiful face, at the freckles dusted along her nose, at those gorgeous hazel eyes, wasn’t going to help her find the right dress. Before she could interject, however, Lucy went on, the crossed leg twitching up and down, a look of grim determination settling over her features. Never a good sign.

“Kara, my love, my angel, light of my life,” she said, mouth pursing into a sour expression. “This could conceivably be the most important day of your career, and we all want you to succeed. Stop trying to make your girlfriend’s panties wet and get your head in the game.” The word _girlfriend_ echoed in Kara’s mind. They hadn’t had that conversation, not yet, but Kara knew how she wanted it to go.

At Lucy’s words, Kara could feel Alex scowl from where her chin was still resting on Kara’s bare shoulder. She obviously hadn’t appreciated Lucy’s quip and insinuation about the state of her underwear.

Completely unperturbed by both of their expressions, Lucy continued to speak.

“Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, pull yourself together, so we can find something impressive for you to wear. _Please_ ,” she finished, tipping her head against the back of the couch to emphasize her exasperation. “No cardigans, no blouses, no modest skirts, no sundresses.”

Gnawing on her bottom lip, Kara looked directly into Lucy’s exhausted face, and she knew she needed to listen to her, if she wanted to make a good first impression. She knew she was being obtuse and unnecessarily difficult by insisting on anything else. Lucy only wanted what was best for her and her career, and she needed to respect her friend’s position as her manager.

“Fine,” Kara acquiesced, slumping a little further into Alex’s arms, enjoying the sensation of Alex’s breasts pressing into her back. “I know you’re right, I know I need to wear something cool… I guess I’m just nervous I won’t find the right thing… I don’t want to be uncomfortable all night.”

Lucy’s eyes softened, and she got to her feet to squeeze Kara’s right arm.

“I know, honey, that’s why I’m here,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “To kick your ass back into gear.” She lifted her other hand and flicked Alex’s nose. “Your dumbstruck detective sure isn’t going to do it.” Alex glared at her and Kara was glad she was standing in between them. “Emphasis on _dumb_.”

“Alright, alright, break it up, please,” Kara said, just as Alex had opened her mouth to retort. “Please save your hostilities for some other time, okay? We have work to do.” Reluctantly, she pulled herself out of Alex’s embrace and pulled the three dresses Alex had discarded into her own arms.

Immediately, she missed Alex’s warmth and the firm body pressed against her own.

She pushed the thought away.

“I think we should get lunch after these three,” Alex said, sidling up to Kara and curling her hand around her waist, kissing Kara’s cheek. It was like she, too, didn’t want to be separated for too long. “You said you were hungry, and I think we could all use a break. Look at things with a fresh pair of eyes afterwards.”

Shuffling closer unconsciously, Kara nodded along with the idea.

Lucy stared at them both for a second before throwing her hands up into the air.

“I guess I could go for a burger right about now,” she allowed, trying and failing to hide her smile. “But after that, we’re going to go right back to looking for the perfect outfit. Agreed?” She pointed at both Alex and Kara, looking every bit the military lawyer her father had wanted her to be.

“Agreed,” Alex and Kara parroted back in unison, Kara stroking along the fingers on her waist and giving Lucy a winning smile. Quite frankly, she was glad they were taking a lunch break. She could have kept going easily, but making a little pit stop at a fast food vendor would certainly do wonders for her mood.

Briefly, she wondered if she could get away with having three burgers, or if that would raise too much suspicion with Alex.

“Oh God, gross, you’re already doing the whole twin thing, ugh,” Lucy complained, her voice completely void of even the least bit of malice. It was clear she was just trying to get Alex riled up again, and didn’t actually feel any ill-will towards the situation. “You are the absolute worst.”

A smirk came over Alex’s face, and she pulled Kara even closer to herself, obviously enjoying the show Lucy was putting on about their public displays of affection. It was all very adorable, and it also wiped away the doubts Kara had about the food problem. She was among people who cared for her here; she didn’t have to worry about looking weird with her best friend and the woman she was dating.

“You just wait until we’ve got a few more months under our belts, we’re probably going to be one person,” Alex needled, grinning mischievously as the smile dropped from Lucy’s face. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

The fact that Alex was planning for them to be together for _months_ was already more than enough to fill Kara’s stomach with butterflies, but the fact that Alex had called her _sweetheart_ , even as a joke, made Kara blush all the way to the roots of her hair.

Instead of responding, she gave Alex a long, loving kiss against her cheek.

Alex blushed and stammered, Lucy shook her head, hands at her sides, and Kara smiled into the kiss, hands curling themselves around Alex’s sides and holding her close, nudging Alex’s feet with her own, feeling perfectly content.

Despite all of the little grievances… it was shaping up to be a damn good day.

-

The keys rattled on the small table next to the front door as Alex dumped them without looking.

She’d always been a creature of habit, so she’d decorated her new apartment in a lot of the same ways as her old one, which included side tables, couches, and cupboards being arranged similarly, or even identically, to how they had been in her home in Gotham City.

Selina had teased her about it before, but Alex didn’t care. She liked the feeling of security it gave her, knowing where everything was and not having to get used to a new arrangement of furniture, on top of the new layout of her apartment.

Her mind was still on the last seven hours she’d spent with Kara and Lucy, working through clothing store after clothing store, dress after dress, without coming to a definitive conclusion. They had raided place after place, without coming up with even one dress that fit Lucy’s or Kara’s vision.

Alex knew she hadn’t been of any help, considering she was a little biased. She thought Kara was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen, and she _had_ looked beautiful in every dress, no matter how many times Kara had complained about a dress being unflattering on her.

After placing her leather jacket on the coat hanger next to the door and kicking off her shoes, Alex slipped off her t-shirt and her jeans, leaving her in a black sports bra and a pair of novelty boxer briefs that were littered with small kittens. It had been a gift from her mother, something she’d picked up at a store and thought Alex would appreciate.

Stretching out her back, she walked into the living room and dumped the clothes next to the couch where Selina was lounging, Trish passed out on her stomach. When she heard the thud of fabric hitting the floor, Selina pulled her eyes away from the television and whistled.

“Babe, give a girl some warning before you strip, will you?” She said, grinning and reaching out to catch Alex’s arm, keeping her from walking over to the bedroom to put on some more comfortable clothes. “I love the look. Those kittens really suit you.” Looking down at her friend, Alex saw the concern reflected in Selina’s gaze, hidden behind a mask of sleaze. “You can stay in your underwear all evening, if you like. I don’t mind _at_ _all_.”

Raising one eyebrow, Alex patted Selina’s hand on her arm gently, before pulling away from her.

“You’re gross,” she said fondly, running her hand through Selina’s hair before walking away, heart set on a pair of fluffy pajama pants and her favorite Gotham PD t-shirt.

She’d just reached her bedroom, when she heard Trish’s disgruntled little mewl, which told Alex that Selina had vacated the couch and was most likely following her. What she didn’t expect was for Selina to have grabbed the jeans and t-shirt and to place them in the hamper at the foot of Alex’s bed.

“So helpful,” Alex teased as she slipped on her pajama pants and took off her bra, unperturbed by the fact that Selina had sat down on the bed and was watching her, worry coloring her features.

“You know me,” Selina said, her voice lacking its usual innuendo, “I can’t pass up the opportunity to see you naked.” She rubbed her bare leg absent-mindedly, her eyes never leaving Alex’s face, belying her previous statement.

Slipping on her t-shirt, Alex joined her friend on the bed, head on her pillow and staring at the ceiling, all too aware of Selina’s searching gaze.

“What’s up?” Alex asked, turning her head and staring up at Selina, now slightly worried herself. “Did something happen while I was out?”

With a gentle smile, Selina slid down the bed and turned onto her side, so they were face to face.

“No, nothing happened,” she said, hand settling on Alex’s cheek and caressing the skin gently. “I was just wondering… if you wanted to tell me how your first session with Dr. Zhou went.” She drew her fingers over the slope of Alex’s nose, redrew her eyebrows. “If you’re okay, or if there’s anything I can do, maybe?”

Warmed by her friend’s concern, Alex smiled a little, before sitting up again, stretching out her neck.

“Like I told you this morning, it was good,” she said, fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt. “She’s really nice.” Now Selina was sitting up, too, laying her chin on Alex’s shoulder. “And she seems very competent. We made another appointment for next week.”

“That’s great,” Selina whispered, kissing Alex’s neck and curling her arms around her waist.

“Yeah…” Alex agreed, leaning her head against Selina’s and thinking about how awful she’d felt after her session this morning, and how much she wanted to spare Selina the grief of knowing just how much Alex still hated herself for all of it. “Do you want a Capri-Sun? I got some yesterday morning while you were out.”

Trying to escape the situation, Alex pulled out of Selina’s embrace and got to her feet, looking at her friend expectantly. Selina seemed to understand her need to change the subject, because she only smiled and nodded, following Alex into the kitchen.

“I got your favorite,” Alex said, pulling out the safari brand with the lion on the cover. “I haven’t had one of these in a while. Thought it would be nice.” She handed one over to Selina, before getting one out for herself.

Selina took it without comment, popping in the straw and starting to suck on the sugary sweet liquid.

They stood there for several moments, both drinking and staring at the television, neither one of them really listening or taking in what was going on.

Alex had a feeling their conversation about her first therapy session with Dr. Zhou wasn’t over yet, but she wasn’t sure what she would tell Selina about it. Selina knew very well what had happened during _the incident_ , since she’d been there for most of it. And she’d been there during the aftermath, had seen Alex at her lowest.

There was no way she was going to dredge all of that up again, not when Selina was already so on edge after Alex’s anxiety attack. She knew Selina was scared Alex was going to have another one. It had taken a while for her to talk Selina into leaving the apartment again, into leaving her alone.

When they’d finished their drinks, Selina licked her lips and set the empty plastic onto the kitchen table, a glint in her eyes that Alex was all too familiar with.

She’d already turned her face into the motion of receiving a kiss of thanks, when Selina’s head veered to the side at the last moment and her lips hit Alex’s cheek instead.

Due to all of the stress of the last few weeks, Alex had barely had time to wonder about what was wrong with her friend, but now, here, with her head clearer than it had been in a while, Alex couldn’t help but realize that Selina hadn’t kissed her _once_ since that fateful day in front of CatCo Coffee, at least not on the mouth.

Not a single time.

Furrowing her brows, Alex sat down her own empty carton and stared at Selina, who smiled and started turning towards the couch.

Reacting immediately, Alex shot out her hand and gripped Selina’s forearm to keep her in the kitchen, keep her in the moment. There had been an unspoken weirdness between them ever since Alex and Kara’s budding relationship had blown up, and Alex was sick of it.

“Why won’t you kiss me anymore?” Alex asked bluntly, unperturbed by how the words sounded. Her best friend was acting out of character and Alex needed to get to the bottom of it. There was no sense being modest about it.

“What?” Selina asked, turning back towards Alex and furrowing her brows as well. “Did something fall on your head? I literally just kissed you.” She narrowed her eyes, as though Alex was the one being weird.

“No,” Alex shook her head, holding tightly onto Selina’s arm so she couldn’t escape, “you haven’t kissed me like you used to since that morning in front of CatCo’s.” She felt and saw Selina visibly stiffen, her eyes darting from Alex to the open box of Capri-Suns on the counter and back towards Alex.

“Yes, I have,” she said defiantly, pulling her arm free from Alex’s grip and walking over to the couch to put some distance between them. “And why are you even bringing this up? You hate it when I kiss you, and we both know I only do it to annoy you.”

Alex had mastered the fine art of deflection years ago, and she wasn’t going to let Selina goad her into getting frustrated.

Instead, she followed her to the couch and turned off the television, Trish lifting her head from her paws to look at them, concerned how both of her parents were acting around each other. To her credit, she didn’t make a sound.

“Bullshit,” Alex said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Excuse me?” Selina said, her posture stiff and defiant as she drew herself up to her full height.

The obvious defense mechanism, the way Selina’s panicked eyes were trying to look intimidating, and the fact that Alex had known her for years, made Alex soften into the moment, uncrossing her arms and sighing quietly.

“What’s going on?” She asked gently, running her hand through her hair and watching Selina for anything that could possibly tell her what was wrong with her. “Whatever it is, you can tell me, and we can work on it together. If you’re still angry with me that I yelled at you, that’s okay, just… _tell me_.”

“I’m not angry with you,” Selina said, shoulders slumping a little and looking at Alex through her lashes, a look of regret clearly reflected in the slope of her mouth. “It’s not that, you had every right to yell at me about what I did to you.”

Then, as though a veil had been lifted, Alex realized what the problem was.

“You’re punishing yourself,” she said slowly, taking a step forward, surprised and unhappy when Selina pulled away from her and took a step back. “Selina…”

“I’m not punishing myself, I’m trying not to make the same mistake twice,” Selina said, teeth clenched and eyes wild with worry. “The last time I kissed you, it made you fall apart all over again, and I don’t want that to happen because of me.”

Selina took another step back, Trish jumping to her feet and rubbing herself on Selina’s leg to help calm her down.

Feeling Selina’s pain as though it originated inside of her own body, Alex tilted her head to the side and reached out to grasp her best friend’s hand, holding on tightly, trying to keep her from slipping away even further.

She didn’t know what to say.

Not in a million years had Alex anticipated that Selina might still be blaming herself for Alex’s self-destruction. She wondered, painfully, if Selina blamed herself for Alex’s anxiety attack, too, if she somehow thought she’d opened the door to let those demons in again.

Throat clogged with emotion, Alex pulled Selina into a hug, wounding her arms around her in a vicelike grip, holding her as close to herself as she possibly could. She wished she could let Selina know through touch alone that it wasn’t her fault, that Alex had made those decisions all by herself, and that the PTSD and the anxiety attacks weren’t to be laid at Selina’s feet.

“I love you,” Alex whispered, Selina’s arms hanging slack at her sides. When half a minute had passed with no response, Alex pulled back and cupped Selina’s cheeks, heart constricting at the crestfallen and burdened look in her eyes. “You hear me? I _love_ you. You’re my best friend, and you’re not to blame for what happened to me.”

Selina’s eyes flit to the side, but Alex wouldn’t have it.

“You’re not going to ruin my life by being _you_ ,” she insisted, now becoming angry on her friend’s behalf. “Please stop _punishing_ yourself.” Selina opened her mouth to respond, but Alex cut her off with a finger to her lips. “Stop denying it, that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

She pressed a kiss against Selina’s forehead.

“I’ve told Kara about who you are to me, how important you are,” Alex said, forcing eye contact between them. “I’ve told her about you and Harley and Pam, and she _understands_ . She met you, and she _likes_ you. You don’t have to worry.” She didn’t mention how it would most likely take Kara a long time to truly be okay with their complicated friendship, but she knew Kara wouldn’t want Selina to be anxious every day.

A silent tear slid down Selina’s cheek as she leaned forward and fell into Alex’s arms, holding her firmly around the waist, head pressed against Alex’s neck, shoulders shaking gently from the emotional weight she’d been carrying around for weeks.

Alex stroked her back while Trish purred and rubbed herself against Selina’s thigh.

“Maybe you can come with me to therapy at some point so we can talk about it?” Alex offered, nails drawing shapes and circles into Selina’s shaking back. “I’m sure Dr. Zhou wouldn’t mind.”

Selina nodded into Alex’s shoulder, fingers digging into her t-shirt.

“Yeah,” she agreed, lifting her head and smiling tremulously, running her hand through her short hair. “You really know how to make a girl weep, Supercop.” She sniffed and wiped her face. “You know just how to hit that sweet spot with your words.”

Gently, hesitantly, Selina leaned in and gave Alex the smallest of kisses.

“I love you, too,” she whispered, cupping Alex’s cheek with one hand while she stroked Trish’s tiny head with the other. They could both hear Herbert’s pot get dragged across the living room floor so he could join them, no doubt raining small pieces of black dirt everywhere.

With her heart lighter than it had been in days, Alex grinned.

Things were finally looking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you go googling, Dr. Zhou is not part of the DCU. I tried to find a psychologist that would fit, but then I gave up and just made her up. Although I'm told that there is a Lauren Zhou if you google for her, and that she's a beauty contestant who won a bunch of stuff? So maybe Lauren the beauty queen went on to become Lauren the psychologist. Maybe she was doing those beauty contests to finance her studies - WHO KNOWS.
> 
> Anyway, lemme know how you feel about the final scene! And the scenes ahead of it, of course! Oh and ch13 might be my favorite chapter in the whole fanfic, so there's that to look forward to! :D
> 
> As always, this chapter was betad by the wonderful Coara ♥
> 
> And if you want to find me on Tumblr, look up @goshdarnitjay. When Supergirl stops sucking my soul from my body, I might actually start posting about it more. As it stands, every time I go on Tumblr, I see some shit that Manhell has done and I log riiiight back out. Maybe I should just blacklist his ass... Anyway! Hope you're having a great day/night/afternoon/morning!


	13. Match Made in Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara's vernissage opens with a few surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much time this morning, so... enjoy!

“It’s straight, I promise,” Lucy said, grabbing Kara’s arm and pulling her away from the painting she’d been staring at, trying to determine if she should shift it just that little bit further to the right. “Not a sentence I ever thought I’d hear myself say, but here we are.”

Pulling her attention away from the painting, which depicted domesticated animals from Krypton mostly resembling common house cats, Kara squinted her eyes at her best friend. Then, she smirked a little and opened her mouth to tease her before she could think better of it.

“Luce, you’re married to a man,” she said, nudging Lucy’s shoulder, before her mind was temporarily distracted from the conversation by a loud crashing noise and Siobhan’s angry voice drifting over from around the corner. Briefly, she wondered if it would be worth it to use her x-ray vision, to figure out what was going on, but in the end, Kara reckoned Siobhan could handle herself.

And that painting in front of her and Lucy  _ still _ seemed crooked to her.

“Yes, I am definitely married to a man. Well observed, Kara,” Lucy replied, shaking her head and looking up at Kara with a hint of gently amused exasperation. “And yet, wonder oh wonder, I am still just as pan as the day I was born.”

Feeling a well of affection for her best friend, Kara stepped a little closer to Lucy and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I know,” she said, warmth infusing her tone. She understood very well why this distinction mattered so much to Lucy, even though she’d asserted herself in a humorous way. Considering her own bisexuality, Kara knew just how annoying it could be for people to misjudge her sexual orientation based on who she was dating at the time.

Lucy snuggled into her side, clearly comforted by the show of solidarity and understanding. When Kara took a step away from her, Lucy realized instinctively what Kara was up to.

“Don’t you dare,” she intervened, just as Kara’s hands came up to start shifting the canvas again. “You’ve hung and rehung that painting a dozen times already. Trust me, it couldn’t be any straighter. The rest is all in your head.”

They’d been working at  _ The Silver Banshee _ for the last five hours, making sure all the paintings were hung in their proper places. More importantly, they’d confirmed the catering service they’d employed had done its job well, providing them with fancy hors d’oeuvres and plenty of wine, orange juice, and bubbly champagne.

Kara had no idea where her benefactor had found the loose change to fund all of this on the fly, but she did not intend to complain even a little bit, not when the whole thing felt so immensely surreal and amazing. She wouldn’t be looking this gift horse in the mouth. For once, she would do exactly as Lucy had said and enjoy herself.

“I was just checking,” Kara said a little sheepishly, letting herself get pulled over to a table where Lucy had been busy pulling glasses out of boxes and placing them artfully down on the crisp, white table cloth. “I want everything to be perfect.”

“And it will be, but you look like your head is about to explode from the nerves.” Lucy stood by the table, poised to hand Kara a box of glasses, before hesitating, and obviously thinking better of it. After all, it might not be the wisest choice to hand fragile, easily breakable objects to an anxious Kryptonian. “You know what, why don’t you put away these boxes I’ve already emptied?”

Sighing a little, Kara crouched down and made to grab five of the empty crates at once, when Lucy sent her a  _ look _ .

“Oh, right,” Kara said, straightening up and curling her hands around one of the boxes instead. In her anxiety and worry, she’d nearly forgotten that regular humans probably couldn’t pick up five heavy crates, unless they were on steroids or something equally unhealthy. “Thanks.”

Lucy winked.

“Best sidekick ever; don’t you forget it,” she said, grinning as she continued to set glasses onto the table in front of her. “We can get through this together. Once the party is in full swing, you won’t have to worry about any of this.  You’ll just be out there, mingling, and making contacts with people. Promise me you won’t worry about whether or not the catering is going well.”

“I promise,” Kara said, smiling at her friend and walking briskly over to the back room where Siobhan sometimes let artists work on new projects. Whenever they needed a place that was quiet and away from any sort of distraction, Siobhan was always ready to help. Since Kara lived alone and had full control over her super hearing, she’d never needed to take her up on her offer.

The vernissage was set to start in an hour, and Alex had promised that she’d be there a little earlier to act as moral support, and to help out with anything else that would still need to be done. She’d offered to come by even before then, but Kara had turned her down. Considering that there were already plenty of people working at the gallery, mostly hired hands that Siobhan had organized to help out with the event, Kara had told her to stay home until later.

And besides, Kara hadn’t wanted Alex to see her act like a complete wreck for five hours straight.

She knew it was stupid, because Alex was great, and she would most likely have been a comfort to Kara, keeping her calm with her soothing hands and warm voice, but  _ still _ . What they had was fresh and new, and Kara wanted to stay in that romantic bubble for just a little bit longer, without the added stress of her job coming in between them.

When she returned from the back room, Kara realized just how stupid and short-sighted her decision had been.

Alex Danvers was standing next to Lucy, handing her glasses from one of the final boxes, looking every bit as handsome and beautiful as she always did. Only, of course, she’d clothed herself in fancy evening wear, something which Kara hadn’t seen on her before.

Eyes sliding up Alex’s form slowly, the first thing Kara noticed was that Alex wasn’t wearing her old, beat-up boots. Instead, expensive-looking, black dress shoes adorned her feet, a gorgeous men’s cut with clearly defined edges. Gulping, Kara took in the tailored, black suit pants, showing off Alex’s toned legs, and the clean-cut, white shirt, with its sleeves rolled pristinely up to her elbows. Even more offensively, Alex was wearing black suspenders, and a  _ tie _ , the color of which matched flecks of burgundy in the tattoo on her forearm.

The smile on her face as she talked to Lucy, while taking in the gallery around her, was the most beautiful thing about her, the dimples in her cheeks making Kara feel weak in the knees.

She was gorgeous. Magnificent. Perfect.

And she was all Kara’s.

Their eyes met when Alex shook a lock of hair out of her face, and Kara knew she’d been caught staring.

“Hey,” Alex called out, a gentle smirk playing along her lips as she abandoned Lucy and walked over to Kara, body moving flawlessly in her tailored clothing. “Lucy said you’d be right out, that’s why I didn’t come and find you.”

Feeling sorely underdressed in her pre-vernissage clothes (jeans and a button-up), Kara pushed up her glasses and smiled shyly at Alex, amazed that she’d managed to land one of the most gorgeous, funny, and kind people in all of National City.

“Hi,” Kara breathed, still feeling slightly unable to articulate what she was feeling in this moment, how overwhelmed she was at the sight of Alex looking so wonderful. “You… you—wow.”

Alex grinned, stopping in front of her and leaning in for a kiss on the cheek, her lips skimming the edge of Kara’s slightly trembling mouth, causing a fire to erupt in Kara’s chest. Kara had been in love before, or so she’d thought, but she was pretty sure she’d never felt quite like  _ this _ .

“I clean up pretty nicely, right?” Alex joked, turning on the spot to show off her clothes. “Selina dragged me to a tailor. I picked out the tie myself, though.” She looked immensely pleased with herself, smoothing down her tie with both hands.

“I, yeah, you, wow, like I said… yeah,” Kara stammered, hand shaking as she reached out to touch the soft material of Alex’s white shirt, unsure where to put her fingers. Finally, she settled for gently caressing Alex’s shoulder and collarbone.

Smiling from ear to ear, Alex placed her hands on Kara’s hips and pulled her a little closer, Kara’s hands settling more securely on the detective’s firmly muscled shoulders. Their thighs almost pressed against one another, and Kara caught a waft of Alex’s perfume, mixed with her clean sweat. The cocktail of scents was intoxicating, seemingly bewitching her with its fine notes of citrus and gun oil. They were standing very close together now, but Kara couldn’t pay attention to the people who were no doubt watching them.

She had eyes for no one but Alex.

“How about a private tour of your works before anyone more important to your career gets here?” Alex whispered gently, fingers digging into the fabric of Kara’s rose colored button-up. “We never got around to looking at your art up close and personal.”

For obvious reasons, Kara thought. Reasons that didn’t need to be brought up again. At least not tonight.

The urge to lean in and kiss Alex, just once, was nearly overwhelming. As her eyes flit down to that sinful mouth, everything else vanished from her mind. Gone was the worry about the hero-menace movement, about the possibility of a public shooting, the worry about whether or not J’onn was going to be alright working against it all without her back-up.

Kara might have leaned in, perhaps, to finally seal that torturous deal she’d been denying herself ever since Alex had come back into her life two weeks ago, if it hadn’t been for the fact that they were surrounded by so many people. They were in a public place, and while Kara might not have minded it at any other time, this would be their first kiss after it had all fallen to pieces. She didn’t want to worry about who could possibly be watching them, not for this.

Their faces hovered close together, lips almost touching.

“Kara?” Alex asked quietly, skirting her lips over Kara’s cheek again, barely touching. “Are you in there?” There was a smile in her voice, and it was like she knew exactly what Kara was thinking about. Her nose brushed gently against Kara’s, nudging her. “Earth to Kara, can I do anything to get you out of there? Do you need me to get some smelling salts for you?”

Gently, Kara slapped the palm of her right hand against Alex’s shoulder, squeezed it, and grinned, pulling out of the embrace and catching one of Alex’s hands. She was  _ ridiculous _ ; Alex Danvers was a ridiculous person, and Kara enjoyed every second of her antics.

“Come on, let’s go look at my stuff,” Kara said, dragging Alex along with her by the hand, the smile stretching across her face. She’d been right about her earlier assessment. Having Alex here was an immense comfort, and she wished she’d seen yesterday that refusing Alex’s help would turn out to be a huge mistake. She could’ve been admiring her almost-girlfriend for  _ hours _ .

She would not make that same mistake again.

-

About an hour before she was set to see Kara at the venue, Alex was standing in front of the mirror in her bedroom, buttoning her newly tailored white shirt with trembling fingers. She wasn’t nervous, or so she’d been telling herself over and over, to be meeting Kara’s colleagues and certainly some of her friends at the opening. She needed to make a good first impression, and she’d been glad for Selina dragging her to a tailor on Thursday morning.

“You’re shaking like a leaf, baby,” Selina said, walking up behind Alex and winding her arms around her waist, reaching around her and doing up the final few buttons without much fanfare or struggle. As an added bonus that Alex hadn’t asked for, she smoothed her hands along Alex’s abdominal muscles and purred with obvious pleasure. “I do hope you’ll let Kara feel these puppies soon, Supercop, so I can talk to her about them. Let your abs bring us together.”

Ignoring her completely, Alex stepped out of the embrace and into her black suit pants.

“Tonight needs to be perfect,” she said, doing up the zipper and button and sliding on her suspenders. “Do you have any tips for being the perfect arm candy?” She looked at herself in the mirror again and pulled on her collar, smoothing it into a perfectly straight position.

“Don’t ask me, Supercop, I’m never the candy,” Selina said, eyeing Alex’s ass without shame.

“Whatever,” Alex said, slinging the tie around her throat, trying to tie it without success. “Just tell me if anyone important is going to show up that I need to know about.” Her hands were sweaty, and they kept messing up the simple knot she was going for.

“And why, pray tell, are you asking  _ me _ who will be attending  _ your _ girlfriend’s vernissage?” Selina asked, rolling her eyes, obviously taking pity on Alex. Swiftly, she stood in front of her, fingers prying the burgundy fabric of the loose tie from Alex’s reluctant hands.

“Because I know you,” Alex said, admitting to herself that she was too nervous to tie the damn thing herself, and that there was nothing to be ashamed about, even if she felt a bit like a five-year old with Selina doing it for her. “Don’t tell me you haven’t had a look at the guest list. I don’t even care how you got your hands on it, just tell me if there will be any minefields I’ll need to avoid.” After another moment, she added just one more thing. “And Kara isn’t my girlfriend. Not officially, anyway, not yet.”

Tie perfectly knotted, Selina accepted the tiepin Alex was holding out to her and fastened it quickly, nails careful not to leave any indents as she smoothed her fingers along Alex’s sides and pulled her close, pressing a kiss against Alex’s cheek, then her lips.

Outwardly annoyed but inwardly relieved at the familiar gesture, Alex pulled her face away and scowled.

“Well?” She asked again, pulling Selina’s wandering hands away from her waist and stepping over into the bathroom to apply a light coat of make-up and some mascara. “Don’t leave me hanging here, Selina. I need to know.”

“I didn’t steal the guest list to your not-girlfriend’s vernissage, Alexandra,” Selina retorted, following her into the bathroom and looking down at her nails innocently, sitting down on the edge of the bathtub, watching Alex prepare. “But if I  _ had _ , I could probably tell you that you’ll be just fine, and that  _ almost _ no one will be at the art gallery that you wouldn’t expect.”

Alex wondered why her friend was being so vague, and she eyed her with suspicion, brows furrowed a little as she watched Selina in the mirror.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Alex asked, recapping and putting down the mascara.

“Nothing,” Selina responded, getting to her feet and leaning against the bathroom counter, studying Alex’s gaze, her furrowed brows, her pursed lips. Then, shoulders slumping a little, Selina reached out with one hand, clasping Alex’s fingers in a gentle grasp. “A ton of people were invited, so you might not even see her, but… Dr. Zhou was on the list, too.” Her eyes held no pity, only concern. “I was going to tell you anyway, but now that you’re asking about it,” she shrugged, “figured you might like to know.”

Nodding gently, Alex sighed and squeezed Selina’s fingers. She had a pretty good idea that Selina had snagged the list of invitees for exactly this reason. Since she wasn’t going herself, her only interest had likely been in sparing Alex any kind of pain. And if she couldn’t do that, then she’d probably sought to minimize any kind of discomfort, however much she could.

“Thanks,” Alex said, chest feeling uncomfortably tight with emotion.

“Shut up,” Selina retorted, failing to hide her grin. “I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. You haven’t exactly been very forthcoming about your visit to the good doctor.” Again, there was no pity and no scorn, only concern, so achingly gentle it made Alex look away from her friend. “I was waiting for the right moment to mention it, I guess.” Sliding forward, she kissed Alex’s cheek once more. “Thanks for giving me that moment. Made it a whole lot easier.”

Alex knew Selina was trying to play off the severity of the fact that Alex was going to therapy, to appear as non-threatening as possible, trying not to seem like she was pressuring Alex into anything. It was sweet, and Alex had to admit that the approach was working. The levity Selina brought to their conversations about her problem, sometimes forcefully, had made the whole thing much easier.

Now if only Alex could find a way to talk to Kara about it.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Alex asked, leaving the bathroom to put on her shoes and slide on her black suit jacket. Selina’s eyes hadn’t grown misty, but they’d zeroed in on Alex like two laser beams, as though they were perceiving something that Alex herself could not see.

“I’m just happy,” Selina said, following Alex and smoothing her hands over her shoulders, grinning at her and winking. “My handsome, little Supercop.” Her words hinted at a teasing undertone, though not enough to make her sound insincere. “All grown up.” Her joy was so earnest, Alex was barely able to look at her. “Go out there and make me proud. Knock Kara’s socks off.”

Another small, feather light kiss was pressed against Alex’s lips.

Selina seemed quite satisfied with her little pep-talk, especially with the humorous note she’d given it. As she made her way over to the couch, she clapped Alex’s butt once, before kneeling down to lavish some love on Trish, who was sleeping peacefully on her black kitty blanket. Grinning, Selina picked her up and pressed a gentle kiss against the small ears, Trish mewling only a little in protest at being disturbed.

Shaking her head, Alex walked over to the kitchen, where she’d left her new shoes, and slipped them on with ease, sitting down on one of the chairs. Her conversation with Selina had calmed her down somewhat, even if the prospect of seeing her psychologist at the gallery was more daunting than she was willing to admit. Even to herself.

At least her hands weren’t shaking anymore, leaving her quite capable of tying her own shoes.

It was most definitely a coincidence that someone on Kara’s team had decided to invite Dr. Zhou. She seemed like the type of woman who enjoyed art, especially considering that Alex had spotted an impressive number of paintings in her office and waiting area. Maybe the next time Alex was there, she was going to check and see if any of the works had been painted by a certain CatCo Coffee barista.

Indigo could probably tell her in a heartbeat.

While she had been waiting, Alex had chatted with the kind blonde woman for a while, feeling too nervous to sit down. Instead, she’d wandered around the room, staring at the different artworks strewn over the white walls, and striking up a conversation with Indigo about how Hank had helped her not only with that virus she’d mentioned, but also with her job as a secretary for Dr. Zhou.

To Alex, Indigo had seemed fiercely intelligent, and it was clear that she and Dr. Zhou worked closely together and respected one another. It was also quite obvious that things worked so smoothly for Alex’s psychologist because of Indigo’s brainpower, intellect, and hard work. It was a refreshing sight to see someone so happy with the career they’d chosen.

Ripping her mind back to the present, Alex rose from her chair and slipped on her suit jacket, turning around to pour herself one final glass of water. It was like her mother’s voice had suddenly manifested in her mind, telling her to stay hydrated and to take care of herself. The thought made her smile, and Alex vowed to herself that she would text her mother later, just to say hi, to let her know that she was okay.

After drinking the water, she set the glass down on her kitchen sink and took a deep breath.

She needed to go soon. It was already half past six and she’d told Kara she would be there by seven, which meant she was going to have to leave in roughly ten to fifteen minutes. She was always just a little bit anxious about being somewhere on time, something which Selina never let her forget or live down.

“Oh, hey, Supercop, could you turn around for just a second?” Selina asked suddenly, her voice penetrating the quiet murmuring of the television and Trish’s loud purring, reminding Alex that someone else was in the room with her. Sometimes she forgot that Selina was there when her mind drifted off.

“What do you want now?” Alex asked, turning on her heels and looking over to Selina with raised eyebrows, surprised when her eyes were suddenly assaulted by a bright light. It took her a second to realize it was the flash of Selina’s smartphone.

Selina sniggered.

“You look so cute when you’re confused,” she mused as her fingers flew over her phone, Trish’s nose pressed closely to the screen, sniffing it. Alex’s kitten had always had a fascination with phones. “Especially all done up like that.”

Frowning, Alex stalked over to check out the picture on the screen, too, but Selina quickly stuffed her phone into her bra and sent Alex a challenging look. Like she was daring Alex to make a grab for her breast.

Not likely to happen in this lifetime.

“Who did you send that to?” Alex asked, her voice taking on that annoyed tone it always got when her three friends started acting up. Though, if she was honest with herself, she was already pretty sure she knew  _ exactly _ which two people had just received a picture of her in the new suit.

Selina only grinned, but Alex didn’t have to wait long for her question to be answered, as her phone started to issue noises from her pocket. This only seemed to please Selina more, and she pulled her own phone from her bra again to check on the messages she’d no doubt been sent as well.

Sighing, Alex unlocked her screen and stared down at the three new messages that had just been posted to one of her group chats.

> [Harley’s Quinning]: Looking hawt, Supercawp! 10/10.  _ Sent 06:33pm. _
> 
> [Flower Power Pam]: You look so handsome, sweetie! ♥.  _ Sent 06:33pm _ .
> 
> [Harley’s Quinning]: You r officially invited to our next threesome.  _ Sent 06:33pm _ .

Consciously lowering the corners of her mouth even further, Alex glared at Selina, before staring down at her phone again, where a voice message had just popped up from Harley. Reluctantly, with fear in her heart, Alex pressed the play button, relieved to hear the message only contained a bunch of whistling and exaggerated kissing noises.

“We love you,” Selina trilled, grinning mockingly.

“That’s what worries me,” Alex muttered to herself, rolling her eyes and battling a smile as she caught Selina’s satisfied gaze. Contemplating her next move for a second, Alex handed over the phone to her friend. “If you’re so eager to play photographer, you can take a proper picture for my mom.”

Alex looked away, trying to hold on to her composure, as she saw Selina’s mocking grin change into a genuine smile. More than anything else, Selina approved of Alex being a good daughter, because she loved Alex and Eliza, and wanted them both to get along and be happy.

“Alright, baby, now stand still. And work those muscles for your mom and me,” Selina said, raising one eyebrow, grin firmly back on her face.

Alex sighed.

Selina would never change.

Though, if she was truly honest with herself, it wasn’t like Alex actually  _ wanted _ her to. Her friend was wonderful just the way she was, with all her quirks and faults.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Alex smiled for the camera.

-

They were all watching Alex walk around the room, a heavy crate clutched in both hands.

Kara, Lucy, and Siobhan were standing in one corner, talking about which potential donors and influential people they wanted to chat up tonight. Or, at least, that was what they all  _ had _ been doing, up until Alex had started lifting heavy crates and chatting amicably to some of the hired hands Siobhan had drummed up for the vernissage.

She looked beautiful and delicious as she smiled at the other people in the room, occasionally using her right hand to balance the crate against her thigh and abdominal muscles while she talked to some of them. So far, Kara had managed to refrain from drooling, but she was fighting a losing battle. She hadn’t missed, however, how Alex favored her left side, obviously due to the partly healed bullet wound in her bicep, and how she stretched out her left hand for any and all handshakes while holding the crate with the other.

Kara would have been worried, but she trusted Alex to know where her limits were.

“If I weren’t morally obligated to hate her guts, I would do her right here and now,” Lucy admitted, shaking her head in disbelief as Alex’s cheeks dimpled and she swiped a free hand through her hair, while the person she was talking to gestured to one of the many paintings Kara had provided.

Arms crossed over her chest, eyes glued to Alex’s form, Kara didn’t have it in her to reprimand Lucy for her crass words, or to feel even a hint of jealousy. She knew exactly what her best friend was talking about, and she was still having trouble getting it into her head that Alex wanted  _ her _ .

**_Her_ ** .

Kara Kent.

For once, Kara’s mind didn’t gravitate to her feelings of inadequacy and being second best next to her perfect cousin. For once, all Kara could see was the fact that she was here, living her big break in the art industry, and staring at the amazing woman she was dating.

Siobhan was staring, too, her eyes taking in the clear outlines of Alex’s bicep muscles.

“Same, Luce, same,” she agreed, lifting her right hand for Lucy to high five, before holding it out to Kara, who didn’t even hesitate to return the gesture. “You are one lucky fucker, Kent. Props to you for bagging that beefcake. When’s the wedding?”

Her whole attention focused on Alex’s smile and strong back, Kara barely even blushed at Siobhan’s question. She had no idea if Siobhan knew that Alex and her had moved past a falling out because of the whole misjudged cheating affair, and she briefly wondered if her friend would have said this to her if she knew. Kara certainly hadn’t told her, but Lucy could have.

Regardless, it was nice for her friends to be supportive… in their own, strange ways, at least.

“I’m working on it,” Kara finally said, heart beating fast at the thought of  _ marrying _ Alexandra Danvers. It was too soon to even so much as  _ entertain _ the idea, and yet… the thought of actually  _ being _ Mrs. Alex Danvers…

“As much as I love staring at those glutes, what you need to be working on right now is your outfit, Kara,” Lucy said, cutting right through Kara’s fantasies of Mrs. Alex Kent and reminding her of the fact that she was supposed to be ready to welcome people to her vernissage in about fifteen minutes. And she couldn’t do that in jeans and a pink button-up.

“Right,” Kara said, nodding to her friends, “I’ll be back in just a second.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep an eye on your girlfriend,” Siobhan supplied, not bothering to take her gaze off Alex’s body. “Maybe even two eyes.” She fanned herself a little, giving Kara a little smirk and a lifted eyebrow. “I feel like I could get pregnant just  _ looking _ at those legs.”

The expression she was sporting was a little predatory, and Kara would have been worried if Siobhan’s attention had been focused on anyone  _ but _ Alex. Now that Kara had met  _ Selina Kyle _ , Alex’s best friend and the literal personification of sex appeal, she was pretty darn sure that her detective wasn’t going to stray. If Selina couldn’t pull Alex’s attention away from Kara, then Siobhan wasn’t very likely to make a dent. Not that Siobhan was any less attractive, but there was simply nothing that could top what Kara had already seen in Alex’s apartment.

That didn’t mean Kara felt completely comfortable with the fact that Selina was still living with Alex. She worried constantly that Alex would realize she’d made a big mistake and would choose someone else instead.

But Kara had been working hard on squashing those feelings.

All it would take was  _ time _ , she was sure of it.

With that thought in mind, Kara squeezed Lucy’s arm, gave her a small smile, and vanished into the back room to change into her evening outfit. She just hoped Alex would be just as into  _ her _ clothes as Kara had been into Alex’s.

-

“What’s your secret?” Lucy asked, arms crossed over her chest and staring at Alex, who had finally set down that ridiculously heavy crate she’d been carrying around for the last ten minutes. Her left arm hurt just a little too much to be considered funny. “You’ve obviously been blessed with good genes, but all the other things… Those have got to come from somewhere.”

Alex hadn’t been carrying that crate around for  _ fun _ . Actually, she’d been planning on moving it straight over into the corner and putting it down as soon as possible. But then… well, she’d noticed Kara’s eyes on her, watching her.  _ Staring _ .

And so, maybe, just maybe, she’d wanted to put on a little show, draw attention to some of her better qualities. Like the muscles she’d worked so hard for, sweating at the gym and with the weights she kept at home. And she wanted to display the way her tailored outfit clung to her, perfectly outlining certain attributes of her physique.

The fact that Kara hadn’t been the only one watching was immaterial. She didn’t care if she seemed desirable to anybody else. In this regard at least, Kara was the only person who mattered, and she had been more than a little gratified to see that her plan had worked.

“I work out a lot, if that’s what you’re referring to,” Alex replied, rubbing her hands free from any residual dust and dirt. She shrugged a little, looking at Lucy and wondering what her aim was. The woman hadn’t paid her a compliment since she’d seen Alex kiss a woman who wasn’t Kara. “I was born with the rest, I guess.”

“You certainly look like you were born in that suit,” Lucy muttered, shaking her head and placing a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Look, I know I’ve been giving you a hard time recently, for perfectly justified reasons, but I hope you know that I’m only doing that for Kara’s sake. You seemed like a decent sort before you basically tongue-fucked your friend in front of CatCo’s.”

A muscle twitched in Alex’s jaw.

“Is this supposed to be an apology?” She asked, raising one eyebrow and stuffing her hands into her front pockets. “Because, no offense or anything, but you don’t seem to be very good at it. Who uses the word  _ tongue-fuck _ in an apology?”

Lucy’s lips seemed dangerously close to  _ smiling _ .

“I’m not apologizing. Like I said, my reasons are perfectly justified. You  _ did _ cause Kara weeks of unnecessary pain, whether you meant to or not,” Lucy said, figuratively stabbing her finger directly into one of Alex’s many open wounds. “All I’m saying is:  _ Don’t mess it up again _ . Alright?”

“Trust me, I’m not planning on it. But if I do fuck it up somehow, I give you permission to come to my apartment and kick my ass,” Alex said, voice deadpan, but no less serious for it. “I don’t ever want to hurt Kara like that again, I hope you can believe that.”

Eyeing her for a few seconds, Lucy nodded to herself, apparently deciding that Alex was being earnest, and pulled her fingers back from Alex’s shoulder, smoothing down her own champagne-colored dress with both hands.

“Alright then, that’s good enough for me. Kara really likes you, and if you pull anything like that again, I  _ will _ break both of your legs, whether you give me your permission or not.” Lucy wasn’t even looking at Alex as she said this, and her body conveyed a sort of casual quality, but Alex wasn’t fooled for even a second.

Lucy Lane was  _ serious _ about this threat.

Alex was a seasoned police detective, who had been on the force for over six years. In her line of work, she had been privy to plenty of dangerous and terrifying situations. She had witnessed murders, incessantly bleeding gunshot wounds, exploding body parts, and all manner of other unbelievably gory things. She had survived a multitude of real-life nightmares.

And yet, in this moment, Alex was sure she had never been more terrified than of Kara’s tiny, five foot two best friend

“Understood,” Alex said, forcing her face to remain as neutral as it had been before.

“Great,” Lucy said, patting Alex’s arm. “I’ll still call you names, though. Don’t expect me to be nice to you just because we had this conversation. For what you and your friend put her through, it’s going to be a long time before I start warming up to you again.”

Alex had been on the verge of responding with the standard ‘ _ wouldn’t expect anything less _ ’, her mouth already open, when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Someone was coming up to them, and as Alex turned her head, the breath froze in her lungs and her heart seemed to skip several beats.

Walking towards them was  _ Kara _ , but she’d changed out of her casual jeans and button-up. Alex swallowed hard as she took in Kara’s new outfit, starting with the black high heels that made Kara even taller than she already was. A goddess towering over them all.

She was wearing something that vaguely reminded Alex of a suit, especially the gorgeous black pants encasing Kara’s amazing legs. But the top half of the outfit consisted of a black vest that left Kara’s muscular arms bare under the bright lights of the gallery. The front of the vest was open down to the middle of Kara’s chest, revealing a decent amount of cleavage that Alex barely dared to linger on with her eyes.

Kara’s hair flowed openly around her face, and she brushed it aside as she halted in front of Alex, turning a little on the spot to show off her suit. All of Wednesday, they had been going through dress after dress after dress, when all along they should have been looking at outfits like  _ this _ .

Mouth hanging open slightly, Alex was unable to locate her head’s higher brain function.

“You look  _ amazing _ , Kara,” Lucy said, pulling Kara into a hug and squeezing her tightly. “I’m so glad we went back on Thursday and had another look.” She patted Kara’s naked arms and smiled at her, before both of them turned towards Alex, who found herself unable to speak.

“What do you think?” Kara asked, grinning as she slipped her hand into Alex’s and intertwined their fingers.

Alex had absolutely no idea what to say. She was pretty sure she had never seen another person look this beautiful in her entire life. Her mouth felt dry, her hands were sweaty, and her heart was beating a mile a minute in her chest.

In a fit of Kara-induced insanity, Alex leaned up on her tip toes, one hand curled against Kara’s chin, and pressed her lips to the corner of Kara’s mouth. Her whole body seemed to come alive with electricity as she felt Kara’s free hand wrap gently around her naked forearm.

“You’re—perfect,” Alex whispered, voice a little stilted.

When she pulled back, Kara was staring at her, eyes half-lidded and mouth softly parted. She was gorgeous and wonderful, and Alex wanted to kiss her, wanted to kiss her over and over again until they were both out of breath and couldn’t speak their own names. Wanted to hold Kara and be close to her; run her hands through those long, blonde tresses.

Unbidden, the image of Kara, sprawled out underneath Alex’s body, came to the forefront of her mind. Kara, with her hands tangled in Alex’s shirt, staring up at her with that look of wonder, as Alex made love to her.

“Thank you,” Kara husked, smile a little tremulous as she squeezed Alex’s hand. “I’m glad you like it.”

_ Like _ was a bit of an understatement, but Alex still wasn’t used to how radiant Kara looked in her beautiful suit, so she didn’t try to correct her words. Considering how her brain didn’t seem to be working right now, she probably would have stuttered her way through the explanation anyway, trying to convey just  _ how much _ she  _ loved _ Kara’s outfit.

“Okay, we have about seven minutes left,” Lucy said, a strange expression on her face as she looked back and forth between Alex and Kara, like she’d just had a realization and wasn’t quite ready to accept the consequences. Then, just as quickly, she shifted back into her professional manager mode. “You two should move over to the entrance, so you can start greeting people as soon as we open the doors.”

When they started walking, their hands clasped firmly together in between their bodies, Alex looked back for a moment, distracted from Kara’s beauty by the look she’d seen on Lucy’s face. It worried her, but she didn’t think it actually had anything to do with Kara and her, not directly. It seemed more like seeing them together, seeing them be  _ happy _ , had triggered a reaction in Lucy.

“Do you think she’s okay?” Alex asked, as soon as they were out of earshot and making their way over to the closed double doors of the gallery.

Kara chanced a glance back as well, worry furrowing her brows as she studied her best friend.

“I hope so,” she said, walking a little closer to Alex so their shoulders brushed against one another. “She’s fighting with her sister about her and James’s marriage right now. It’s not pretty. I hope they’ll try to get along tonight. I don’t want Lucy to get hurt again.”

Nodding a little, it took Alex a second to realize what Kara’s words were implying.

“Lucy’s sister is going to be here tonight? The sister who’s dating your cousin?” She couldn’t believe the thought hadn’t occurred to her. Of course Kara’s family would be here, considering how important this night was for her career. Why the fuck hadn’t Selina mentioned anything to her about it?

“That’s the one,” Kara confirmed, both her and Alex coming to a halt next to the doors, where they would be front and center to greet any and all guests. At least for a while. “I hope Clark will find the time to come, too. He’s always been a calming influence on Lois. I just, I don’t want them to fight all the time. I wish they could get along a little better.”

Now there was no use pretending anymore; Alex was  _ nervous _ . Not only was she about to meet Lois Lane, Lucy’s fierce and protective older sister, a  _ Daily Planet _ legend, she was also most likely about to meet  _ Clark Kent _ , Kara’s loving and supportive cousin. Two people who mattered immensely in Kara’s life and who probably knew all about Alex’s blunder in front of CatCo’s.

What if they hated her? What if they wanted her and Kara to break ties before they could even establish where they truly stood with one another? What if they pulled Alex aside and murdered her in the alley next to  _ The Silver Banshee _ ? The possibilities for disaster were  _ endless _ . What if Alex said something rude, or unfunny, or  _ offensive _ ?

She hoped Kara couldn’t feel how quickly her heart was beating, but if the surprised look Kara gave her was any indication, that dream was rapidly disintegrating. Especially considering Alex’s hands had just started emitting  _ sweat _ . So much sweat.

“Didn’t your cousin tell you if he was coming?” Alex asked, trying desperately to distract Kara from posing any questions about why Alex had suddenly switched from perfectly relaxed to immensely on edge.

Thankfully, Kara seemed willing to let the issue go.

“He said he’d try to be here, but he has a busy schedule at the  _ Planet _ , so he might get called away on business before he can fly over… On a plane.” There was a small hitch to Kara’s words, just the tiniest pause in between, but Alex couldn’t dwell on this right now. Not when she was so afraid she’d make a fool of herself in front of Kara’s family.

“I can’t wait for you to meet my aunt and uncle,” Kara mentioned casually, apparently unaware what this short sentence had just done to the blood in Alex’s entire body. It felt like she was frozen, staring at the side of Kara’s face as she processed yet another new piece of information. “They’re going to love you.”

Squeezing Alex’s fingers, Kara leaned her cheek against the top of Alex’s head for a second.

“I called them last week to confirm their attendance, and Martha said she’s very excited to finally meet you. Even when, you know, you and I weren’t talking, I talked about you a lot.” Her heart beating out of rhythm, Alex felt a kiss being bestowed upon her hair.

Lois Lane, Clark Kent, and now the people who had taken Kara in after her parents had died, who had  _ raised _ her; people whom Kara loved more than any other in the universe. Of course they were going to travel here from Kansas to be with Kara. Of course they were. She was an  _ idiot _ .

“That’s… nice,” Alex said, trying in vain to find herself among all of her anxiety. “I didn’t know they would be here, but, yeah, that—that sounds great.” She wasn’t looking at Kara now. Instead, she was desperately hoping to stop her heart from jumping out of her mouth and running for the hills.

“Oh no,” Kara said, her squeezing of Alex’s hand temporarily becoming a little painful, “did I forget to tell you?” She made a noise that sounded unmistakably like a swearword, though it wasn’t in any language Alex knew how to speak. “I am  _ so _ sorry, I thought I’d mentioned that they were coming over here for the weekend.”

“It’s fine,” Alex replied, hoping Kara would stop trying to squash her hand.

“No, no, it’s not fine. I didn’t even ask you if you were ready to meet them. I swear I meant to, there’s just been so much to do, and—oh, Alex, I’m so sorry.” When it felt like Kara would break her fingers if she didn’t disentangle them, Alex tried to wiggle them free, relieved to feel Kara loosen her grip and let go immediately.

Shaking out the smarting joints of her right hand, Alex gave Kara a reassuring look. Despite her own nerves, she didn’t want Kara to feel bad on her big night. Alex was an adult, she could handle herself in situations involving parents, even though she hadn’t met anyone’s parents since high school. Her time at the academy and Gotham PD had mostly involved one night stands, before she’d started using sex as a way to forget during her year away.

“Kara, trust me, it’s okay,” Alex insisted, wincing a little when Kara cradled the painfully twitching hand in both of her own and blew on it. Her breath felt unnaturally cold, which did wonders for Alex’s pain levels. “I know how busy you’ve been. I’m sure your family is great.”

“They’ll love you,” Kara repeated, pressing a kiss against Alex’s cheek and gently entangling their fingers again, palm against palm, Kara’s thumb stroking over the back of Alex’s hand. “I promise, you have no reason to be worried.”

“Who said anything about being worried?” Alex asked, desperately seeking to hide how much she hoped Kara’s words were true.

Smiling a little, Kara pressed another soft kiss against Alex’s overheated face, this time against her temple, before looking down at her phone to check the time. Alex caught a glimpse of the display, seeing that it was seven fifty-eight and they were about to open the doors. Her body relaxed a little when she saw that Kara’s lock screen was a picture of her and Lucy at the beach, grinning into the camera.

“This is it,” Kara said, sliding her phone once more into her pocket and straightening her back, drawing herself up to her full height. She was beautiful, her face perfectly accentuated in the lights shining down on them from above. She would have been terrifying, if she didn’t look so adorably determined to do  _ well _ .

_ I adore you _ , Alex wanted to say.  _ I adore you, I adore you, I adore you _ .

But she didn’t, because in the next instant, Siobhan appeared at their sides, smiling at them both and waving over her assistant to open the front doors to  _ The Silver Banshee _ .

“Show time, kids. I hope you’re properly strapped in,” she said, looking every bit the successful gallery owner with her artfully coiffed brown hair and that long, bright red evening gown. She looked breathtaking, simply speaking, and once upon a time, before Alex had met Kara, she might have considered taking Siobhan home.

“Let’s do this,” Kara agreed, her eyes beginning to sparkle as the doors were pushed open and the first of the many guests yet to come spilled into the gallery.

Soon enough, Kara was shaking hands left and right, saying hello to people Alex had never seen, introducing Alex to everybody, thanking them all for attending. Some slipped through the cracks, of course, but Alex was amazed at the sheer number of people Siobhan seemed to have invited.

Alex had no point of reference for how happy Kara was feeling in this moment. She’d never been particularly interested in creating art herself. Art had always been fascinating, but she was content to consume it from the sidelines.

To be here, and to see Kara experience this appreciation for her work, was exhilarating.

It was almost enough to stop Alex from freezing up when Kara called out to her aunt and uncle.

Almost.

-

Kara nearly squealed when she saw Martha and Jonathan, and she just about managed to keep her yell of excitement on the inside. She was trying to be professional and serious tonight, to impress upon any potential buyers that she was here to do business, not just to show off to family and friends.

Having Alex by her side helped, especially when Alex reached over to place her hand on the small of Kara’s back. She reached out every time they were talking to a new guest and the handshakes had been dealt with. The warmth of that hand on her clothes kept her tethered to the floor, reminding her of where she was at all times, and kept her anchored to Alex’s side.

The night was going amazingly. Not only were the people nice and excited to be here, but the reaction her outfit had elicited from Alex was the cherry on top of the gigantic ice cream cake that Kara couldn’t wait to dig into. And the night had only just begun.

The fact that Lucy had seemed so dejected was troubling, and Kara knew she’d need to act soon to help her friend. She couldn’t bear to keep watching Lucy suffer under the weight of Lois’s harsh words and those feelings of guilt she kept bottled up inside. It wasn’t Kara’s place to tell Lucy what to do, but she could bring the parties involved into one room so they could at least have an opportunity to talk it out.

“Aunt Martha, Uncle Jonathan!” Kara called out, waving them over excitedly so they wouldn’t simply pass her and Alex by without noticing where they were standing. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She’d had dinner with them last night and breakfast with them this morning, so she’d seen plenty of her two favorite people, but having them here at her first big break was wonderful.

“Kara, hi,” Martha said, smiling as she leaned forward and wrapped Kara into a hug, squeezing her tightly. She was wearing a nice, rose-red pantsuit, which matched Jonathan’s tie. “This opening looks incredible, sweetie, we’re so proud of you.” Her smile was a little tremulous, and Kara felt overwhelmed with love for the woman who had taken it upon herself to raise yet another Kryptonian child that had fallen out of the sky.

Jonathan hugged her next, his broad frame wrapping itself completely around her, making her feel safe and relaxed. She clutched firmly at his back, careful not to break any bones or leave bruises again in her enthusiasm.

“Hey, kiddo,” Jonathan said, patting Kara on the back, before pulling away and wrapping an arm around Martha’s waist, unintentionally mimicking Alex’s and Kara’s pose. “All of this looks mighty fancy.” His eyes flit over to Alex, whose heart was beating quickly. Kara could clearly hear it pumping.

“This is Alex,” Kara said, wrapping both arms around Alex’s waist and pulling the detective’s stiff form forward a little, as Alex’s feet seemed to have gotten glued to the floor somehow. Alex was trembling a little.

Inwardly, Kara cursed herself that she’d forgotten to let Alex know that the Kents would be here as well. Meeting the family so soon after getting back together was more than likely daunting for Alex, especially considering how and why they’d split up over a month ago.

“Alex, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Kara has told us so much about you,” Martha said, stepping forward and smiling kindly, relaxing Kara somewhat into relinquishing the hold she had on Alex, so Martha could step in and give the detective a warm hug.

“Thank you, Mrs. Kent,” Alex said, voice sounding a little off, most likely roughened from the feeling of anxiety no doubt crawling up her throat. “It is very nice to meet you, too.” When Martha let her go, Jonathan stuck out his hand with a smile, and Alex returned both gestures tentatively. “Mr. Kent. Sir.”

“Alex,” Jonathan replied, both he and Alex nodding their hellos.

Kara kept waiting for her uncle to say ‘ _ just call me Jonathan’ _ , but he didn’t, which filled her with just a hint of apprehension. Her family loved her, of course, and she had expected them to be protective after what had taken place, but she had hoped they wouldn’t give Alex a hard time. She wondered now if that had been foolishly wishful thinking.

When Alex and Jonathan finally parted as well, Kara curled her arms around Alex’s right bicep and held her tightly, praying quietly to Rao that her uncle would get the message to  _ chill out _ a little on the stern, disapproving parent spiel.

To her great surprise, Jonathan made eye contact with her, and his face and body seemed to soften a little. His posture relaxed by the tiniest margin and he gave Alex a quick once over, before apparently deciding he would trust Kara’s instincts.

She’d told them both on the phone and during their dinner last night that she trusted Alex, and that the kiss she’d witnessed had been a misunderstanding. Jonathan had seemed skeptical, as he always did when someone was discovered to have wronged a member of his family. Unfortunately, he had a habit of keeping grudges.

In this instance, however, it seemed he was willing to let his grudge go in favor of making sure that Kara would have a nice, drama-free evening. It was a welcome gesture, though she was sure that, at some point, Alex would have to answer for her misstep.

“I’m very excited to see your new paintings in person, Kara,” Martha said, obviously trying to bring levity back to their conversation after Jonathan’s mildly frosty greeting. “I know you send us pictures of everything, but it’s just not the same.”

Kara smiled at her, grateful, and squeezed Alex’s arm to let her know that things would be okay.

“They’re truly breathtaking, Mrs. Kent,” Alex said, heart still beating a mile a minute. “Tonight is the first time I’ve seen any of them up close, too.” Her gaze swept over to Kara, admiration and awe clearly visible in those gorgeous, hazel eyes. “I think I might have to raid my bank account to buy one of them.”

Blushing, Kara smoothed her right hand along Alex’s shoulder and smiled shyly.

“You don’t have to buy one, Alex,” she said, fingers drawing Kryptonian words into the white fabric of Alex’s shirt and sliding under her right suspender. “If you want a painting from me, I can always just make you a new one.”

Immediately, ideas started shooting into Kara’s mind.

Which motif would she use for Alex’s canvas? Should she paint her a depiction of Krypton, or one of Earth? Unbidden, her mind conjured an image of her old bedroom on Krypton, of Alex and her standing with their backs to the observer, arms slung around one another as they watched Krypton’s red sun set over the horizon.

“I want to support you,” Alex said gently, pulling Kara’s mind away from Krypton and those beautiful red sunsets that could last for hours. “And I should buy one while I still can. As soon as you make it big after tonight, I’m not going to be able to afford one of your paintings on my cop’s salary.”

“Alex, I’m serious,” Kara said, feeling like she’d start floating any second if she wasn’t careful. “The fact that you’re here is support enough.” She barely managed to stop herself from writing the Kryptonian word for love into Alex’s shirt.

Alex’s mouth was already open to respond and defend her position, when Martha reached over and gently patted her left forearm, careful not to touch Alex’s bullet hole in her bicep.

“Don’t bother trying to change her mind, Alex,” she said, giving Kara a knowing look, which made Kara blush a little. “Kara wouldn’t even let us pay for that exorbitantly gigantic painting she made for our bedroom.” With another fond smile, Martha leaned over to whisper conspiratorially into Alex’s ear, though still loud enough for Kara and Jonathan to hear. “We had to bribe her with pie to let us help financially in any way during college after she moved away from the farm.”

“I didn’t want to be a burden,” Kara mumbled, putting on a bit of a show with an exaggerated pout. Her aunt was telling the truth, though. Due to her artistic promise and a few prizes she’d won during high school, she’d been given a full ride to Metropolis University. A development which took a lot of pressure off Jonathan and Martha.

The Kents had never been rich, and they were already barely scraping by without the added pressure of having to pay for Kara’s college tuition and housing. Despite the fun they were poking at Kara now, she hadn’t learned her propensity for stubbornness on Krypton. The Kent family had a long-standing tradition of refusing handouts.

It had always felt like a bit of an imposition to live on the Kent farm at all, ever since Clark had brought her to his parents. She’d never wanted to be a burden on them, and she’d worked her butt off on the farm to make sure her presence there served some kind of purpose beyond eating all of their food and taking up living space.

That was also the reason she’d only spent the first two years of her college experience still living on the Kent farm, super speeding back and forth between Smallville and Metropolis, before she’d started working at CatCo Metropolis so she could rent an apartment in the city.

On a purely logical level, Kara knew she wasn’t a burden to anybody, especially not to Martha and Jonathan, who loved her like their own, but there was always that tiny part in the back of her brain. Niggling. Blaming her for failing in her life’s mission. For allowing Kal to grow up without his older cousin.

“Honey, you could never be a burden,” Martha said firmly, holding eye contact with Kara to make sure she was being listened to, and Kara was taking in her words. They’d had various iterations of this very conversation many times before. “And if Alex wants to buy one of your paintings, then she is going to do just that.”

Feeling a little bashful at her aunt’s kind words, Kara was relieved when Siobhan gave her a signal to come over. She had obviously discovered someone she wanted Kara to meet. Probably a person who had slipped by while Kara and Alex had been busy greeting her aunt and uncle.

“I think I’m needed elsewhere,” Kara said, hand sliding down and grasping Alex’s fingers for a quick squeeze. “Can you show Martha and Jonathan around? Maybe you guys can get something to eat and drink and have a look at my new stuff?”

“Yeah, of course,” Alex said, looking like a deer caught in the headlights only for a second at the prospect of Kara leaving her alone, “go charm those important people.”

“Thanks,” Kara said, kissing Alex’s cheek and beaming at her, before turning towards her aunt and uncle. “I’ll find you guys later, alright? Lois should be here soon, and Lucy is running around here somewhere, too.”

“Go, go, show them what you’re made of,” Jonathan said, taking Martha’s hand and waving Kara away. “We’ll be fine with Alex. We’ve been looking forward to getting to know her a little better.” He was smiling, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes, which made Kara hesitate for a second.

“I think Siobhan is going to have an aneurysm if you don’t go over there,” Alex said, gently disentangling her fingers from Kara’s hand and pressing them against the small of Kara’s back. “Don’t let your adoring fans wait. We’ll be here when you get back.”

They were the exact words Kara needed to hear.

With an excited smile, she started towards Siobhan, faintly hearing Jonathan ask Alex about her bullet wound as they started walking in the direction of the drinks. Kara almost laughed. At least he wasn’t asking Alex about her  _ intentions _ .

-

“Kara, there you are,” Siobhan said, grinning at her with that perpetually arched eyebrow. “I want you to meet Jamie and her partner Joan.”

Only now that she’d joined her friend did Kara realize that Siobhan was standing next to the striking blonde woman she’d seen at the gallery two weeks ago. Kara's spine straightened up immediately, her whole body flooding with adrenaline.

“Hello,” the blonde said in an attractive British accent, stretching out her hand for Kara to shake. “Jamie King. It is so nice to finally speak face to face. Siobhan has told us so much about you.” She was wearing a dark blue dress, her hair perfectly styled and falling in curls around her face. “This is my partner, Joan Watson.”

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Joan said, shaking Kara’s hand as well. She was a beautiful Asian woman with long, black hair, freckles dusting the bridge of her nose and her high cheekbones. She was wearing a gorgeous black pantsuit with a frilled, white blouse.

“Trust me, the pleasure is all mine,” Kara said, already sounding dangerously close to gushing. “I can’t thank you enough for sponsoring this vernissage for me.” She grabbed Jamie’s hand once more, this time with both of her own, and shook it, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. “Thank you so much.”

A smirk came over Jamie’s face, but Kara didn’t get the feeling that she was being mocked.

“I always keep an eye out for potential new talent,” she said, curling one arm around Joan’s waist and grabbing a champagne glass from a nearby waiter after Kara dropped her hand. “And your portfolio here is really quite impressive, especially at your age. Siobhan has been telling us nothing but good things about you.”

Beaming, Kara turned towards Siobhan, who smirked, too, cradling her own glass of champagne in front of her body and winking at Kara.

“I didn’t have to make up too many lies,” she said, all of them laughing gently at her joke. “Now, let’s talk business.” She stepped closer to Kara and leveled Jamie with a calculating look. “I would hate for this night to be a one-time only arrangement.” She toasted her glass in Jamie’s direction. “We both know Kara is a star just waiting for her opportunity to rise and shine.”

“I do hope we’ll see much more from Ms. Kent in the future,” Jamie said, looking amused at Siobhan’s forwardness. “And I would be quite remiss if I didn’t keep my eye on her.” Her eyes shifted back over to Kara, who immediately felt like Jamie King knew much more about her than she was letting on. “Perhaps we can discuss a possible gallery opening in New York at some point?”

The thought of showing off her work across the country made Kara’s heart skip a beat, and her eyes immediately sought out Alex in the crowd, gratified when she caught her detective’s gaze with her own.

They both smiled.

-

Alex felt like she was closing in on a heart attack every time she said something to Jonathan and Martha. It was an excruciating feeling, being constantly on edge about making a good impression on her almost-girlfriend’s parental figures. Especially since she anticipated Jonathan pulling out a weapon at any second to ensure Alex would never hurt his little girl again.

After grabbing themselves something to drink, and engaging in a little small talk with Lucy at the bar, they’d made their way across the big, open area of the gallery, standing in front of Kara’s paintings and marveling at the attention to detail and Kara’s rich color palette.

“I love this one,” Martha gushed, staring at a painting of a vast ocean in front of a clear, red sky. The waves looked to be almost in motion, as though something might break out of them at any moment. Though Alex noted that there were no birds to be found anywhere.

“I myself am much more partial to the one over there,” a familiar voice spoke next to them, making Alex feel like her stomach had just dropped out of her body. “But I guess I’m what you would call a bona fide cat lady, so I might be a little biased.”

How she had managed to sneak inside without any of them noticing was beyond Alex, but that didn’t matter now.

Her movements a bit stilted, Alex laughed a little nervously, moved past the Kents and grabbed Selina by the arm, pulling her away from Kara’s mildly interested looking relatives. Tonight seemed to be full of surprises. Maybe now Selina could tell her why she had so casually  _ failed _ to mention that Kara’s aunt and uncle would be attending the vernissage.

Keeping a smile forcedly on her face, Alex made sure they were out of earshot before she spoke.

“What are you doing here?” She hissed quietly, sending a placating look at Mr. and Mrs. Kent.

Selina smirked.

She was wearing a long black dress with a golden-trimmed slit, showing off her left leg, which opened up the view to her matching shoes – high heels seemingly made of strips of cloth running all the way up to her knee. Her right hand and left forearm were adorned with golden jewelry. Her shoulders were bare, showing off her attractively muscled arms.

“Well, see, I was going to visit Officer Vasquez at their home, but they weren’t there,” she answered innocently, ignoring the tight grip Alex had on her arm. “And I was already made up to go to a fancy vernissage, so I figured… why not drop by? Say hi to my favorite Supercop and her girl.” She sniggered. “And her girl’s parents.”

“They’re her aunt and uncle,” Alex ground out through clenched teeth, still keeping the corners of her mouth purposefully up.

Alex knew the excuse about Vasquez was total bullshit, something for which she was actually vaguely grateful. She didn’t need her friend to get mixed up in Selina’s drama and sexual allures. Vasquez was too sweet to go morally bankrupt just because Selina had taken a shine to them.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, but they raised her, they may as well be her parents,” Selina said, smoothing her hand through her shiny black hair, making the unruly spikes even spikier. It seemed that she’d done some research on Kara, which wasn’t something Alex was too thrilled about. “So, are you going to introduce me? Your beautiful, second girlfriend?”

Snorting, Alex’s eyes flit through the crowd, looking for Kara and whether or not she’d noticed the unwanted intrusion, before her gaze landed on Lucy, who was staring at them with disbelief. Great, now Alex would have to deal with  _ that _ , too. Lucy probably thought Alex had invited Selina.

“If I hear you make even  _ one _ allusion to the horror fantasy in which we are more than friends, I will never speak to you again, you hear me?” Alex whispered quickly, as she watched Lucy make her way over from the bar, a glass of champagne clutched dangerously tightly in one hand. “I mean it, Selina, we  _ cannot _ fuck this up again.”

Looking appropriately chastised, Selina huffed a little and shrugged one shoulder.

“I was kidding. You know I’m all about that Kent charm,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Now stop stalling and introduce me to your in-laws. If we’re all going to be spending Thanksgiving together at some point, we might as well get the formalities out of the way.”

Alex wanted to protest, she really did, but before she could tell her friend to bugger off and go home, Lucy had joined them, sending a smile towards the Kents, who looked more interested the longer Alex stayed where she was.

“What the hell is she doing here?” Lucy hissed, hiding her glare behind a sip of champagne.

“She’s here to ruin my night,” Alex grumbled, sipping on her orange juice.

“ _ She _ is also standing right next to you,” Selina interjected, waving over a nearby waiter, winking at him, and grabbing a glass from his tablet. “And I’m not here to ruin anybody’s night.” Alex coughed in disbelief. “I’m here to support my new friend Kara.” She looked Lucy up and down, obviously liking what she saw. “And you are?”

Lucy ignored the hand that Selina was holding out to her.

“I’m the woman who’s going to beat you up if you make Kara sad again,” she said quietly, now also looking around the room. Alex suspected she too was worried about how Kara would react to seeing Selina here.

“Oh, you must be Lucy,” Selina purred, obviously intrigued by Lucy’s harsh words. She’d always loved to play dangerous games. “It is a true pleasure to meet you. Supercop has told me all about you and your protective nature. It’s very… attractive.”

Alex stared at her.

Lucy froze.

“No,” Alex said, forced smile temporarily turning into a stern glare.

“What?” Selina asked, looking mildly offended.

“You’re not going to sleep with Kara’s best friend,” Alex hissed, voice so quiet even Selina and Lucy almost couldn’t hear her. “So stop hitting on her, stop looking at her, just—she’s married.”

Pouting a little, Selina crossed her arms over her chest, half empty champagne flute held loosely between her fingers. Lucy still hadn’t regained her complete faculties at being so blatantly hit on by someone she likely considered to be her worst enemy.

Before any of them could say another word, Mr. and Mrs. Kent joined them, making Alex wish she’d somehow shackled Selina to the radiator in her bedroom before the vernissage, preferably after knocking her out with sleeping pills.

“We were planning on moving on to the next painting,” Jonathan said, smiling politely at Selina and holding out his hand. “I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Jonathan Kent. This is my wife Martha. Are you a friend of Kara’s as well?”

Cold sweat was gathering at the small of Alex’s back as Selina smiled at Kara’s uncle. For what it was worth, Lucy seemed to be just as stressed about the situation as Alex. She was fiddling with her now empty champagne glass, and the whole situation made for a rather strange sense of solidarity between them.

“Selina Kyle,” Selina said, shaking hands with Mr. Kent, then moving on to Mrs. Kent. “I’m actually friends with Alex, but I wanted to come by and support Kara. I’m also somewhat of an art enthusiast and collector.” She was smooth and elegant when she wanted to be, Alex had to give her that. “I was thinking of buying one or two of your niece’s works.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Martha said, smiling as she shook Selina’s hand. “Do you also run your own gallery?”

“No, I keep the works I acquire for my own private collection,” Selina replied, smile as friendly as Alex had ever seen it. Apparently Selina really was trying to make a good impression on Kara’s family. It reminded Alex of how Selina sometimes acted around Alex’s mom. She was still herself, of course, but a toned down version. One that was much easier to swallow. Less rough around the edges.

At once, Alex was glad Selina knew how to conduct herself in public when it truly mattered.

Together, the five of them moved on to the next painting, Lucy grabbing Alex’s right bicep and keeping her away from the others a little, staring at the back of Selina’s head, who was busy telling the Kents a story about the last vernissage she’d visited. The three of them laughed, and Lucy stared at Alex.

“Do you think we should try to make her go home?” Lucy asked quietly, whispering directly into Alex’s ear so they wouldn’t be overheard. “I don’t want Kara to be upset that she’s here. She’s still working through all of that stuff between you and  _ her _ .”

Pursing her lips a little, Alex felt the need to  _ protect _ swell up in her chest at Lucy’s tone. She understood why Lucy didn’t like Selina, but she didn’t appreciate the implication that what had happened rested solely on Selina’s shoulders, didn’t like how the whole thing made it seem like Selina was the wily temptress who had led Alex astray.

“Kara told me she really likes Selina,” Alex mumbled back, knowing full well that Kara still worked on overcoming her initial gut reaction of pain every time she looked at Alex’s best friend. “And good luck trying to make her leave.”

“How do you even find someone like that?” Lucy grumbled, now more to herself than to Alex, setting down her empty flute on a waiter’s tablet and exchanging it for a full one.

Alex shrugged, looking over to Lucy.

“Bad timing? Wrong place, wrong time?” She joked, unwittingly reminded of a situation from many years ago, when she’d been a fresh-faced young cop, and Selina had already lived as a hardened criminal for many years. “Guess it was just meant to be.”

She’d truly been in the wrong place at the wrong time then.

Mainly, her apartment at ten on a Friday night.

-

Alex had spent the majority of her Friday afternoon and evening running around Gotham, helping Batman chase down a perp who had been causing trouble for a couple of weeks. Stef had helped, but only after Alex had bribed her with donuts and the promise of doing all of their combined paperwork for three weeks. She’d been on the force for about three months now, and while her dad was mad about it, she didn’t see any use in actively trying to avoid their very own caped crusader.

Not when he was so very clearly happy to work with the police, as long as they didn’t try to shoot him.

She was tired, and all she wanted was to fall face-first onto the couch, turn on the television, and watch whatever terrible show was on at ten in the evening. She was too exhausted to sort through her growing DVD collection and pick something out.

Yawning, she flicked on the light switch and hung up her police jacket. She hadn’t even bothered changing out of her uniform at the precinct. Her police equipment hung from her utility belt, and she placed the baton and flashlight on the small side table next to the front door. She’d need to lock her gun in the gun safe in her bedroom.

Rubbing at her eyes, Alex let out a long breath and let herself fall over the back of the couch, intending to rest for just a few seconds before she put her firearm into its proper resting place. What she hadn’t expected,  _ couldn’t _ have expected, was that she would land on another person’s soft, stretched out body.

Immediately, Alex clambered to her feet, skidding away from the couch and nearly stumbling over her coffee table, as she stared down in shock at the languidly grinning  _ Catwoman _ , who mock-shuddered as she met Alex’s gaze.

“Oh, Supercop, I didn’t think you’d be this forward,” she purred, fanning herself with one hand, before sniggering quietly.

Alex had come across Catwoman a couple of times over the last few months. The woman had been responsible for various break-ins all over the city, always strangely present when the police arrived, ready to throw a quip at them and wink at Alex before vaulting away, dodging tasers and even a few bullets.

It had been a little over two months since the so-called  _ Gotham City Sirens _ had broken into Alex’s apartment and rifled through her things, finding great pleasure in teasing her. Alex was still a little angry about it, even though she hadn’t filed a report about the break-in. There was no point to it. Ultimately, the only thing it would have done, was to cement her mother’s belief that Alex had chosen the wrong career path.

For a few seconds, Alex was too stunned to go for her gun. When she realized her mistake, and her hand reached down to her utility belt, she noticed painfully that her gun wasn’t in its holster. Catwoman had swiped it during the few seconds that Alex had been on top of her.

_ Damnit _ .

“What do you want? How did you even get in here?” Alex asked, slowly taking a step away from the dangerous predator in front of her, mourning the fact that she’d left her baton by the front door. Her father would be  _ so _ proud of her.

“I was bored,” Catwoman answered, rolling Alex’s gun around in her hands, keeping the safety firmly on. “So I thought I’d wait for you to come home.” Within seconds, she had the gun completely dismantled. “Maybe you should think about getting a better locking mechanism for your windows. For a cop, this place is embarrassingly easy to break into.” She pointed vaguely at the windows with the magazine of the handgun.

“And I thought about stealing some of your underwear, raiding your fridge a little, maybe downloading some porn onto your laptop. You know, the usual evil villainess kind of stuff,” she continued, acting as though she was checking out her nails, even though she was wearing tight black leather gloves.

In the next instance, she was on her feet, a little taller than Alex, who took another step back.

“Stay away from me,” Alex said, taking yet more steps until her back hit a chest of drawers behind her. She was trapped, and Catwoman was still advancing. If it came down to it, Alex wasn’t sure if she could beat the woman in a fist fight. She’d seen firsthand how agile she was.

“Aw, you’re adorable,” Catwoman teased, a frightening harbinger of danger in her black leather catsuit. “Maybe I’m here to make your day so much better. You’ve been working  _ so hard _ . I can tell. I could help you relax a little.”

“I highly doubt that,” Alex said, trying to flatten herself against the chest of drawers, while at the same time trying not to look too intimidated. She had no idea how old Catwoman was, since she’d never seen more than half of her face, but Alex felt her own youth and inexperience acutely in this moment. She was barely twenty-one, she’d been on the force for a laughably short amount of time. How was she supposed to deal with this dangerous person?

On top of all that, with the adrenaline shooting through her veins, Alex tried her damnedest not to stare too much. The catsuit was  _ tight _ , and unzipped at the front, showing off Catwoman’s smooth, creamy skin, stopping just above her navel.

And Alex was only human.

“My eyes are up here, Supercop,” Catwoman whispered mischievously, a small, self-satisfied grin taking root on her lips, making Alex blush to the roots of her hair. “God, you are just as cute as a button, aren’t you?”

She took another step closer, and Alex could feel the warmth of Catwoman’s body, trying desperately to concentrate on  _ anything _ else, anything but the feeling of excitement she didn’t want to feel. In a last ditch effort, her eyes zeroed in on a mildly interesting looking stain on the wall across the room, eyes fixed over Catwoman’s right shoulder.

Chuckling, the woman lifted her hand to Alex’s cheek, making her flinch a little, and tilted her head back to the side, so Alex was forced to look at her.

“I’m going to need you to loosen up for me, kitten; all of this tension really isn’t good for your body,” she murmured, her eyes startlingly beautiful this up close, even through the orange-tinged goggles. “Though, I have to say, your muscles all tense and buff do look  _ very nice _ .”

Alex’s hands gripped the wood she was leaning against more tightly as Catwoman ran her hands over her biceps and forearms, squeezing here and there, making Alex’s heart beat faster and faster.

Swallowing hard, Alex’s eyes flicked down to Catwoman’s lips, before she wrenched them back up again. No, no, she needed to stay focused. Catwoman was the  _ enemy _ . She’d stolen more expensive jewelry, artwork, and priceless artifacts than anybody else in the thieving business.

“I’m such a sucker for a woman in uniform,” Catwoman purred, tugging gently at the front of Alex’s shirt, running her thumbs over the fabric, occasionally brushing a button and flicking it hard, making Alex jump every time. If she let this continue, she was afraid she might end up shirtless in just a few moments, and  _ then _ what would her dad say?

Scraping together all of her courage, Alex grabbed Catwoman’s wrists in a firm grip, stopping her fingers from groping any further. Alex’s embarrassment over her own reaction was slowly winning out over her fear, and it was only rivaled by her anger.

Catwoman seemed surprised for a moment at the strong grip, though she didn’t look displeased.

“I do like it rough, Supercop, however did you know?” She mocked, affecting another shudder. “Are you going to arrest me now? Put me in handcuffs? Spank me with your baton? Because, believe me, I would be  _ all  _ for that.”

Dumbstruck, Alex stared at her, because in all her training, none of her classes had ever involved a situation quite like this. She had no idea what she was supposed to do now, except that she was certain she wouldn’t actually be able to incarcerate Catwoman, no matter how hard she tried.

Instead, she settled for the next best thing.

“What I want is for you to get out of my apartment and bother someone else,” Alex growled, except her voice didn’t sound quite as assertive as she would have liked. Mostly, she hoped she didn’t sound as conflicted as she felt.

“Are you sure, Supercop? I’ve been such a  _ bad girl _ today, I deserve it.” Alex hated herself for how hot that almost-purr made her feel, and that she really shouldn’t be thinking about the handcuffs digging into her backside, fastened to her belt.

She was horrified by her own reactions. Catwoman was a dangerous criminal, and while there was no record of her actually killing anyone, she’d put plenty of police officers in the hospital with some of her stunts. Moreover, Alex was a  _ cop _ , she should be beyond this kind of seduction, no matter how young she was. No matter how sinfully gorgeous Catwoman looked in that ridiculous outfit.

When Alex didn’t move, Catwoman tilted her head to side.

“I guess we can postpone the spanking to another day,” she said, the teasing quality in her voice alive and well. “Will you at least walk me to the window, Supercop? Traversing apartments at night can be so very dangerous.”

With a scowl, Alex let the woman go and followed her to the windows, all the while keeping her eyes open for any hidden weapons or attacks, even though she didn’t think physically harming her was Catwoman’s goal. At least not tonight.

Opening the window with a smooth, fluid motion, Catwoman looked back at Alex and winked at her, obviously letting her know the truly torturous part of the evening was about to be over. Alex would welcome it with open arms.

Catwoman must have sensed the smallest shift in Alex’s anxiety levels, must have noticed the tiniest hint of relaxation in her bones, because a second later, she had Alex by the shirt and was kissing her senseless, pressing Alex against the windowsill.

Alex barely had time to react, her hands instinctively grabbing Catwoman’s arms, unsure whether to hold her close or to push her away.

The overwhelming kiss was over as quickly as it had started.

“Mhm,” Catwoman moaned in satisfaction, “the thought of those muscles and that mouth will keep me warm tonight, baby.” Her hands were pressed against Alex’s chest, fingernails digging into the fabric.

Alex couldn’t move.

Before she could respond, the woman was gone, vanished into the darkness of the night, leaving behind a faint scent of perfume, a racing heart, and a coat of lipstick smeared unceremoniously over Alex’s mouth.

-

Alex revealed none of this to Lucy.

Lucy already thought Alex was an idiot for being friends with someone who had almost ruined things between her and Kara; she didn’t need any more ammunition to cement her own opinion. Besides, that kiss had taken place years ago.

After Selina had left her alone, Alex had been too wired to sleep, so she’d changed into street clothes and gone out to scratch that itch Selina had left her with. Nowadays, her friend did nothing for her, but god damn, when Alex had been twenty-one? She’d been nearly powerless to her charms. In retrospect, Alex was glad she’d never revealed this to Selina.

That night, she’d had sex with a random stranger in her favorite bar and they hadn’t made it any further than the bathrooms.

She hadn’t been able to look her dad in the eye for over a week following those two encounters. Especially considering how Alex had had  _ Catwoman _ in her apartment, and she’d failed to do anything about it. If she’d been a little older, a little bit more experienced, she might have tried to take her down. But back then, she simply hadn’t been ready.

Lucy’s annoyed sigh brought Alex out of her mind, and she realized she must have been drifting for several minutes while Selina and the Kents talked about one of Kara’s paintings, a depiction of foreign flora and fauna. It was breathtaking, and Alex was all too happy to focus back on what she was truly here for: To support the woman she loved.

-

Alex, Selina, Lucy, and the Kents traversed the room for a few more minutes, oh-ing and ah-ing at Kara’s talent. Twenty minutes after Selina’s arrival, Alex’s body finally relaxed. It was clear her friend wasn’t going to explode with stories about Alex hooking up with random women all over Gotham, and she almost started having a good time.

She was still worried about saying the wrong thing every time she so much as opened her mouth, but Jonathan and Martha seemed to warm up to her the more time they spent together, conversing about Kara and her work.

Luckily, their mutual love for Kara worked as a fantastic binding agent.

At eight forty-three, Lucy excused herself. She’d seen her cousin Chloe across the room and left to go over and say hi. Her sister Lois was still nowhere to be seen, but Lucy chalked it up to Lois having discovered a last-minute story and being pulled into work. She’d probably just lost track of the time.

A few minutes later, Mr. and Mrs. Kent followed her, which left Alex and Selina standing next to Selina’s favorite painting. Since Alex had kept her eyes on Kara the whole night, she could tell that her almost-girlfriend was still enraptured in a conversation with the same two women Siobhan had wanted to introduce her to. Alex couldn’t see their faces, since they were standing with their backs to her, but she hoped the conversation was going well for Kara.

“And here we find ourselves, baby, quite alone,” Selina purred teasingly, pulling Alex out of her Kara-induced trance. She was staring at the painting in front of them, taking in the highly detailed environment encasing the three cat-like creatures.

“You smell,” Alex retorted, letting her eyes rove over the canvas, running her fingers over the ink on her arm. “That’s why everyone always runs away from you.”

Selina snorted, raising one eyebrow.

“Very mature,” she said, turning away from the painting and looking out over the crowd. “Kara is far too classy for you, Supercop. Really, you should thank the stars every night that she was dumb enough to fall in love with you.”

“Now who’s the one being immature,” Alex said, shaking her head, eyes seeking out Kara’s form amongst the crowd once more. She was gesturing wildly with her hands, her mouth pulled into a bright smile and her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

Alex would have likely stared for a while longer, if a hand hadn’t curled itself around her bicep.

To her credit, she didn’t jump this time and did not reach for her concealed firearm.

“Hey,” Siobhan whispered huskily, eyes moving between Alex and Selina, sizing them both up. She seemed perfectly sober, so Alex wondered briefly why the woman was suddenly glued to her side, both arms wrapped around her right arm, breasts pressed against Alex’s bicep.

Selina eyed her with interest.

“Hey,” Alex replied, nose suddenly assaulted by Siobhan’s spicy perfume. “How are things going with Kara? Is she charming everybody’s pants and dresses off?” At a kick against her ankle from Selina, Alex realized she should probably introduce her friend. “Oh, yeah, this is Selina.”

Another kick to her ankle followed, this one much more painful.

“Selina Kyle,” Selina said, stretching out her hand and smiling seductively at Siobhan, who had been busy smoothing her hand over Alex’s shoulder and collarbone. “Excuse Alex’s rude behavior. I don’t think her brain is working quite right tonight.”

Siobhan accepted the hand, shaking firmly.

“Siobhan Smythe, I’m the owner of  _ The Silver Banshee _ ,” she said, her fingers returning to Alex’s shoulder. “Alex was very helpful in setting up today’s event.” Her voice sounded strangely soft. “She carried around so many heavy boxes for us.”

“Did she now?” Selina asked, eyeing them both with interest while Alex stretched her head a little to the side so she could keep her eyes on Kara’s smiling face.

“Yep,” Alex said, shrugging with the shoulder that wasn’t currently attached to Siobhan’s body.

“Yes, maybe you could come by again at some point, Alex? Do some more heavy lifting for me? I could always use more strong, steady hands,” Siobhan added, her hand pulling a little on Alex’s tie. Strangely, Alex had a feeling something was going on here, the purpose of which she wasn’t quite grasping.

“Um, yeah, sure,” she said, distracted by Kara throwing her head back and laughing. She wished she could hear that laugh atop the buzz of the crowd.

Selina seemed a bit exasperated as she shook her head.

“Don’t bother,” she told Siobhan, patting Alex’s free shoulder sadly, making Alex even more confused. “Our dear Supercop would just bore you, I’m sure.” Her eyes roamed over Siobhan’s body, who  _ finally _ pulled away from Alex’s arm.

“Oh, I don’t know. She seems rather capable,” Siobhan whispered, taking a step closer to Selina, blatantly checking out her body. “And she does fill out that suit very nicely.”

“Thing is, with Supercop, what you see is what you get, and you strike me as someone, who, well… who’s a little more layered. Dangerous,” Selina purred, letting her fingers run along Siobhan’s naked shoulder. Barely brushing the skin.

Furrowing her brows, Alex looked back and forth in between Selina and Siobhan.

“What exactly are we talking about?” She asked, watching out of the corner of her eye as Kara made her way over to Lucy and Chloe at the bar, Mr. and Mrs. Kent nowhere to be seen.

“Something that doesn’t concern you at all, baby,” Selina said without taking her eyes off Siobhan for even a second.

Frowning a little, Alex wondered what the hell was going on as she saw Siobhan smirk and lift her chin a little, tilting her head gently to the side and biting her lip.

-

Kara was drifting along on cloud nine as she left Jamie and Joan to speak to Lucy and Chloe. She had an amazing feeling about her partnership with Jamie, and when all of this was said and done, Kara would definitely have to send Siobhan a big fruit basket for her herculean efforts.

“Hi,” Kara called out to Chloe, who averted her eyes from a vaguely unimpressed looking Lucy, a bright smile taking over her face. She’d looked rather dour before, Kara thought, and she wondered what had brought on her bad mood. “I’m so glad you came, it’s been  _ ages _ .”

Chloe was a small, white woman with a blonde bob, and her arms opened wide in excitement as she embraced Kara tightly. Clothed in a beautiful, emerald green dress, she resembled her cousin Lucy in nothing but spirit.

Alongside Clark and Lois, Chloe, too, worked in Metropolis, coordinating the superheroes in and around the immediate Metropolis area from her watchtower at the heart of the city. She’d been Clark’s best friend since high school, and had spent a lot of time with Kara during her teenage years. Whenever Kara had needed someone to talk to who wasn’t a family member, someone who knew something about superpowers and what it meant to be different, Chloe had been there for her.

They hadn’t seen each other in person for months.

“Of course I came by! Did you really think I was going to miss your first big opening? Please,” Chloe said, hugging Kara tightly to herself. “I was just telling Lucy how cool it is that the two of you have finally gotten a big break like this.”

Squealing a little, Kara only half left Chloe’s embrace. Instead, she pulled Lucy in with her, hugging the two cousins, just barely refraining from jumping up and down in her excitement. All of this was so incredible, she barely had words to express it.

“I’m so happy, tonight is so great,” Kara said, kissing Lucy’s temple repeatedly, until she was pawed away.

“Alright, alright, I get it, you’re part puppy,” Lucy said, laughing as they all parted. “I’m glad we can all experience this together, you know, as one big,  _ happy _ family.” Her tone was only slightly sardonic, her eyes flitting over to Chloe, as though she knew exactly what Lucy was referring to.

Kara furrowed her brows a little.

“Did something happen?” Her enthusiasm slightly dampened, Kara picked up one of the many hors d’oeuvres and stuffed it into her mouth, looking from one cousin to the other, brushing her hands on a nearby napkin. “Can I help?”

Sighing, Chloe shrugged one of her shoulders.

Kara ate another one of the hors d’oeuvres.

“I just had an argument with Lois about something,” Chloe said, eyes rolling in their sockets. “I hate fighting with her, but she’s being an idiot about a few things right now, and you know how stubborn she is.” She looked at Lucy with a mixture of remorse and concern.

“We were just about to toast to our good fortune, seeing as we’re now  _ both _ fighting with Lois,” Lucy said, lifting her glass of champagne and taking a huge swig. “You can join in, if you like.” Lucy wasn’t drunk or tipsy, and Kara wanted to keep it that way, for her friend’s sake much more than her own.

“Maybe you guys should switch to orange juice?” She asked tentatively, taking Lucy’s empty champagne glass and replacing it with the aforementioned drink. She was relieved when Lucy didn’t protest. “What did you and Lois fight about?”

Another sigh left Chloe’s body as she also switched glasses.

“I really can’t say,” Chloe said, mouth contorted into a conflicted grimace. “Lois confided in me and I can’t break her trust.” Her eyes flit over to Lucy again, who was sipping quietly on her juice. “Neither one of you would want me to spill your secrets, right?”

Kara patted her shoulder.

“You don’t have to justify yourself to us, Chlo,” Kara said, wondering what on earth could be so bad that Chloe would look this distraught about it. What was happening to Lois?

“Yeah, cuz, don’t worry about it,” Lucy said, trying on a smile.

“It’s just frustrating, because I can’t help her,” Chloe continued, shaking her head in frustration. “Not even the tough love approach worked this time. I’ll be surprised if she speaks to me at all tonight.”

“I know what that’s like,” Kara empathized, wrapping her arm around Chloe’s shoulder and sending a casual glance in Lucy’s direction, wondering if her best friend had picked up on the fact that Kara was talking about  _ her _ . She was pretty sure Chloe knew. Kara had spoken to her about the whole James and Lucy situation before, and they both felt equally helpless.

Lucy didn’t seem to have noticed however, considering she’d just frozen mid-sip, staring at something behind both Kara and Chloe, who turned their heads as the distinctive voice of Lois Lane broke the silence between them.

“Why all the long faces?” She asked, her grin perhaps a little more forced than it usually was. Her dark hair was curled into an up-do at the back of her head and she was wearing a dark blue dress that reached just above her knees. Her hands were holding a clutch, and Kara suspected she was carrying a pen and a notebook, just in case anything newsworthy went down at the gallery. “I thought this was supposed to be a joyous occasion.”

“Lois, hey, you’re here!” Kara exclaimed, letting go of Chloe to throw her arms around Lois and hug her tightly. If Chloe’s words were any indication, Lois was going through a rough time right now, and even though Kara was a little angry with her for how she’d treated Lucy, she never wanted her to suffer.

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Lois said, returning the hug full force for a moment, before they both let go, turning to face Chloe and Lucy, who were silently staring at them, most likely trying to gauge Lois’s mood and reaction to seeing them. When she smiled, albeit a little unnaturally, they both seemed to relax.

Apparently, just like everybody else this evening, Lois was prepared to put aside her differences in favor of making Kara happy on her big night.

“Hey, Chloe. Hey, sis,” Lois said, staying rooted to the spot, making it very clear that she wasn’t going to hug either one of them hello tonight. While this made Kara anxious, she understood that it was more than she could have hoped for in terms of civility.

Both Lucy and Chloe responded with nods, the tension in the air almost painful.

“Sorry Clark and James couldn’t come, there was just so much work to do at the office,” Lois said, loud enough so anyone who was nearby could overhear her obvious lie. Then, she leaned a little closer and started whispering into Kara’s ear. “There was a mass breakout of criminals in Metropolis tonight and Clark had to fly over and help.” Lucy and Chloe had leaned in, too. “James stayed behind with him as moral support.”

At her words, Lucy’s mouth twisted down into a small frown. It was obvious James hadn’t told her anything about this. Maybe she’d been of the belief that James would be here, or maybe they hadn’t spoken about it at all. The thought made Kara feel defeated.

“But Clark said he might come by if he can, just for a bit, to say hi,” Lois finished, obviously unaware that the news about James had caused a stir within her sister. “If he can’t make it, I’m sure he’ll call you later tonight.”

“Thanks for the update,” Kara said, trying to recapture that feeling of enthusiasm she’d had only a few minutes before.

“Of course,” Lois replied, patting Kara on the back, “now where’s the good stuff. I need something strong to take the edge off tonight; I’ve been on my feet since six am.” She looked up and down the tables they were standing in front of, searching for a bottle of hard liquor she wouldn’t find.

“You did a good job with the venue, sis,” Lois mentioned off-handedly, her voice resembling an unwilling grumble, like she couldn’t stop herself from handing out the compliment, even though she was angry with Lucy. When she couldn’t find any hard alcohol, she grabbed one of the champagne flutes and downed it in one single, impressive gulp. “Hey, where’s your girlfriend, Kara? I was really looking forward to meeting her.”

Slightly worried, Kara watched as Lois picked up a second glass of champagne - though, thankfully, she only nipped at this one. Maybe the night could be salvaged after all. She would just have to get her aunt and uncle over here, or bring Lois over to them. Jonathan and Martha would know how to keep Lois occupied.

“She’s over there with a friend of hers… oh, and Siobhan,” Kara said, noticing for the first time that Selina and Siobhan were standing very close to one another, Alex leaning against a white bar table next to them, nipping on an orange juice and looking mildly disgusted.

Kara had spotted Selina soon after she’d arrived, her heart giving an uncomfortable little lurch at the sight of her. She didn’t think that Alex would have invited her to the vernissage, so Selina must have invited herself, which certainly wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities.

The fact that she was now standing so close to Siobhan troubled Kara a little.

Lois whistled.

“Wow, she looks a lot more attractive in person. Those pictures you sent me did not do her justice,” Lois said, staring unabashedly and sipping on her champagne. “She doesn’t look too happy, though. You know what? I’m going to go over there.” She smiled, the first unburdened expression she’d shown since she’d arrived. “I’m going to rescue your beloved for you, Kara. Just give me a second.”

Before Kara could protest, or say anything at all, Lois was gone, skillfully maneuvering herself through the throngs of people around them, her clutch held firmly in one hand, her champagne flute in the other. A woman on a mission.

“I don’t know if Alex is going to survive that,” Chloe said, sounding faintly amused at her cousin’s antics, despite their current differences. “You might want to commit her face to memory while you still can, before Hurricane Lois makes impact.”

Kara only grimaced.

-

Alex could only grimace as she watched Selina and Siobhan talk in hushed voices, standing much too closely to one another to be considered appropriate. She had no idea what she had missed, but the way the two were talking… Alex had a feeling she didn’t want to know anyway.

Some things were better left unasked.

Her juice was running low, and she contemplated leaving the other two to whatever dance they were conducting, when a woman with a winning smile and dark brown hair approached her, waving enthusiastically, making Alex look behind herself to see if she really was the target of this exuberant greeting.

“Hi, you’re Alex Danvers, right?” The woman asked, pinning her clutch under one arm before stretching out her hand and waiting for Alex to shake it.

“Do I know you?” Alex asked, slightly perturbed by the woman’s strong grip. She wasn’t exactly  _ trying _ to crush her fingers, but she also wasn’t very gentle. Seeking out Kara with her eyes, Alex no doubt looked very confused when their gazes met and Kara just shrugged apologetically.

“Lois Lane,” the woman said, a smirk replacing her friendly expression as she finally dropped Alex’s hand. “I’m sure Kara has mentioned me in passing.” Her eyes swept over Siobhan and Selina, who were too busy staring at one another to pay Alex or Lois any attention.

Shamelessly, Lois tapped them both on their shoulders.

“Hey, match made in heaven, do you mind if I kidnap Alex here for a few minutes?” She asked, stabbing her thumb in Alex’s direction and giving them an amused look.

For a moment, Alex wished Selina would demand that she stay, for whatever reason. If she was completely honest with herself, Lois scared her a bit, with her manic expression and tight grip. Kara had told her that Lois had grown up a military brat, spending long years learning how to be powerful on various army bases, while Lucy had been shipped off to boarding school.

Of course, Selina only smirked.

“Supercop’s all yours,” she said, raising an eyebrow at Alex, who tried to keep her face from twisting into a deep scowl.

“I need to get back to work anyway,” Siobhan said, taking a step away from Selina, though not without taking one very long, lasting look at her. “You know where to find me.” She fluttered her lashes for a second, before she walked away, sending Selina a glowing look over her shoulder.

For a second, Selina only stared, her lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk as her eyes roamed Siobhan’s voluptuous backside. There was something in her eyes that Alex couldn’t quite pinpoint, though her mind was admittedly a little preoccupied with the predatory grin on Lois’s face.

“Alright,” Selina said, turning around and looking from Alex to Lois, choosing to ignore Alex’s pleading stare, “you kids play nice now. I’ll see you later.” She winked, obviously enjoying Alex’s ashen face and fidgeting fingers.

_ Goddamn cat brain _ , Alex thought to herself, feeling a little startled when Lois finished off her champagne, set down her glass, and slipped her clutch free from its position under her left arm. Half convinced that she would pull out a small weapon, Alex consciously kept herself from taking on a defensive position.

But, naturally, she was wrong.

Instead of holding a weapon to Alex’s throat, Lois wrapped her now free arm around Alex’s shoulder and pulled her further away from where Kara and Lucy were standing with Chloe. Siobhan was just joining them, sidling up to Kara with a triumphant expression.

“So,” Lois started, keeping her arm across Alex’s shoulders and making them halt in front of one of Kara’s paintings. The other people in the room were standing a few feet away from them, giving them plenty of privacy for what Lois had in mind. “You’re the one who broke Kara’s heart.”

Alex stiffened immediately, her right hand going instinctively to her left forearm, drawing along her tattoo. She’d seen this coming, of course. Lois was Lucy’s sister, after all. But still, it made her feel sick inside.

“Yes,” Alex agreed, staring at the canvas in front of her. It depicted a wide room tinged completely in white, with a whole array of people standing in a half circle. Their clothing was foreign in nature, and if Alex hadn’t been so worried, she might have wondered if these were Kara’s people, from the world Kara pretended not to be from.

“Come on, Alex, no need to look so upset. Tonight is a joyous occasion, show some enthusiasm. We wouldn’t want Kara to think you aren’t having a good time.” Lois squeezed Alex’s shoulder, who immediately forced her mouth into a smile, as though Lois had said something humorous. “There, see? Isn’t that so much better?”

This moment felt much like a scene from a horror movie.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve brought you here,” Lois continued, keeping Alex pressed against her side, cutting off any means of escape.

Alex didn’t respond.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m keeping an eye on you. Kara trusts you, and I believe her when she says that you made a stupid mistake. Trust me, I do. But, if I catch you doing anything like that again…” Casually slapping her clutch against Alex’s right bicep, Lois didn’t even look at her.

Gulping a little, Alex finally found her voice.

“Lucy’s got that covered,” she said, nails digging a little into her left forearm, keeping the fake smile etched onto her face. No matter how much she did not appreciate getting the third degree like this, she knew it came from a place of love. She was glad Kara had so many people who cared for her; she only wished she didn’t have to be the target of their protectiveness.

Taking in her words, Lois nodded thoughtfully.

“Yeah, yeah, us Lanes take care of our own,” she said, her smile now truly scary. “But there can never be too many reminders. Kara explained to me everything that happened, and like I said, I trust her, so I’m not going to complain, and I’m only going to say this once.” She pressed the clutch against Alex’s stomach, as though it were a gun. “If you ever hurt her like that again, I  _ will _ break both of your legs. Okay, pumpkin?”

White as a sheet, Alex nodded quickly, barely reacting when Lois shook her shoulders, as though this conversation had been one hilarious joke. Uncomfortably, Alex was reminded of Lucy and her speech before the doors had been opened tonight.

Alex thought she’d known fear before, but now…

Forcing an even bigger smile, she chanced a look over her shoulder and caught Kara’s questioning gaze.

She hoped she didn’t seem as threatened as she felt.

“So, we understand each other?” Lois asked, smiling far too pleasantly for someone who had just issued a threat of epic proportions against an officer of the law. Not that rank or occupation truly mattered in a situation like this.

“Yes,” Alex said once more, pulling at her collar.

“Great!” Lois slapped her shoulder and smiled, this time much more genuinely than before. Now that she’d made her intentions clear, she seemed perfectly willing to let go of the past, considering she trusted Kara’s judgement so much. “We should go and say hi to Mr. and Mrs. Kent. Have you met them?”

Nodding again, still a little unable to form any coherent thought, Alex let herself get pulled along forcefully, once more seeking out Kara’s gaze. Something in Kara’s eyes seemed to have shifted, Alex thought, as Lois kept a firm grip on her bicep.

Kara’s eyes had a soft look about them, like she’d been told something wondrous. Alex had half a mind to wrench away from Lois, to walk over to Kara, and find out what had caused that shift inside of her. More than anything, Alex wanted to hold Kara’s hand again. They’d been close and yet far apart for most of the evening, and Alex was sick of it.

Apparently, though, their reunion would have to wait.

For now.

-

Kara watched as Lois talked to Selina and Siobhan, Alex looking anything but relaxed while she stood next to them and took in the moment. Hopefully, Lois wouldn’t threaten Alex too badly, she knew how aggressive Lois could be when she felt like a member of her family had been wronged.

“Do you think I should go over there?” Kara asked, quickly stuffing another two hors d’oeuvres into her mouth. She was stress eating now, which wasn’t something she’d thought would happen tonight. “What if Lois scares her off?”

When Lucy shot her a look, Kara’s shoulders sagged a little.

“I know, I know, if she can’t handle a little poking and prodding from a Lane family member, she’s not the right woman for me,” she intoned, watching Siobhan break away from the fold and come sauntering towards her, though not without giving Selina another glowing look.

“I’m happy to see that you’re learning, Kara,” Lucy said, smiling and bumping Kara’s hips with her own. “Let them be. Detective Dumbass was going to have to learn to fear the Lois Lane wrath sooner or later.”

“Detective Dumbass?” Chloe asked, grinning. “I always forget just how creative you really are, Luce.” They laughed and clinked their glasses together. At Kara’s worried stare, Chloe nudged Kara’s foot with her own. “I promise I’ll be extra double nice to Alex to compensate for all the bad blood that my cousins have thrown her way.”

Chloe’s words made Kara feel a little better about the situation.

She said  _ thanks _ the very same moment Lucy muttered the word  _ traitor _ under her breath, disguised as an obviously fake cough. Then, for a moment, all three of them were laughing, before Kara’s attention was pulled back towards Alex, who was being manhandled over to one of Kara’s paintings. It was a depiction of Krypton’s crime council, the one her mother had been a member of.

A moment later, with a flourish and a swish of the hips, Kara, Lucy, and Chloe were joined by Siobhan, who was wearing a rather self-satisfied and triumphant expression. Her arrival temporarily distracted Kara from her goal – watching Alex and Lois for any signs of trouble.

“I am a genius,” Siobhan said, clinking her glass against everybody else’s.

“Obviously,” Lucy said, voice heavily sarcastic as she sized up her friend.

Siobhan hardly paid her mocking tone any attention, as she hooked her arm through Kara’s and grinned openly at her, as though she’d won the biggest lottery in town and wanted a second to gloat and revel in her good fortune.

“I just hit on your girlfriend,” she said, her face flush with pleasure.

Kara stared at her.

“You what?” She finally asked, half convinced that she had misheard or misunderstood Siobhan’s words. While Chloe and Lucy seemed equally confused, their focus placed squarely on Siobhan’s smug facial expression, Kara looked over towards Alex once more, her gaze questioning as she saw Alex’s obviously fake smile.

“I just hit on your girlfriend,” Siobhan repeated, patting Kara’s bicep. “You see, Lucy told me what your girl did to you, and I wanted to see for myself if I could get her to have sex with me.” Siobhan was nothing if not blunt.

Kara didn’t know if she was angry or upset that Siobhan had taken it upon herself to test Alex like this. The thought of Siobhan hanging all over Alex and flirting with her, when Kara herself sucked at flirting, was daunting and uncomfortable. Even imagining Alex’s reaction… had she responded at all to Siobhan’s attractive body? To her quick wit? Her intelligence? Kara felt confident in her feelings for Alex and Alex’s feelings for her, but… still…

“I’ve never felt so politely ignored in my entire life,” Siobhan said, pulling Kara right out of her spiraling thoughts. “The whole time I was talking to her, she kept staring at you. Honestly, I would be offended if she were in love with literally anybody but you, Kara.”

Something soft and warm settled deep in Kara’s chest.

“I sort of wish you hadn’t done that,” she said, eyes seeking out Alex, who was being moved along by Lois now. Their eyes met, and Kara’s heart took on a faster beat. Siobhan was a formidable woman, and the fact that Alex hadn’t even looked at her…

“I did it for you, Kara,” Siobhan said, patting Kara’s bicep once more. “Now you can be sure she’s only interested in you.” When Lucy coughed to hide her laugh, Siobhan rolled her eyes, and Kara’s annoyance melted away in the face of how much her friends cared for her. They all tried to help out in their own unique ways, even if some of their methods were, well… they  _ were _ a little unorthodox.

“Thanks, Siobhan,” Kara said, squeezing her friend’s hand on her arm.

“Of course,” she said, her face back to that triumphant expression. “And let me tell you about that friend of hers.” She fanned herself. “Anyway, I should get back to networking, and so should you. Come on, there are more people with lots of money for you to meet.”

-

Alex was shocked to find that Lois was actually very nice, when she wasn’t trying to scare her into obedience. She’d been nothing but pleasant the entire time the two of them had been chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Kent, and Alex found herself relaxing quite a bit, even with Lois’s arm still wrapped around her shoulder.

“I had no idea this was going to be such a big deal,” Lois said, looking around her and sizing up the room, taking in the huge number of people mingling in front of the many canvases. “I mean, I had faith in Kara, but damn.”

A feeling of pride took root in Alex’s chest, because Lois was completely right. The gallery was packed to the brim, a clear testament not only to Kara’s achievements, but to Lucy and Siobhan’s as well. To how much effort they’d put in to ensure an excellent turnout on such short notice.

“Lucy and Siobhan worked very hard to make this happen for Kara,” Alex said, her chest puffing up a little. All of these people were here, were enthralled, because Kara was such a great artist.  _ Her girl _ , as Vasquez would say. “It’s very impressive. They only had two weeks to get everything underway. And Kara had to transport all of her paintings over here and she even had to finish one of them just for the vernissage.”

She was half-sure the others already knew how hard Kara had worked for this, seeing as they were her family, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t stop gushing about Kara’s accomplishments, no matter how hard she tried.

Grinning, Lois patted her shoulder.

“You know what this is calling for? A toast! Mr. and Mrs. K, let’s get some new champagne.  Come on, Alex,” Lois said, sliding her clutch under her left armpit and grabbing Alex’s empty glass, stalking forward in the direction of the drinks. Alex noticed that Lucy, Chloe, and Kara all seemed to have moved on to other places.

Mr. and Mrs. Kent started walking as well, Martha catching up to Lois and saying something to her Alex couldn’t hear, which made both women smile and Martha nudge Lois’s arm with her elbow. Rolling her eyes, Lois answered her.

When Alex made to follow, Jonathan grabbed her right arm and held her back a little, slowing their movements until they’d brought a bit more distance between them and the other two. She could already feel the upcoming disapproval. The  _ talk _ . It made her feel weary. She’d been threatened so many times this evening, the novelty was slowly starting to wear off.

When he was satisfied that they wouldn’t be overheard, he placed his hand on Alex’s shoulder in a fatherly gesture, his big fingers keeping her locked to his side without hurting her in any way. When Alex looked at him, he seemed determined, but not angry.

“Kara is a very special girl,” he said, his tone serious, making Alex’s back become ramrod straight immediately. This was it, she could tell, the moment that would forever define her relationship with Jonathan Kent, arguably one of the most important men in Kara’s entire life.

“Yes, sir,” she said, voice strong and decisive.

He nodded.

“So, we understand each other?” He asked, his hand remaining on her shoulder as they walked, his eyes flitting over to his wife and Lois, who still hadn’t noticed that Alex and Jonathan had fallen behind a little, too involved in their own conversation.

“Yes, sir,” Alex reaffirmed, meeting his questioning gaze head-on.

“Good,” he said, clapping her once on the shoulder, before letting her go. “I’m glad we had this discussion.” He smiled at her, and she returned the expression a little tentatively, though she didn’t think she had anything else to fear from Mr. Kent. He obviously trusted Kara’s judgement just as much as Lois did, and respected her decision to put her own trust in Alex.

“Me, too,” Alex said, feeling honestly relieved that Jonathan had said his piece and they could both move on from what had so clearly been bothering him. She would take all the talks in the world if it meant Kara’s family could be happy for them.

“Great,” Jonathan said, putting his hand on her shoulder once more. “Now, I think someone is in dire need of your presence.” He smiled more brightly, and nodded towards their left.

Alex followed his gaze instinctively, warmth infusing her chest when her eyes met Kara’s. She was standing a little further away from them, right next to Siobhan, who seemed to be in deep conversation with a tall black woman in a gorgeous golden dress.

“Go on, I’ll excuse you,” Mr. Kent said, nudging her in Kara’s reaction.

“Thanks, Mr. Kent,” Alex said, her feet already taking her in Kara’s direction. He didn’t answer, but she had a feeling he knew exactly how she was feeling right now. As she moved closer and closer, weaving through the people in her way, Kara’s face seemed to get progressively more gorgeous.

With a soft smile on her face, Kara left Siobhan and the tall black woman by themselves and moved towards Alex, her hair falling beautifully around her face, Kara’s hand moving up to fix it absentmindedly.

“Hey,” Kara whispered, her hands reaching up to fiddle with Alex’s collar.

“Hey,” Alex replied, her stomach filling with butterflies when Kara flattened her palms against her shoulders and smoothed down her white shirt. “How’s the schmoozing going? Have you sold any pieces so far? Is anyone going to sponsor you?”

Kara smiled, leaning even closer to Alex so their feet were touching.

“It’s going well,” she said, drawing shapes into Alex’s shirt again, causing goosebumps to erupt on her skin. “Siobhan is a miracle worker. I don’t know anyone who can talk as smoothly as she does. I could really learn a thing or two from her.”

Alex’s fingers settled on Kara’s waist.

“Oh, I don’t know, you sweet talk me pretty well,” she said, reaching up to brush a lock of hair from Kara’s face. It was like they were the only two people in the room, driving out the fear and worry Alex had been suppressing ever since she’d been attacked two weeks ago. If anyone wanted to harm them here, they would have done so hours ago.

Chuckling, Kara leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against the corner of Alex’s mouth, her warm breath making Alex’s heart go into overdrive. Right now, all she wanted was to lean her head to the side, angle her face just right so they would be kissing. Truly, properly kissing.

She longed for it, the feeling of closeness and connection that came with the touch. She was happy with what they had right now, and she never felt closer to Kara than when she was alone with her and they just  _ talked _ . But kissing, feeling Kara’s soft lips on her own, was a sensation Alex  _ desperately _ missed.

“Come on,” Kara whispered, pulling away from Alex and intertwining their fingers. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

-

Kara felt elated, having Alex by her side again. This was her big night, but it wouldn’t feel half as nice if she didn’t have anyone to share it with. She’d been more than happy to include her friends and family in her enthusiasm, but she wanted Alex there as well.

It might not have been the intended purpose of her family motto of  _ stronger together _ , but she was pretty sure her parents, now one with Rao’s light, would be more than understanding of her new, slightly altered version of it. She knew they would be happy that she had made a place for herself on Earth, had found people who supported and loved her.

“I want you to meet my benefactor,” Kara told Alex, her eyes already trained on a head of perfectly styled blonde hair a few feet ahead of them. “She’s really cool and she said she would like to take on a more permanent position as my sponsor.”

“That sounds amazing, Kara, I’m so proud of you,” Alex said, squeezing Kara’s hand and giving her a glowing look. “You deserve every dollar that woman is going to give you.” Her expression made it seem like she wanted to say a few more sweet things, and Kara was really looking forward to hearing them, but then Alex’s face turned to one of confusion.

“Joan?” She asked, her words just loud enough for the other woman to hear.

“Officer Danvers?” Joan responded, looking away from Jamie, her brows furrowing before her expression lit up with recognition.

“It’s Detective Danvers now, actually,” Alex said, grinning from ear to ear as she moved closer to the other woman, her hold on Kara’s hand never wavering. “What are you doing here? You’re a long ways away from home.”

Joan looked poised to answer, when Jamie cleared her throat, her expression one of intrigue as her eyes flit back between her partner and Alex. Kara was just as interested to hear about how Alex and Joan knew one another as Jamie seemed to be, so she was glad the other woman had taken the initiative.

“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve been introduced,” Jamie said, holding out her hand and grinning her usual lopsided smile as she regarded Alex, her eyes doing a quick once-over of Alex’s outfit and face. “I’m Jamie King, Joan’s partner.”

It seemed rather like a claim had just been staked, and Kara wondered idly if she should feel threatened by Joan. In the next instant, she dismissed the thought as quickly as it had popped up. Joan seemed like a truly kind person, and Kara couldn’t see her going after someone else’s girlfriend, especially when she was at a vernissage with her own partner. She just didn’t seem like the type.

And even if she was, Alex would never fall for her, not after Siobhan’s earlier attempt had already proven that Alex had eyes for no one but Kara.

As it was, Joan mostly seemed mildly exasperated with Jamie’s antics, one eyebrow raised, as she surveyed her partner’s efforts of gentle intimidation. Not that Alex would fall for a cheap tactic such as that, either.

All in all, it was quite entertaining to watch.

“Detective Alex Danvers, National City PD,” Alex said, letting go of Kara and firmly shaking Jamie’s hand. She, too, seemed rather amused. “I met your partner on a case I was working when I was with the Gotham City Police Department, back when I was a rookie. How long ago was that, Joan? Five or six years?”

“Just about, I think,” Joan replied, smiling. “Jamie is sponsoring Kara, and I’m just along for the ride, taking a break from Sherlock and our work. You remember Sherlock?” She turned to Kara to explain. “He’s my colleague, the one I mentioned earlier.”

“How could I forget,” Alex said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “He called my unit a ‘group of fumbling idiots’.” They both laughed, Kara sliding her left hand back into Alex’s and curling the fingers of her right around her bicep. Alex gave her a smile. “I was barely out of the academy and I don’t think he thought I should be allowed on  _ his _ crime scene.”

Joan grinned.

“Ah, the good old days,” she said, shaking her head a little at her colleague’s antics. “It’s too bad we never worked another job in Gotham after that. It would’ve been nice to hang out again.” She reached out to squeeze Alex’s left bicep.

Quickly, seamlessly, Kara pulled her detective out of reach, Joan’s brows furrowing anew with concern.

“Sorry.” Kara flushed, knowing how the gesture must have looked. “Alex got shot a few weeks ago and I didn’t want you to hurt her by accident, so I—I moved her.” Her face felt hotter than the rays of Earth’s yellow sun, even though Joan’s face cleared up immediately.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I had no idea,” she said, turning from Kara to Alex, who squeezed Kara’s hand in thanks and was staring at her with something that looked suspiciously like love, if Kara dared to dream just a little. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I just got shot on the job, it’s really no big deal,” Alex said, trying to downplay the situation, something which Kara did not see too kindly, especially considering that this kind of attitude might get Alex shot again in the future. Also not something Kara wanted to see happening again.

“It was a very big deal,” Kara said, unconsciously pulling Alex even closer to herself. “She saved her partner from being killed by a sniper and got hurt in the process.” She still felt a mixture of pride and terror every time she thought about it. What if the bullet had hit any major organs or blood vessels? Alex could have been dead without ever knowing how much Kara still cared about her.

The thought was horrific.

“That’s quite impressive,” Jamie said, who had been silent up until this moment, quietly observing everybody else’s interactions and words. She’d wrapped her arm around Joan’s waist, though her posture was no longer threatening. “I’m sure your partner must have been very grateful.”

“He told me to never save his life again.” Alex grinned, launching into the story of how the whole incident had come to be in the first place. Kara knew the story, of course; it was burned into the inside of her skull, to be mulled over and worried about during quiet moments. She’d not stopped wondering how she could be able to help Alex. Maybe if she somehow contacted Alex’s partner…

They spent another twenty minutes talking to Joan and Jamie, exchanging stories about Joan’s job as a private investigator, Kara’s art, and Alex’s distaste for the way the police department in National City was being run at the moment.

Kara was having a blast, and the more they all talked, the more fun she was having.

“I am in dire need of some more champagne,” Jamie proclaimed during a lull in conversation, looking over to the full champagne glasses on the other side of the room. “If you’ll excuse me for just a moment.” She disentangled her hand from Joan’s suit before turning to walk away.

“I’ll come with you,” Joan said, sliding her hand into Jamie’s and smiling at Kara and Alex. “We will be right back.”

“Okay,” Alex said, letting go of Kara’s hand and curling her fingers around Kara’s waist instead, almost leaning against her shoulder. “Eat some of the hors d’oeuvres, too, they’re delicious. I’ve sampled them myself.” The silly grin on her face made Kara feel weak in the knees.

“Will do,” Joan replied, before the two of them were off, leaving Kara and Alex to meander the room on their own.

“I can’t believe you know her,” Kara said, as she and Alex made their way over to one of Kara’s paintings, walking slowly, just enjoying each other’s company. “What a coincidence, right? It’s funny how small this planet actually is.”

Nothing at all like Krypton, she thought, with its huge planes and sprawling cities. A vast planet filled with more people than Alex or any human could possibly imagine.

They walked together, talking quietly about all the people they’d spoken to this evening, Kara marveling about how much interest some had expressed in buying her works. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this happy.

It felt a bit like a déjà vu when Alex suddenly stopped to stare at someone else.

“Indigo?” She asked, making Kara wonder once again how Alex knew so many people who were in some way involved in her life. For a moment, she entertained the thought that Alex had been specifically designed and genetically engineered to be everything that Kara wanted, right down to the experiences she’d made and the people she had befriended.

It stemmed from Kara’s affinity for science fiction, even if most of Earth’s ideas about space and technology were outdated or wrong. And yet, it couldn’t simply be coincidence that Alex knew who Indigo was, let alone that she felt comfortable enough saying hello to her, could it?

“Detective Danvers,” Indigo replied, turning her head towards them and smiling brightly. “How nice to see you here.” Her eyes flicked to Kara and for a second they were both unsure how to proceed. Kara didn’t know how Alex knew Indigo, but she certainly couldn’t reveal how  _ she _ knew her.

About a year ago, when it became apparent that something akin to an alien computer virus was ravaging parts of National City, Kara and J’onn had worked together to get to the bottom of the problem, which was how they’d discovered who Indigo was and what she had done.

And, much more importantly, what she had been trying to do.

They’d fought her, and captured her using J’onn’s mind control. It hadn’t been easy, and it taken a lot out of J’onn to keep such a complex and dangerous being contained, but together with Clark and some of their friends, they’d managed to rid Indigo of the part of her programming that was faulty. Now Indigo worked as a sort of hub and well of information for various superheroes, when she wasn’t busy with her day job.

Kara was sad to say that the virus part of her, the part that had tried to start Myriad to rid the Earth of all humans, had escaped their capture shortly after the divide had taken place. They still didn’t know where she had gone, though Kara suspected the other Indigo had sought refuge with Astra and Non and their band of Fort Rozz rebels.

But even still, Kara didn’t want to lie to Alex, and acting like she didn’t know Indigo wouldn’t feel right, even if she had to come up with an excuse.

“Hey, Indigo,” Kara said, smiling at her a little apprehensively. “Thanks for coming.”

“Of course,” Indigo replied, looking back and forth between Kara and Alex, possibly trying to decipher who they were to each other. Though, if Kara was honest with herself, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out what their body language implied.

“Is Dr. Zhou here, too?” Alex asked, surprising Kara all over again.

Firstly, Alex hadn’t even bat an eyelash when Kara had revealed that she knew Indigo, and secondly, how did Alex know who Lauren Zhou even was? Knowing Indigo was one thing, they could have easily met at a bar or another such place, but Dr. Zhou rarely left her home when she wasn’t working. She could be sociable, and she was very friendly, but she also liked the quiet, and the solitude of her apartment.

The only explanation was that Alex knew Dr. Zhou and Indigo because she was a patient of theirs, but… no, that made even less sense. Lauren only counseled… super powered… people…

Kara could feel herself scream internally.

Was Alex secretly a superhero and Kara had no idea? Were they both disguising their true identities from one another, desperately working to hide lives they feared the other might never understand? Had Kara missed any signs? If so, how could she not have noticed?

The only way to get an appointment with Dr. Zhou was to be referred.

If only J’onn were here to help her out with his mind reading abilities. He’d opted out of attending, for fear that his appearance might draw too much attention to Kara Kent and put them both in more danger. Neither one of them wanted to risk the hero menace movement getting the idea that the mild-mannered artist and Supergirl were one and the same. And J’onn still didn't like to use his powers.

“She’s around here somewhere, I’m sure. She doesn’t socialize much, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to support Kara,” Indigo replied, pulling Kara momentarily out of her miniature panic attack. “She’s much more interested in the artwork, of course.”

“Oh, yes, I can imagine,” Alex said, nodding in understanding, only further cementing Kara’s theory. How else would Alex know that Lauren loved art, if she’d never been to her office? Indigo and Alex had also been very careful not to mention where they knew each other from, standard practice if Alex had really sought out therapy with Dr. Zhou, to protect Alex’s privacy and confidentiality.

The thought sparked something else within Kara, something warm and protective.

Alex had sought out therapy.

Of course, there were a million reasons to seek treatment, and Kara respected each and every one, but it did make her wonder what had caused Alex to reach out. Had it something to do with that year Alex hadn’t been in Gotham? With why she’d moved to National City, leaving behind friends and family? It had to.

But Alex couldn’t be super powered, could she?

She’d shown no indication of being different.

But then, neither had Kara. Or at least she’d tried not to show that she was an alien from another planet. Was Alex even human? Was she, too, a traveler from a faraway galaxy? In any case, human or not, Kara realized there were many things she didn’t know about her detective, and she couldn’t wait to find out more.

-

“Hey, are you okay?” Alex asked, after Indigo had left them to rescue Dr. Zhou from a truly uncomfortable looking conversation with a man who’d apparently never been introduced to the concept of personal space. “You’ve been very quiet these last few minutes.”

Alex worried that she’d said something to upset Kara, or that the excitement of the evening was starting to wear Kara down. She imagined the whole ordeal might be taking its toll on her.

“We can go into the backroom for a while, if all of this is too much for you. Get you a drink of water.” When it was apparent Kara still wasn’t fully paying attention, Alex became truly concerned. “Maybe fool around a little...”

That seemed to have done the trick.

“What?” Kara asked, looking a little startled and like she was finally emerging from whatever fantasy world her mind had drifted off to. “What did you say?”

Smiling a little, Alex pulled Kara to the side and rubbed her arms.

“Are you okay? Do you need a moment to yourself?” She repeated, wondering how she could help Kara best. Her eyes flit around the room, looking for Lucy, thinking that maybe she should get her over here instead. She’d known Kara for longer and would likely know better what to do.

What she saw instead was Selina, walking across the floor, her long black dress swishing along her legs as she approached Jamie King, Kara’s benefactor, who was walking towards Selina, too, Joan nowhere to be seen.

They barely seemed to make eye contact when they stopped in front of one another, their hands joining and shaking, hardly any words being exchanged. Alex saw the smirk on Selina’s face, before her eyes flit down to their handshake. When they parted, Alex was half convinced she’d seen a flash of white. A piece of paper, perhaps?

The whole thing was worrying, especially considering Selina’s line of work. If Jamie King was somehow shady and dangerous, Alex wanted to know about it, before Kara accepted any more money from her. Who knew where that money had come from?

“I’m okay, Alex, I promise,” Kara murmured, nuzzling her face against Alex’s temple. “I’m just a little tired. Tonight has been one emotional roller coaster.” She sighed a little against Alex’s hair, her free hand coming up to cup Alex’s neck. “Thanks for being here.”

Heart seemingly skipping multiple beats, Alex pushed away the worry about Jamie and Selina. Tonight was about Kara, and making Kara happy; she could think about all the other stuff tomorrow.

“Thanks for inviting me,” she said, smiling gently as Kara pulled away, her energy seemingly replenished after this small, intimate moment between them. Alex didn’t believe in fate, or soulmates, but if she did, she had a feeling it would feel much like this.

She was pulled out of her musings when she noticed a monster of a man walking towards them, waving enthusiastically, a big grin on his face. He was at least six feet tall, his black suit barely hiding his impressively muscled stature. His hair was black and he was wearing glasses that reminded Alex of the pair on Kara’s face. His posture was off, his shoulders slumped down a little, as though he was trying not to stand out.

A second later, Kara noticed him, too.

“That’s my cousin Clark,” she whispered into Alex’s ear, looking even happier and more relaxed than before, while Alex simply blanched. Of course Kara’s cousin Clark would be a huge, gigantic man with biceps as thick as Alex’s thighs.  _ Of course _ .

“Is he a professional football player on the side or something?” She asked, already dreading the threat that would no doubt burst forth from Clark Kent’s mouth as soon as he saw her and realized who she was. First Lucy, then Lois, then Mr. Kent. Why not go for the quadruple whammy?

“What? No, he hasn’t played football since high school,” Kara said, back straightening up, no doubt already anticipating the bear hug her cousin would give her.

“Bodybuilder?” Alex followed up, swallowing hard.

“No, he helped a little on the family farm when he was younger, but he’s a journalist for the _ Daily Planet  _ now, you know that.” Kara smiled brightly and left Alex’s side to throw her arms around her cousin, his smile just as happy and wide.

Meanwhile, Alex gulped, wondering what on Earth the Kents had been feeding those kids on their farm during puberty to make them shoot up like sturdy trees. Kara wasn’t as muscular as Clark, but she, too, was tall, and her body far too ripped for someone who hadn’t shown any interest in sports since Alex had met her.

Those Kent family genes sure were something.

“I missed you, I’m so glad you could make it,” Kara said, hugging Clark so tightly Alex was afraid he was going to break. “Are things okay in Metropolis? Did the, um, the work problem get resolved alright? Or do you need to go back soon?”

“It’s not perfect, but they can survive without me for an hour,” he replied, finally letting Kara go. “I just wanted to swing by to at least say hello and look at your new artwork.” He squeezed her shoulders in a brotherly fashion. “Care to give me the tour?”

It didn’t seem possible, but Kara’s smile became infinitely wider.

“First, I want you to meet Alex,” Kara said, pulling Clark along by the arm to where Alex was standing, heart pounding and chest seizing up with trepidation, sweat gathering at the small of her back. While Clark  _ seemed _ like a nice man, Alex had learned very early on in life that looks could be deceiving.

“Hi,” Clark said, holding out his huge fingers, “I feel like I know you already. I’m Clark Kent.” They shook hands, Alex trying not to show how worried she felt about how Clark would react to her. “My mom has told me all about you.” His handshake was firm, but only meant to convey his enthusiasm. “The Kent family grapevine. Kara talks to mom and mom talks to me.”

Feeling a little more secure, Alex smiled.

“It’s great to meet you, Kara has told me a lot about you, too,” she replied, relaxing even further when Kara returned to her side and intertwined their fingers. “I’m sure you’re going to love Kara’s new paintings. I’ll just get the two of you something to drink, give you some time to catch up.”

“Thanks, Alex,” Kara said, giving Alex a kiss on the cheek, which never failed to make Alex feel good about herself and what they had. “I’ll start showing Clark around. See you in a minute.”

And with that, Alex was off.

-

When all was said and done, and the gallery was empty, Kara and Alex slunk off to Siobhan’s office.

The goodbyes had taken a considerable amount of time, especially because everyone who mattered to Kara in some way wanted to give her multiple hugs. Clark had to physically separate Lois from Kara, because she wouldn’t stop holding on and gushing about how proud she was. It was sweet, and made Kara happy, but now she was glad they were all gone.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this emotionally exhausted in my entire life,” Kara groaned, slumping down on the couch and letting her head fall against the armrest, her glasses riding up her nose a little at the impact. “Tonight was great.”

It was now two in the morning and they’d only just managed to kick out the last of the stragglers. The champagne had been almost completely finished and the hors d’oeuvres had been ravaged. Kara couldn’t even keep track of how many paintings of hers had been sold. All she wanted now was to relax and have some alone time.

“You did great,” Alex said, her black suit jacket slung over one arm. She set it carefully down on the glass coffee table in front of the couch and loosened her tie, undoing the top two buttons of her white shirt. Unwittingly, Kara bit her bottom lip. “I don’t think tonight could have gone any better.”

Lifting Kara’s legs, Alex sat herself down, slid off Kara’s high heels and started massaging her feet, obviously worried that they might be hurting from the six hours Kara had spent standing and walking on them. After all, she didn’t know Kara was Kryptonian.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to feel anxious about being gross either, because she’d never sweated a day in her life that didn’t involve some sort of kryptonite problem or a super fight.

However, despite the fact that her feet were perfectly fine, Kara saw no reason to complain.

“I’m so happy,” she said, slumping down a little further and closing her eyes, enjoying the feeling of Alex taking care of her. “I don’t even care that we’re going to have to tidy up the entire gallery tomorrow. Or today, I guess.”

“I can come by and help, if you like? I don’t start desk duty until Monday.” Alex’s thumbs worked the ball of Kara’s right foot, making Kara truly relax for the first time all evening. “I could guilt trip Selina into coming, too.”

Kara sighed in pleasure at Alex’s ministrations, too emotionally strung out to care about the noises she was making.

“I think Siobhan’s got the whole  _ coming _ thing down in terms of Selina,” she said, voice languid and rough from relaxation, folding her hands over her stomach. If she wasn’t careful, she might just fall asleep right here.

“What do you mean? Did Siobhan ask Selina to come by and help clean this place up?” Alex asked, looking adorably confused when Kara opened one eye to stare at her, just to see if her question had been genuine. Apparently, Alex really didn’t know what had gone down between her friend and Siobhan. She looked like a confused little puppy.

“Yes,” Kara said softly, smiling as she sat up on the couch and swung her legs down to the floor. “Yes, that is exactly what she did.” Feeling warm and content, Kara curled herself against Alex’s side and buried her face in her neck. “If you want to, I’d love to have you here. I don’t even care if you help out or not.”

Her hand settled on Alex’s tie, pulling on it gently and wrapping it around her finger.

“I think we should take a picture,” Alex said, sliding her phone from her pants and turning it on. Her lock screen was a photograph of Trish sleeping peacefully next to what looked to be a carnivorous plant and a beaver plushie. “To commemorate this moment.”

Looking away politely while Alex punched in her PIN code, Kara thought about how lucky she was, to have so many people come to her vernissage. So many people who loved her and whom she loved in return. Her life was rich and full and she’d never take any of them for granted.

The only two people now left in the building, besides Alex and Kara herself, were Lucy and Siobhan, making sure no one had been forgotten or left behind, and turning off most of the less important lights. Everyone else had been appropriately shaken hands with, hugged, or cuddled, and sent on their way back to their hotels and homes.

“Alright, let’s do this,” Alex finally said, the camera app open on her phone, turned to the inside camera. “Do you mind if I send this to my friends Pam and Harley afterwards? I just want to let them know that it all went well, and show them what they missed.”

Kara didn’t even have to think about it. If Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn meant so much to Alex, she would suck it up and try to see the good in them, too. It was very likely only a matter of time before Kara would get to meet them anyway. And if they were just as charming and all over the place as Selina, she didn’t have any trouble believing that they would get along just fine.

“Of course. Let’s take a few pictures. My phone needs a new background,” she said, her and Alex’s cheeks pressed together and smiling up at the camera. At the last second, she turned her head and laid a kiss against the soft skin instead, feeling more than a little satisfied when Alex’s face noticeably flushed.

“Sneaky,” Alex whispered, smile a little lopsided and devastatingly sexy. “Harley and Pam are going to have a field day with that one.”

“Let’s take another one. For the Kent family group chat,” Kara whispered, turning her face away from Alex and back towards the camera. If she didn’t occupy herself with something else, she would kiss Alex. She would kiss her, push her down onto this couch, and she would take that delicious mouth. Over and over again.

“Of course you have a Kent family group chat.” Alex shook her head and grinned, leaning her temple against Kara’s. “Your family is so tightknit, it’s amazing.” They both smiled and took another picture. Then a few more, just in case one of them was out of focus.

When they were done, Alex lowered the phone to her lap and started swiping through the pictures, Kara’s hand sliding from Alex’s tie to her stomach, needing desperately to  _ touch _ , to feel closer to Alex in whatever way possible.

“I’ll forward you the pictures,” Alex said, her fingers moving across the screen seemingly at lightning speed. While she worked and called up the window for her group chat with her friends, Kara nuzzled her nose into Alex’s throat and breathed in her scent, listened to her steady heartbeat. It was always a thrill to hear its slight elevation due to Kara’s proximity.

“Thanks…” Kara whispered, aching to press her lips against Alex’s throat, to taste her skin. Her detective smelled delicious. Most of Alex’s perfume had worn off throughout the night, but Kara’s Kryptonian nose could still pick up the key notes here and there. Citrusy, fresh,  _ inviting _ .

_ You’re not a vampire, Kara, stop acting like one _ , she thought to herself. Still, she was powerless to stop her nose from running along Alex’s skin, up until her lips made contact with her impeccable jawline. Kara was pretty sure it could cut glass if need be.

Alex had stopped moving, her fingers hovering over the phone. Her breathing had slowed down considerably and she seemed to be waiting for Kara’s next move.

Kara’s senses were tuned to Alex’s frequency, to the thrum of her blood, the sound of her heartbeat, the warmth and softness of her skin. Nothing else mattered as she slid her hand from Alex’s stomach up to her neck, cradling her as she pressed small butterfly kisses against Alex’s jaw and the underside of her chin.

“Kara?” Alex asked breathlessly, her hands trembling on the phone. It was like Kara could feel the small vibrations in her own limbs, her own fingers trembling in response to Alex’s emotions. With every kiss, Kara lost herself further in Alex.

“ _ I missed you _ ,” Kara husked, barely audible between kisses, her thumb sliding up and over Alex’s bottom lip. “I missed you so much.” Alex’s breathing became shaky, and Kara half-anticipated her to drop the phone. “Alex.”

Slowly, Kara straightened up, her face hovering in front of Alex, their noses almost brushing against one another. Kara’s thumb brushed over Alex’s bottom lip again, feeling its texture. It had been over a month since she’d allowed herself to touch those lips.

No one else was here, no one else mattered.

Alex’s eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted.

“I missed you, too,” she whispered, just as Kara started leaning in, almost bridging those final few millimeters of space that separated them. She was  _ so close _ .

Then, out of thin air, the sound of a cellphone camera going off pulled Kara out of her Alex-induced trance, making her jump back immediately, the force of her movement so intense she fell to the floor with an ungraceful grunt. Alex’s phone flew across the room.

“Oh shit, no, no, get back on the couch and finish what you started, goddamn it,” Lucy’s voice filled Kara’s mind, her eyes moving over to see her best friend’s apologetic face. “No, I forgot to turn off the sound. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

She seemed genuinely remorseful that she’d caught them both so off guard, which Kara attributed to the fact that Lucy knew very well just how much Kara had wanted this kiss to happen. Well, the series of kisses that would have likely followed.

“Luce, it’s fine,” Kara said, just as Alex pushed herself to her feet to pick up her phone, her face beet red, her hands still shaking. “Are you done out there? I really just want to go home.” She wasn’t angry at Lucy, she was simply disappointed.

When Lucy stalked over to Alex to help her find her phone, Kara placed her fingers on her mouth. Even though they hadn’t touched Alex’s lips, they were prickling dangerously. For a moment, she wished she hadn’t spent so much time kissing Alex’s neck. But then again, lavishing attention on Alex’s pulse point and feeling her grow ever more pliant under her touch had been a beautiful experience.

Pushing herself to her feet, Kara used her x-ray vision to locate Alex’s phone.

“It’s under the desk,” she said, too tired to care about the fact that Alex might wonder how she could possibly know that. If her instincts were right, Alex would understand. Even if she didn’t have super powers herself, even if she was human, the fact that someone had referred her to Lauren Zhou spoke volumes about her trustworthiness.

Thirty seconds later, Alex’s head popped up from under Siobhan’s desk, and their eyes met.

And Kara knew unequivocally.

She’d made the right choice.

-

> [Harley’s Quinning]: Nice pic but when r we gonna have a 4some, tho?  _ Sent 2:21am _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 25k of vernissage. I hope everyone is happy!
> 
> as always, beta-d by the wonderful Coara
> 
> If you want to chat, find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr.


	14. Totally Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RED ALERT PART OF THE CHAPTER WAS MISSING THE FIRST TIME I UPLOADED IT OMG AKA I THINK MAYBE THE ENTIRE BACK HALF
> 
> Things transpire after the vernissage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i cannot believe i accidentally deleted part of the chapter wtf how did this even happen i checked the entire thing WTF
> 
> ANYWAY HERE'S CH14 I HOPE EVERYONE WHO READ IT REREADS IT HAFHSDG

Feeling perfectly content, Kara curled onto her right side so the sunlight from her window could shine directly onto her face. She always kept the curtains and blinds open overnight, not just to invite in the sun in the morning, but also to ensure she wouldn’t have to worry about crashing through the blinds when she was called away on important Supergirl business while it was still dark out.

She was speaking from experience.

The sun felt amazing on her skin, and she instantly felt supercharged as she soaked in its energy.

It was much easier to trick her body into thinking she was a morning person with Earth’s yellow sun in her corner. When she was experiencing one of her so-called _Solar Flares_ and couldn’t use her powers, getting up early was much less fun.

Stretching her arms out over her head, Kara sat up and pushed her hand through her unruly hair, her fingers getting stuck in some places. She should’ve washed out the hairspray before going to bed, but she’d been so emotionally exhausted, she’d done little more than undress and fall into bed.

As she pulled herself to her feet now, Kara’s mind drifted off to how perfect the previous night had turned out to be.

Seeing her family and friends, being with Alex, and talking to so many important people who were interested in her work had been an out of this world experience. She still couldn’t believe it had really happened.

Smiling a little to herself, Kara shuffled over into the bathroom to do her business and take a shower. Before she’d even pulled aside the curtain, a quick look at her phone showed her that she had three missed calls from Siobhan and one from Lucy. Seeing their names pop up worried her a little, and she sighed.

So much for the long relaxing shower she’d just been looking forward to.

Instead, Kara super sped her way through her morning routine, cleaning her teeth and washing her hair almost faster than the water could touch her skin. It didn’t take her more than five minutes to be done with the whole thing. Gone were the _Star Wars_ pajamas, replaced with a pair of light grey pants and a dark blue sweater on top of a white button-up.

If she was going to help clean up _The Silver Banshee_ today, she didn’t want to have to worry about wearing a skirt or a dress. After all, the only person that Kara wanted to be able to look up her skirt was Alex.

At the thought of her almost-girlfriend, Kara sat down at her kitchen island and pulled out her phone, scrolling through their last text messages from the previous night to get to the pictures Alex had shared with her. Grinning to herself, she selected the one with the cheek kiss and set it as her new background picture. Alex’s surprised face was among the most adorable things Kara had ever seen.

As she exited out of the window, she spotted the Kent family group chat. Her smile was wide with pleasure as she saw the positive comments her family had sent her about the photograph she’d forwarded to them. She had a feeling once Alex and her had been together for a while, Aunt Martha would print out the photo and frame it for the Kent family photo wall.

With a feeling of happiness in her chest, Kara grabbed herself a bowl from the cupboard above the sink, and made herself some sugary sweet cereal. Lucy and Siobhan could wait for a few more minutes while Kara chowed down on food. Being a Kryptonian had its perks, but Kara wanted to load up on as many carbs as she could before she left her apartment.

It was now eight fifteen.

When she’d polished off four bowls of cereal, Kara finally felt ready to go. Hopefully Siobhan wouldn’t be too angry with her for taking care of herself. Kara was willing to rush a great many things, but eating really wasn’t one of them.

She was just about to get up from her stool, when her phone lit up with a new text message.

Most likely Siobhan or Lucy, giving her a stern talking to.

To her surprise, it was a number Kara didn’t recognize, and she clicked on the little icon before she could stop herself. A second later, she was staring down at the most adorable picture she had seen in her entire life.

It was a photograph of Alex, sleeping peacefully on her stomach, her face turned towards the camera, Trish sleeping on her back, the tiny cat’s head nuzzled into the nape of Alex’s neck. Alex’s hand was curled around a stuffed animal beaver, her hair was disheveled, and she was wearing a dark blue t-shirt. Face relaxed, the lines around her eyes and mouth were almost completely gone. She looked… peaceful.

Attached to the picture was a message that Kara had barely paid attention to when she’d enlarged the photo.

 

 

> [Unknown Number]: Thought you might appreciate this after all of your hard work yesterday! xoxo -Selina. _Sent 8:23am_.

For a few seconds, Kara could do nothing but stare in disbelief at the fact that Selina Kyle had sent her a text message containing a picture of a sleeping Alex Danvers. She guessed, now that she thought about it, that it could be constructed as a thoughtful gesture, if a slightly weird one.

Kara wasn’t sure how to respond, considering she had no idea whether or not Alex had actually consented to Selina taking the picture. Given Selina’s special brand of friendship, Kara had a feeling she already knew the answer to her question.

Selina had probably gotten Kara’s number off Alex’s phone, which meant she either knew Alex’s PIN code by heart, or she’d somehow broken in. Either way, Kara was glad Selina only seemed to be interested in embarrassing Alex and nothing more sinister than that.

When Kara didn’t start typing, another message popped up.

 

 

> [Unknown Number]: Did Supercop let you feel her puppies? _Sent 8:25am_.

Frowning, Kara got up from the kitchen island and pulled out a bottle of orange juice from the fridge. She had a feeling this would take a while. Now that Kara had Selina talking, she wanted to see if being friendly with the woman could work. At some point, she would have to get over her hang-ups and warm up to Alex’s best friend.

Yesterday evening had already helped greatly in that endeavor, when Selina had involved Kara in a truly riveting discussion about art, while Alex had been chatting with Clark and Lois about the latest crime wave hitting Metropolis. Kara had been surprised how nice and sociable Selina could be when she wasn’t trying to grab an ass or crack a joke involving some sort of sexual innuendo.

Talking to Selina had actually ended up being quite nice, something which Kara had been unprepared for. Sure, during the hours they’d spent together watching _American Horror Story_ with Alex, Kara had found the woman charming and funny, but there had still been that underlying niggle of contempt for what she’d done.

Now, though, Kara was actively trying to let it all go, so with a tap of her thumb, she added Selina’s number to her contacts. This was it, she thought, the first step to getting over her hang-ups involving Selina.

Last night, she’d decided she had made the right choice, now it was time to act on these feelings.

 

 

> [Kara Kent]: Which puppies? And thanks for the picture, is Alex awake already? _Sent 8:26am_.

Biting her bottom lip, Kara pulled a glass from one of her cupboards and poured herself some juice. She had to admit, she was a little nervous to be talking to Selina. What if she said the wrong thing and Selina would decide Kara wasn’t good enough for Alex?

She didn’t think she would, but still, just the slightest possibility was terrifying.

 

 

> [Selina Kyle]: I mean the puppies she hides under those t-shirts and button-ups. A+++. _Sent 8:26am_.

Kara blushed, trying not to imagine Alex with her shirt off. Touching Alex’s stomach gently last night had revealed little about what lay beneath, though creeping on her detective hadn’t been Kara’s goal anyway.

 _Now_ , she tried not to think about why Selina knew about Alex’s abs.

 

 

> [Selina Kyle]: Supercop’s still dead to the world. _Sent 8:26am_.

The follow-up text included another picture, this one only serving to make Kara blush even harder. It showed what Kara assumed to be Selina’s hand, holding up the dark duvet of Alex’s bed, revealing Alex’s Wonder Woman boxer shorts. There was a sliver of skin between Alex’s t-shirt and the elastic of the boxers.

She knew she shouldn’t keep looking at Alex’s butt, but the small Wonder Woman crests were making Kara unnecessarily jealous. For a moment, she wished they were small House of El crests instead, and that secretly, Alex had been hiding a huge crush on Supergirl all along.

Feeling a little guilty for her staring, Kara exited out of the picture and composed a reply.

 

 

> [Kara Kent]: I don’t think you should have sent me that. _Sent 8:28am_.

She hoped Alex wouldn’t find out Kara had seen the picture, even though she had a feeling this was just another one of her foolish dreams. Selina wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease Alex, especially not when she had something as juicy as this to milk for her entertainment.

 

 

> [Selina Kyle]: Supercop’s ass is the eighth wonder of the world. _Sent 8:28am_.

Actually cracking a smile, Kara had to put down her glass of orange juice and bring her hand to her mouth. It was highly inappropriate, and that underlying feeling of jealousy was still kicking around somewhere in her belly, but Selina was just so fantastically ridiculous, Kara couldn’t really be mad at her. Not for this.

And besides, Kara felt inclined to agree.

Before she could send her an answering text, her phone buzzed, indicating she’d gotten a message from someone else. She was unsurprised to find Siobhan’s name popping up, seeing as Kara had totally forgotten to call her back. Groaning, Kara clicked on the message.

 

 

> [Siobhan Smythe]: Come to the gallery RIGHT NOW. Something has HAPPENED. _Sent 8:29am_.
> 
> [Siobhan Smythe]: And I don’t mean my perfect hook-up from last night. _Sent 8:29am_.

Genuinely concerned, Kara grabbed her trench coat and keys and downed the rest of her orange juice, putting the open bottle back in the fridge and the dirty glass into the sink. Phone clutched tightly in her hand, she shuffled out of her home.

She would call Siobhan on her way to the gallery.

Apartment locked and trench coat tightly belted, Kara jogged down the stairs, while typing a text message for Selina at the same time, using her superior Kryptonian senses to make sure she didn’t trip and fall. There was a time and place to be clumsy, this wasn’t one of them.

 

 

> [Kara Kent]: I need to go, Siobhan said something happened at the gallery. I’ll call Alex later to explain everything. _Sent 8:30am_.

She walked briskly through the street, smiling at passersby as she hurried along the sidewalk. Ordinarily, she might have flown, but she didn’t want to make Siobhan suspicious with how quickly she’d gotten to the gallery.

She looked down when her phone vibrated in her hand.

 

 

> [Selina Kyle]: Oh no, I hope it’s nothing too horrible? I’ll wake up Supercop just in case xoxo. _Sent 8:30am_.

Knowing that it was horribly early and Alex probably needed much more sleep than Kara’s Kryptonian body, she felt a little bad about the situation. She had a feeling Selina might not be very gentle about how she’d wake Alex up.

With a sigh, she dialed Siobhan’s number.

Time to accept punishment for how long she’d slacked off on calling back.

The call connected almost instantly.

“Kara, what the fuck took you so long? I called you _ten times_ ,” Siobhan said as soon as she answered the phone, her voice seemingly more annoyed than frantic. Kara didn’t bother correcting her about the number of times she’d truly called. That would only lead to more trouble, no doubt.

“I’m sorry, Siobhan, I was in the shower,” she lied, smiling at someone pushing a stroller in front of them, keeping her mind focused on the possibility of something violent or criminal going on around her. Just because she was going about her own life, didn’t mean she wouldn’t still be there for her city when it needed her.

“Well, you better get your clean self over to _The Silver Banshee_ ,” Siobhan said, sounding a little mollified. “In case you didn’t get my texts, because you were too busy being wet, something’s happened and I’m too tired to explain it succinctly. Lucy’s here, too. Make it quick.”

And without another word, Siobhan cut the connection, leaving Kara more confused and scared than she would have cared to admit. It must have been something of more magnitude than Kara had anticipated, if Siobhan refused to tell her in a few quick words what had taken place.

Checking around herself to see if anyone was watching, Kara vanished into an alley and changed into her Supergirl suit. Then, she was off, hurtling herself through the air and reaching _The Silver Banshee_ in less than a minute. She’d just have to come up with an excuse as to how quickly she’d made it all the way over.

She was back in her regular clothes in the blink of an eye, just fixing her glasses when she left the alley next to the gallery and made her way quickly towards the glass doors. They were shimmering in the morning sunlight, and Kara soaked in the rays for just a few more seconds before pushing on one of the handles and walking inside.

-

Alex awoke to the sound of purring and the sensation of someone poking her ass.

She could feel Trish’s four tiny paws pressed into her upper back, the fur on her tail ticking Alex’s nose. Alex could also hear a voice whispering quietly, no doubt conversing with Trish while doling out cuddles and kisses.

“What time is it?” Alex groaned, choosing to ignore the poking for now.

“It’s eight thirty,” Selina answered, the mattress dipping under her weight as she sat down next to Alex’s thighs. Her hand settled on Alex’s waist, sliding under her old _BioShock_ t-shirt and stroking the skin she found.

“Ugh,” Alex groaned, trying to stay still so she wouldn’t dislodge Trish from her back, “what the hell is wrong with you? I went to bed five hours ago.” Stubbornly, she kept her eyes firmly closed and tried to ignore her friend’s quiet chuckling.

“I just got in, and I’m bored,” Selina said, letting her hand run further up Alex’s back, digging her nails gently into the skin. “Kara’s busy, too, and I need you to entertain me.” She pressed a small kiss against the dimples in Alex’s back.

Finally opening her eyes, Alex turned her head to the side to glare at Selina suspiciously.

“What do you mean Kara’s busy, too?” She asked, wiggling her shoulders a bit to make Trish leave her back. Sadly, her cat didn’t budge an inch, only mewling a little and bending her legs to make sure she stayed standing.

“I texted her,” Selina said, completely unperturbed. “Like I said, I just got in and I was bored. And _you_ were asleep.” Rubbing her nose along Trish’s head, Selina drew a heart on Alex’s shoulder blade with her finger. “I got her number off your phone.” She poked Alex in the butt once more with her free hand. “And I see you’ve changed my contact name, Alexandra.”

Glaring more fiercely than before, Alex pushed herself onto her elbows and rested her head on her left hand. She wanted to be angry at Selina for stealing her phone again, but she was too worried about what her best friend could have possibly said to Kara in her text messages. The thought of Selina and Kara talking about her made her a little anxious.

In retrospect, she was glad she’d changed [Supercop’s Favorite] to [Supercop’s Least Favorite] on her cell before Selina had had the chance to swipe it yet again. She’d had a feeling this small dig at Selina would come in handy at some point.

“That change feels pretty apropos right now,” she retorted, rolling her right shoulder a little in another attempt to jostle Trish enough to make her bugger off. In retaliation, Trish dug her claws into Alex’s shirt and skin to hold on. It stung. “What did you and Kara talk about?”

Clicking her tongue in disapproval, Selina shook her head.

“My revenge will be swift and painful,” she said, slapping Alex’s ass before picking Trish up around the waist and pulling her away from Alex’s back. Trish didn’t retract her claws quite fast enough for Alex not to feel the additional pain of sharp nails pulling at her skin, but she didn’t complain.

Swiftly pushing herself into a kneeling position, Alex got out of bed and followed Selina into the kitchen, where her friend set down Trish in front of her filled food bowl. Happily, Trish started munching away, while Alex placed her hands at her hips and watched Selina expectantly.

“So?” She asked, sitting down at her kitchen table and picking up the CatCo Coffee travel cup Selina had set down in front of Alex.

“So, what?” Selina asked, opening the fridge and pulling out the cream cheese.

“So… what did you and Kara talk about?” She wasn’t necessarily angry that Selina had reached out to Kara, because Alex really did want them to be friends, she just wanted to make sure nothing terrible had taken place. No forest fires that Alex would need to put out.

Taking a sip from her coffee, Selina pulled out a couple of bagels from Alex’s bread drawer and threw them over to Alex, who picked up a bread knife and sliced them in half before throwing them back, so Selina could pop them in the toaster. She’d taken in the newspaper, too, and Alex gave the cover a once-over while she waited for Selina to answer.

“We talked about lots of things,” Selina teased, winking at Alex over the top of her CatCo paper cup.

Grumbling, Alex leaned further back in her chair and cradled her own cup in her lap.

“I hope you weren’t rude to her. Or mean,” she mumbled, feeling immediately sheepish when she saw a slightly hurt expression cross Selina’s features. “Not that I think you would.” She amended, setting down her cup on the table and getting up from her chair.

The hurt expression was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

“Sit your ass back down, Alexandra, I’m fine.” Picking the first two bagel halves out of the toaster, she put them on a plate and handed them over to Alex, who immediately picked up the knife Selina had already placed on the table and slathered them generously in cream cheese. Meanwhile, Selina popped in two more halves and waited for them to toast before she answered.

“I just sent her a nice picture,” she said, sitting down next to Alex and slipping off her shoes, letting them fall to the floor unceremoniously.

Alex’s head snapped up immediately.

“Of what?” She asked, sweating nervously.

Grinning, Selina slid her phone from her pocket, fingers moving over the screen quickly. She reached out for one of the bagels with one hand while showing Alex the picture on her phone with the other. Staring at herself, Alex’s cheeks flushed red at how dopey she looked while she slept. If she wasn’t mistaken, she could see a bit of drool stuck to her chin.

“Asshole,” she grumbled, frowning and biting into her own bagel.

Licking the cream cheese from her lips, Selina wiggled her eyebrows.

“The girl is in love with you, Supercop, I bet she was totally thrilled to get that picture. That’s why I sent it. At some point, we need to show her some of your good sides, too, so she’ll stick around.” She patted Alex’s hand. “Which is why I also sent her a picture of your _ass_.”

Face growing even hotter, Alex glared fiercely, imagining Kara’s horrified expression. Even worse, she was wearing her fricking _Wonder Woman_ boxers. After all the times Alex had teased Kara about being a superfangirl, and now this?

“You’re dead to me,” she ground out, burying her face in her hands and breathing out slowly through her fingers, while Selina slid her naked foot up Alex’s left calf. Alex wished she could say she was surprised, but she had a feeling this was only the first in a long line of embarrassing moments Alex would have to learn to endure, now that she sort of had a girlfriend again.

This was new territory for all of them.

“Hey, at least I’m not angry with you, because you didn’t invite me to Kara’s vernissage,” Selina said, languidly placing her legs on Alex’s lap, most likely testing the waters about how angry Alex truly was. “You should be a little nicer to me, or else I’m going to lie, and tell Red and Harley I actually _was_ invited.”

Sighing, Alex placed one of her hands on Selina’s shin, picking up her discarded bagel with the other. Of course Harley and Pam were mock-disgruntled that they hadn’t been invited, and that Selina had _still_ somehow found a way to attend. She could tell that a combined visit from her two other friends was rapidly approaching.

“Do you honestly think Kara would have survived seeing all three of you at once?” Alex asked, hoping to shield Kara from her friends’ special brand of crazy for as long as she possibly could. She wanted to prepare her first. Prepare her for the inappropriate touches and words from three sides, instead of just one.

“Ye of little faith,” Selina answered, shaking her finger at Alex. “I don’t think you give my new girlfriend enough credit, Supercop. I bet you she’s a lot tougher than she looks.” She mock-shuddered. “And those arms of hers… they do look _deliciously_ tough.”

Pouting, Alex finished her bagel and wiped her hand on Selina’s pants, which earned her a glare.

“Stop perving on Kara and find someone else to bone,” Alex said, picking up her CatCo cup and taking a hefty gulp of her hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon. Selina just knew her too well, maybe she should start mixing it up a bit.

For a few moments, Selina just stared at her, then she narrowed her eyes.

“Where do you think I was last night?” She asked, looking like she genuinely couldn’t believe Alex could be this dumb, which Alex thought was extremely offensive, especially since she had absolutely no idea what Selina seemed to be so exasperated about.

“I don’t know,” Alex answered, shrugging. “I’ve learned not to ask questions where your nightly activities are concerned. I figured you had something important to do when you didn’t show up last night. I didn’t wait up for you.” Not much, anyway. Alex had waited on the couch for a good hour, watching _Jessica Jones_ , just checking to see if Selina would stumble in.

Smirking, Selina wiggled her eyebrows once more.

“Oh, trust me, I did have something _very_ important to _do_ ,” she said, looking supremely self-satisfied as she nipped on her coffee and gave Alex an unmistakable look of debauchery. “All night long. I kept very busy. I worked _so hard_ , you don’t even know. I thought I was going to go deaf from how much I made her scr-“

Smashing her hands over her ears, Alex jumped up from her chair.

“Okay, okay, I get it, you got laid, I don’t need the details,” she said, walking over to the couch and plopping herself down next to Herbert, who was sprawled out on Trish’s black kitty blanket. He wrapped his vines around her hand, and she obligingly started stroking his maw.

“Aw, baby, no need to be jealous,” Selina trilled from the kitchen, finishing her own bagel before chowing down on a second one. “I’m sure you and Kara will be consummating your marriage soon.” When Alex looked back to glare at her, she saw Selina high-fiving herself.

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

“We need to be kissing before we start consummating anything.” Realizing what she’d just admitted to, Alex stiffened, groaned, then slid down the couch until her butt hit the floor, so Selina would no longer be able to see her from where she was sitting. “Forget I said anything! Please!”

Herbert patted her head with his vines when she put it down on the cushion she’d just been sitting on. Behind the couch, she heard footsteps, and she watched as Selina’s head appeared above her, one eyebrow raised.

“Last night was her grand opening and you didn’t kiss her?” She asked, placing one hand on the back of the couch to steady herself while poking Alex in the cheek with the other. Alex pawed her away, closing her eyes and groaning one more time.

“We almost kissed in Siobhan’s office, but then Lucy interrupted us,” she said, figuring now that she’d already told Selina one thing, she might as well share the rest. Even if it did make her sound like a big doofus.

As though she weighed nothing, Selina vaulted over the back of the couch and landed behind Alex, setting down her feet on the floor, on either side of Alex’s shoulders. Concerned, she pulled Alex’s head back until it was resting in between her thighs. One hand under Alex’s chin, she let the fingers of her left hand slide down Alex’s chest, stroking her sternum.

“You make it sound like you haven’t kissed each other at all since you got back together,” Selina murmured, brushing Alex’s hair out of her forehead. Alex didn’t need to do much more than blush to confirm her suspicions. “Wow, Supercop, I knew you were moving slowly, but—damn.” She brushed her fingers along Alex’s frown lines, smoothing them out. “Now I almost feel bad that I got laid _so good_ and you didn’t.”

Immediately, the frown lines returned.

“Who did you hook up with anyway?” Alex asked, genuinely perplexed how she could have missed Selina seducing anyone last night. Sure, she’d been a _little_ preoccupied staring at Kara, but she hadn’t been completely blind to everyone else, had she? She didn’t think so.

Selina narrowed her eyes a little.

“I can’t tell if you’re messing with me or not…” She said, her fingers dancing over the back of Alex’s nose. When Alex just kept staring at her in confusion, Selina blew out a disbelieving breath and shook her head. “It’s like Kara slammed a very heavy object into your brain. I swear, Supercop, you never used to be this thick.” Alex would have been offended, if she hadn’t seen the small, fond smile on Selina’s face.

“I slept with Siobhan Smythe,” Selina finally revealed, both eyebrows raised, “duh.”

-

To Kara’s great surprise, Siobhan and Lucy weren’t the only people standing in the gallery. There was crime scene tape slung around the spot where one of her paintings used to hang, and two police officers were standing next to Siobhan while Lucy talked to Siobhan’s assistant a few feet away from them.

“Kara, there you are!” Siobhan called, waving Kara over impatiently. She didn’t comment on how quickly Kara had managed to get here, all she did was glare a little and place her hands at her hips. Now that she was here, Kara could guess why Siobhan looked so pissed off.

“What happened?” She asked, staring at the crime scene tape and the two forensic specialists searching the ground for clues. “Was there a murder here or something?” Two more police officers stood next to the crime scene tape, and another one was waiting just outside of Siobhan’s office.

“No, ma’am,” one of the police officers answered, pen and notepad clutched in each hand. The nametag on their jacket read _Officer Vasquez_. Kara had seen them around crime scenes before, and she knew they were good people. “Am I correct in assuming you’re Kara Kent?” The officer made eye contact with her, and Kara had a feeling she wouldn’t like the next thing she was about to be told.

“Yes,” she said, sliding a little closer to Siobhan for comfort, “yes, I’m Kara Kent.”

“This morning at around five am, _The Silver Banshee_ was broken into. I’m sad to say that one of your paintings was stolen, Ms. Kent,” Officer Vasquez said, looking perfectly professional.

The minute she’d seen the crime scene tape, Kara had known, but hearing it now still felt like a punch to the gut. One of her paintings stolen? She could hardly believe it. Her paintings were worth _nothing_ at this point, certainly not enough to steal them.

“W-Wha—who—do you know who did this?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Her first instinct was to fly over National City and x-ray every house she came across, but then her common sense kicked in. She couldn’t abuse her powers in that way.

Officer Vasquez nodded gravely.

“It appears the culprit was a woman who goes by the alias of ‘Catwoman’,” the officer explained, waving Kara along as they made their way into Siobhan’s office. “We caught her on camera.” The smallest of blushes spread across Officer Vasquez’s cheeks. “Well, I mean… she, uh, she posed for the camera, to be more accurate.”

Furrowing her brows, Kara followed them.

“But Catwoman lives in Gotham City,” Kara said, shaking her head. Why would she suddenly stalk around National City instead? It made no sense. And why would she steal a painting by a completely unknown artist? “What is she doing here?”

“That’s what we’re currently trying to establish,” Officer Vasquez said, sitting down in Siobhan’s desk chair and pulling up video files on the work laptop Siobhan usually left behind. “This is the security footage from last night.”

They hit the play button, starting the recording at 5:21am.

The gallery was dimly lit, considering the sun had already risen by the time five am had rolled around this morning. Kara and the others watched as a woman in a black catsuit walked casually across the floor, her figure accentuated perfectly by the tight leather.

“This is the only footage we have of her. She evaded all other cameras except for the one pointed directly at the painting,” Officer Vasquez supplied, as Catwoman reached up and plucked the canvas straight from the wall.

Then, to Kara’s great surprise, Catwoman turned, looked directly into the camera, and winked. Next, she saluted, before she walked back out of the picture, like she’d never even been there at all, leaving behind an empty stretch of wall and nothing else.

Kara could only stare.

“Do you have any idea why Catwoman could be targeting you?” Officer Vasquez asked, switching off the video and getting up from Siobhan’s chair. “Did you perhaps recognize her face in the video? Is there any way anyone you know could be Catwoman?”

Shaking her head, Kara walked over the couch and sat down.

“No, I don’t know why she would steal one of my paintings,” Kara answered completely honestly. She shook her head again. “I mean, I had my first big vernissage last night, so I guess it could be possible that she saw the painting and decided she wanted it, but… there were a lot of people here that I didn’t know.”

Siobhan had her arms crossed over her sleeveless black blouse, staring at Officer Vasquez with a mixture of exasperation and veiled interest. If this weren’t such a dire situation, Kara had a feeling that Siobhan wouldn’t hesitate to hit on the handsome, young police officer.

“It wasn’t a closed event, either, Officer,” Siobhan said, looking supremely displeased that someone had managed to breach her tight-knit security measures. “Anyone could have walked in and decided they wanted to steal one of Kara’s excellent works.”

Nodding, Officer Vasquez jotted down what they’d been told, before giving Kara a strong and steady look.

“We’ll do our best to find the person behind this. I’ve already sent a request to the Gotham PD for them to send over some of their more recent Catwoman files, and any information that might help us locate her.” The police person walked towards the couch and handed out a card with their name and number on it. “If you remember anything else that could be of use to us, please don’t hesitate to call.”

Nodding, Kara accepted the card and smiled weakly at Officer Vasquez.

“Thank you,” she said, getting back to her feet.

-

“You did what?” Alex asked, exasperation coloring her words.

“I slept with Siobhan Smythe,” Selina repeated, clearly enunciating each word as though she were explaining a difficult concept to a five-year-old. Something which Alex did not appreciate. “Oh, don’t look so disgruntled. It’s not like I tried to hide it from you. Besides, I did it for you and your girl.”

Like a freight train, Alex suddenly realized what Kara had meant the night before, about Siobhan having the whole Selina-situation well in hand. She shook her head, annoyed with herself that she hadn’t picked up on the signs. _That was_ why Selina and Siobhan had been standing so close to one another! Now it all made sense.

“And how does you hooking up with one of Kara’s friends help _us_ in any way?” She pushed herself to her feet and sat down next to Selina so she could look at her properly, without the confusing upside-down angle she’d been in before.

With a small, patronizing smile, Selina patted Alex’s naked thigh.

“The woman was trying to seduce you,” she said, making eye contact with Alex.

“No, she wasn’t.” Furrowing her brows, Alex thought back to the previous evening, and to Siobhan’s strange behavior towards her. Sure, she’d been a little more touchy-feely than might have been appropriate, but Alex had simply chalked it up to everyone being a little too excited. Surely she would have realized if Siobhan had tried anything with her. And besides, Siobhan was Kara’s _friend_ ; she’d never hurt her like that.

Selina face-palmed.

“I was a little distracted, alright?” Alex defended herself, conceding that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t have noticed if Siobhan had undressed right in front of her. She’d been far too busy making eyes at an excited-looking Kara.

“Yes,” Selina agreed, “you were very distracted undressing Kara with your eyes. And _yet_ ,” she continued, seemingly unable to stop herself, “you didn’t even score one teeny-tiny kiss from her. What is wrong with you, Supercop? Have I taught you nothing? Just kiss the girl already.”

Grumbling, Alex grabbed the TV remote, hefted Trish onto her lap, and turned on the television to drown out Selina’s smug expression.

“I’m just saying,” Selina teased, getting up from the couch to grab her half-finished bagel with cream cheese and both of their to-go cups from the kitchen table. Alex grunted in response, unwilling to engage Selina in any more banter.

-

Outside of Siobhan’s office, Kara followed Officer Vasquez to the scene of the crime, where Lucy was standing next to Siobhan’s assistant, both of them watching the two forensic people doing their work behind the yellow and black crime scene tape.

“Can you tell me the name of the stolen piece of art?” Officer Vasquez asked, pen and notebook still clutched firmly within their hands. They looked very serious, and Kara almost felt a little sheepish when she spoke the name of the painting out loud.

“ _Paws and Claws_ ,” she said, the name sounding a tad ridiculous now that she’d said it. “Maybe that’s why she took it?” At the officer’s perplexed look, Kara blushed. “It’s just, she’s called _Cat_ woman, and the painting showed three alien cats.” She shrugged. “Might be why she took it.”

Officer Vasquez nodded, jotting down the extra information. Kara was glad the case had been picked up by someone who so obviously cared about doing a good job, and who had always been very friendly to Supergirl. It didn’t surprise her, considering she’d most often seen Officer Vasquez hang around J’onn.

“Alright then, Ms. Kent. Like I said, if you have any other information for us, don’t hesitate to call at any time,” Officer Vasquez concluded, stretching out their hand and shaking Kara’s firmly. “I think we’re about done here. We’ll get out of your hair. Have a very nice day.”

“Thank you, Officer Vasquez,” Kara said, watching as the forensic techs started packing up the equipment and the five police officers started walking out of the gallery, one of them holding Siobhan’s work laptop under one arm.

Siobhan, Lucy, and Kara watched them go, waving as Officer Vasquez turned around and gave them all a reassuring nod.

“Right, so,” Kara said, watching Officer Vasquez and their partner get into their police car, “that happened.” She’d been so frazzled earlier she hadn’t even noticed the cars parked out front.

She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that someone as high-profile as _Catwoman_ would ever steal one of her paintings. There was no doubt that Kara felt annoyed and robbed, but there was a part of her that felt a little flattered. Just a bit.

The one thing she couldn’t quite wrap her mind around, was why Catwoman would purposefully let herself get captured on camera. Obviously, she’d wanted to let them know she had taken the painting, but the reason _why_ escaped Kara.

Was it for publicity’s sake?

To let National City know Catwoman would be rifling through its pockets soon?

Should Kara call up Batman and ask him for his insights into why Catwoman might be doing this? Or maybe she should just ask Alex, since she was best friends with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn and might even have a special connection to the thief herself.

As soon as the police cars were all gone, Kara turned back around to talk to Siobhan and Lucy about what they were going to do about the theft, when she was startled out of her musings by Siobhan grabbing both of her cheeks and planting a big, resounding kiss on her lips.

Kara froze, unsure how to proceed when Siobhan pulled away and fist pumped.

“Yes!” She called out, holding both of her palms up for Lucy to high-five, who only stared at her in weird fascination. Neither Kara nor Lucy had ever seen Siobhan act like this. It was completely out of character and Kara could tell they were both a little worried for their friend.

When neither one of them moved, Siobhan returned to her usual state of mild disinterest.

“Do the two of you not realize the magnitude of what just happened here?” She asked, her perpetually raised right eyebrow climbing even higher up her forehead. She placed her hands at her hips and looked at them with exasperation.

“Um… no?” Kara answered, still a little worried Siobhan was going to kiss her again.

Appalled, Siobhan shook her head in disbelief.

“Do you not understand what Catwoman just did for us?” She asked more aggressively, gesturing to the piece of white wall where _Paws and Claws_ had hung the night before. “She stole one of your paintings, Kara, which basically puts a target on your back. A target that says ‘I am worth so much money, give me all of it, because _Catwoman_ thinks my art is worth stealing’.”

She raised her hands again, though this time she put them on Kara’s shoulders.

“This gives us a legitimate excuse to raise your prices, Kara! Collectors and museums and Catwoman fans will all want a piece of you,” Siobhan continued, squeezing Kara’s shoulders with ever-growing excitement. “Your beautiful artwork will be seen all over the world. We’ll be making so much money, kiddo!”

And then, in what could only be described as a miracle, Siobhan let go of her personal boundary issues, and pulled Kara into a tight hug.

Feeling a little lost, Kara looked over to Lucy, who seemed to have grasped Siobhan’s revelation a lot better than Kara and was grinning from ear to ear. When their eyes met, Lucy clasped Kara’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze, to let her know it would all be okay.

With a flourish, Siobhan pulled away, taking Kara’s other hand.

“You’re going to make us all so, so rich, my friend,” she said, placing her free hand on Lucy’s shoulder, so the three of them were standing in a weird triangle shape. Kara knew Siobhan took her money very, very seriously. “Maybe you can even stop working as a barista in a few years and go into art full-time, once we’ve built up your profile even more. This is the first step, and Catwoman just gave us a huge leg up.” She squeezed her friends one more time, then let them both go, walking away and towards her office. “Oh, I could kiss that woman!”

Lucy and Kara watched her go, hands still clasped in between them, a small grin taking root on Kara’s lips as well. Now that she thought about it, she would get more positive outcomes from this than Catwoman did. The good publicity for _Kara_ would be far greater.

“Just don’t forget the gallery that got you here when you’re all big and famous, alright?” Siobhan called over her shoulder, all three of them laughing. Kara hadn’t anticipated how relaxed and excited she’d feel after her painting had just been stolen by a dangerous and violent supervillainess from Gotham City.

“Siobhan and I will get the story into the papers,” Lucy said, letting go of Kara’s hand so she could wrap her arm around her shoulders instead. “Soon, the phone will be ringing off the hook in this place.” She wrapped her free arm around Kara’s midsection, sighing happily. “And you don’t have to worry about a single thing. Just wait for the money to come rolling into your bank account.”

Wrapping her own arms around Lucy in turn, Kara smiled.

Today was the perfect follow-up to a perfect night.

-

 

 

> [Delicious Bubble-Butt]: Guess who just scored THE CATWOMAN CASE. _Sent 9:01am_.
> 
> [Delicious Bubble-Butt]: THIS PERSON. AWW YEAH. _Sent 9:01am_.

-

Selina and Alex were lounging on the couch, Alex with her laptop open on her knees, lazily browsing Tumblr, and Selina fiddling with her phone, texting Harley and Pam. The television was playing a documentary about sharks on Netflix, and Trish was curled up with Herbert on her kitty blanket.

“I can’t believe you really slept with her,” Alex said without consciously thinking about it, mainly because she couldn’t believe she hadn’t picked up on the signs herself. Her detective skills had seemingly disintegrated in the two weeks she’d been out of the precinct.

“I can,” Selina replied absentmindedly, without stopping her texting, “I asked her right in front of you.”

Sighing, Alex shrugged and accepted her fate. She had a feeling she would not be living this one down for a long time, not if Selina had anything to say about it. Though, to be fair, there were worse things to be mocked over.

Right now, Alex just wanted to relax and wait for Kara to contact her, to let her know she could come to the gallery to help the clean-up crew. She was more than ready to spend time with Kara again, even though they’d only parted ways a few hours before.

Her heart skipped a beat when her phone buzzed with a new text message.

As soon as she saw that it wasn’t Kara who had texted her but someone she suspected was Vasquez, if the reference to their _butt_ was anything to go by, she relaxed back into her slumped sitting position. Though her calm didn’t last for long.

With the phone clutched tightly in her hand, her head whipped to the side, a glare affixed firmly onto her face. Selina looked innocent, for all intents and purposes, but if these texts were to be believed…

“ _What did you do_?” Alex asked, staring at Selina with a mixture of apprehension and anger.

Selina didn’t even bother looking up from her phone.

“What do you mean?” She asked, fingers flying over her screen.

“Why is Vasquez texting me that there is a _Catwoman case_ open at our precinct right now?” She asked, already fuming inside. _Goddamn it_ , she thought, _goddamn_ _Selina_ , _goddamn_ _cat_ _brain_. Why couldn’t she keep her fingers to herself for once?

At the mention of Vasquez, Selina seemed to perk up immediately.

“Oh yes, right, that. Is Officer Vasquez working the case? That’s adorable, maybe I should pay them a visit,” she said, grinning a little to herself, texting ever-more furiously. When Alex didn’t say anything else, Selina finally looked up. “I just gave your girlfriend’s career a little kick-start and got myself a beautiful painting in return. Nothing big, it’s not like I killed anybody this time.”

A vein throbbed at Alex’s temple.

“It has cats!” Selina defended herself, stretching out her leg and poking Alex in the cheek with her big toe, something which Alex appreciated even less than Selina’s half-assed attempt at a justification for her theft. “I needed it for my collection.”

“You could have just paid for it, you know,” Alex grumbled, setting her laptop onto the coffee table and grabbing Selina’s annoying foot. “It’s not like you’re short on money, you could have done it the legal way.”

“But it’s so much more fun _this_ way,” Selina said, grinning and winking.

Alex shook her head, forcing Selina’s foot down and onto her lap.

“Do I even want to know how you got into the gallery?” Alex wondered aloud, head resting against the back of the couch, cheek pressed against the soft texture, mouth curved into a downward slope of resignation.

She knew Selina had meant well in her own twisted way, trying to give Kara some publicity for her work while getting what she wanted in the process. If she’d only been interested in the painting, she would’ve stolen it without leaving a trace, but Selina often used the cameras to her advantage. Manipulating public opinion however much she saw fit.

Alex had absolutely no idea how she would react to Kara telling her about the theft. She would be forced to lie for her friend, lie to the woman she was dating to protect Selina’s secret identity. She just hoped Kara wouldn’t ask her too many penetrating questions.

“I used a _key_ , obviously,” Selina answered, shrugging with little concern. At Alex’s disbelieving look, she went on. “Well, I had a few truly magical hours with Siobhan at her apartment. Trust me, that woman is immensely flexible and so very experienced.”

Scrunching up her face, Alex tried not to think about her best friend having sex with Kara’s colleague. There were just so many boundaries Alex didn’t want to cross with this thought construct.

“Siobhan was a little out of it after my famous _tongue twister_ , and I thought to myself, ‘that painting with those cats looked really nice, maybe I should go and get that before someone else does’.” Alex wished she could somehow weld her ears shut, her eyes closing from the emotional exhaustion of having to listen to Selina gush about her hook-ups.

“After she was asleep, all I had to do was get dressed and snag her keys,” she finished, looking supremely proud of herself. Most likely both for stealing the canvas and making Siobhan pass out after sex. “I brought her some coffee and bagels when I gave back her keys.”

“Yeah, because that fixes everything,” Alex grunted, rubbing her eyes with her right hand.

“No need to be so salty about it, Supercop, I also _bought_ one of the paintings,” Selina said, face smug when Alex looked at her through her fingers.

“You did?” Alex asked, surprise coloring her words. To be perfectly honest, she’d not seen that one coming. Selina rarely, if ever, bought the truly expensive things she liked. Most of the time, she traded in publicity, like now.

“Yes, Alexandra, like a truly respectable citizen,” Selina gloated, rubbing her nails on the front of the dark blue t-shirt she was wearing (one she’d plucked right out of Alex’s wardrobe). “I bought it for Red. I think she’ll appreciate the alien aesthetic of Kara’s artistic flora and fauna.”

Grumbling a little, Alex had to admit the gesture was sweet.

Still, she wished she didn’t know about the painting. Lying to Kara was the last thing she wanted to do, but now that she knew, there was nothing else she _could_ do. Revealing Catwoman’s true identity was out of the question.

She just hoped Kara wouldn’t ask.

-

While Lucy and Siobhan continued contacting journalists, Kara walked over to the small artists’ room to call Alex on her cellphone. Her two friends were beyond excited, talking over and along one another, completely in sync in their exuberance.

It was cute, but Kara didn’t care to understand half the things they were saying to one another. She was much less interested in the money than they were, even though she’d be happy if she could finance herself through her art alone. She didn’t mind working at CatCo’s, and no matter where she was, she’d always have the most rewarding job in the world: Being Supergirl.

She was more than ready to let her friends handle the finances and publicity.

Closing the door to the empty room behind herself, Kara looked around at the half-finished artwork and empty canvases that littered the walls, a number of easels standing in one corner. The room smelled vaguely of different kinds of paint, and Kara felt at home instantly among the inventory.

Sitting down on a couch often used as a bed, Kara pulled out her phone and dialed in her PIN code, smiling when the unlocked screen revealed the picture of her and Alex. So much seemed to have happened since she’d set their faces as her background barely an hour before.

Pulling up her contacts, Kara clicked on Alex’s name and pressed the call button, already nervously excited to talk to Alex again after their almost-kiss from the night before. Oh, how much she wished Lucy hadn’t accidentally interrupted them.

The phone rang four times before Kara heard Alex’s rough, gentle tones through the receiver.

“Hey, Kara,” she said, sounding slightly out of breath.

“Hey,” Kara replied, a little worried, “are you okay? You sound like you just ran ten miles. Did I catch you at a bad time? I can call you back later.” She didn’t want to end the call, not when she had her heart set on wrapping herself up in Alex’s voice, but she didn’t want to be a burden on her either.

“Oh, no, don’t worry about it,” Alex said, breathing slowly getting back to normal. “I just chased Selina through the apartment for changing my ringtones again. She’s hiding in the bathroom right now, because she knows otherwise I’m going to _kick her ass_.” The last three words weren’t aimed at the cellphone and Kara suspected Alex had shouted them through the bathroom door so Selina would hear them.

Kara didn’t have to strain her ears to catch Selina’s raucous, disbelieving laughter.

“What’s the new ringtone? Something dirty again?” Kara smiled, thinking of Selina coming up with inappropriate ringtones for Alex’s phone just to annoy her. She wondered if Selina had picked the tune specifically for the moments when Kara called Alex, distinguishing her from other people.

For a few seconds there was silence, then Alex mumbled something Kara couldn’t quite hear. Not without using her super hearing, at least.

“Alex?” Kara asked, hoping her almost-girlfriend would get the hint and speak up.

There was silence for a few more seconds, then the sound of shuffling feet reached Kara from the other end, before there was the noise of something hitting a heavy object, and Alex starting to curse wildly. Apparently, she’d slammed her foot into something. Or, possibly, her knee.

Kara had to work very hard not to break out into adoring giggles.

“Are you okay? That sounded painful,” she said, smiling to herself and running her hands through her hair while she waited for Alex’s pain to pass. Her detective really was a little disaster machine, and Kara had no idea how Alex managed her job, when her day-to-day life seemed so much more hazardous to her well-being.

“Yeah, ugh, I’m fine,” Alex grunted, obviously annoyed with her limbs. “I swear, that cupboard never used to be there.” Kara bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep her snigger contained. “I’m going to go sit on the couch. Nothing can hurt me while I’m on there.”

The l-word laid heavy on Kara’s tongue as she listened to the rustling on the other end of the line. It was too soon, it wasn’t the right moment, and she would never say it on the phone for the first time. And yet, it was tempting. Oh, so tempting. Mainly, because it rang so true.

 _I love you_.

“You’re adorable,” she said instead, stretching out on the couch and pressing her hand against the butterflies in her stomach. It was a compromise she needed to make for now. Their relationship wasn’t ready for words like this, and neither was Kara.

“Kara, we’ve had this discussion,” Alex whined, making Kara feel warm and gooey inside. “I’m a badass officer of the law, alright, I am not adorable.” A small mewling sound reached Kara’s ear and her smile widened even further.

“Sounds like Trish disagrees with you,” Kara teased, wishing she were there with them so she could cuddle that little cat to her chest. And maybe, just maybe, plant a kiss or two on Alex’s lips. In the privacy of her home… where no one could interrupt…

Obviously, they’d need to kick out Selina first, but Kara had a feeling she’d understand.

“She just tried to gnaw my thumb off, so her angry little kitten screams definitely weren’t related to you being completely wrong on all counts about my level of coolness,” Alex sassed back, making Kara chuckle quietly to herself. “I think she’s mad that I chased Selina through the apartment.”

Smiling brightly, Kara closed her eyes and imagined Alex’s face.

“I know what you’re doing,” she said, tapping her pointer finger against her abs. “You don’t want to tell me what ringtone Selina put on your phone, so you’re trying to distract me by being very cute, and very adorable. Well, it’s not going to work, Detective Danvers. I am onto you.”

When she was met with yet more silence, Kara knew she’d hit the nail on the head.

“Come on, Alex, it can’t possibly have been that terrible, can it? We survived _Effing You Tonight_ on our very first date, what could be worse than that?” She asked, hoping to encourage Alex to reveal the tune. Alex’s reluctance had made her curious.

“It wasn’t… it wasn’t anything dirty this time,” Alex said, finally relenting to her fate. If she’d been standing here in the room with her, Kara had a feeling Alex would have had her hands stuffed in the back pockets of her pants.

“Then what was it?” Kara asked gently, opening her eyes and staring up at the ceiling in anticipation.

“It, um, it was… _I Love You Always Forever_ by Donna Lewis,” Alex confessed, sounding more than a little shy and nervous. Like the revelation would cause Kara to rise up and demand an explanation, though all it did was fill her with a sense of warmth and belonging.

“Wow,” she said, lyrics of the song randomly invading her mind.

“Yeah,” Alex replied, obviously unsure of what to say.

“That’s…” Kara started, equally unsure.

“Yep.” Alex’s voice was a little high-pitched, as though her anxiety levels were reaching a new peak, which made Kara feel a little bad for her. Alex had been trying to be as respectful as possible, giving Kara as much space as she needed. She hadn’t pushed, she hadn’t gone in for a kiss, and she’d hardly felt comfortable taking Kara’s hand. “Really inappropriate, I agree. I mean, she, yeah, no, she shouldn’t have. I agree, definitely.”

“I was going to say that I think it’s actually very sweet,” Kara said, swallowing hard, wishing once more she were in the same room as Alex right now, having this conversation face to face. She didn’t like the thought of Alex feeling insecure about what they had.

“You do?” Alex asked, voice seemingly smaller than the cat she was no doubt clutching to her chest. At least, that’s what Kara would have done in a situation like this.

“Yeah,” Kara replied, her own throat suddenly clogged with emotion.

“Oh,” Alex said softly, “cool.” There was silence for half a beat, before she continued speaking. “I, uh, I was considering… if… maybe… I’d keep it this time.” Kara wondered if Alex was fidgeting, just like her. “N-Not because I—well… I just, I’m—“

“Because Alexandra is a huge fucking _sap_ ,” someone else’s voice suddenly interjected from the side, making Kara jump at its sheer volume. “You guys destroy me, I swear.” The voice was trailing off now, and Kara imagined Selina walking away from the phone. “Anyway, I’m out of here. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Alex didn’t say anything, and then Kara heard the sound of a door clicking shut.

-

“I’m sorry about that,” Alex said, face burning uncomfortably. She had a feeling she was the color of a fire hydrant right about now. She couldn’t believe she’d said all of that, let alone with all of the embarrassing stuttering.

“No, it’s okay,” Kara said, sounding flustered herself. “I know she means well.”

Humming in agreement, Alex let her hands glide over Trish’s exposed belly.

Secretly, she was glad Selina had interrupted them, because if she hadn’t, Alex would have kept stuttering like a mess, probably sinking her own ship even further. Accidentally admitting to things neither one of them was ready to hear.

“Anyway… I just wanted to call you to let you know we’re about to start cleaning up the gallery, just in case you wanted to come and join us. Maybe just to hang out, if you’re up for it. I know you probably didn’t get a lot of sleep.” Kara was talking quickly, like she was trying to push through the awkwardness that had set in between them.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll get dressed and take my motorcycle. Since Selina just left, I can’t keep my promise of bullying her into helping out, but I’ll try my best to pick up the slack,” Alex replied, trying not to let it shine through that she still felt embarrassed by all the things she’d just said to Kara.

Then, as though it were an afterthought, Kara continued speaking.

“Oh, and, um, be prepared for Lucy and Siobhan to be very excited,” she said, which made Alex stiffen. If this was because of… “Actually, you should know before you get here. Catwoman broke into the gallery last night and stole one of my paintings.”

Of course.

Closing her eyes, Alex brought her left hand to her face and sighed inwardly. She wished Siobhan and Lucy would keep the whole damn thing out of the press, but she knew it was a foolish dream. They would milk this story for every bit of money it was worth, and Alex really couldn’t blame them. Not when that was exactly what Selina had intended.

“She did?” Alex asked, trying to make herself sound like this was news. “What did she take? Did anyone get hurt?” She hated lying about it, hated having to pretend that she didn’t know. Hated having to choose between protecting Selina or being honest with the woman she cared for. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay,” Kara answered, seemingly fooled by Alex’s deception. “She took _Paws and Claws_ , the painting with the three kandorian cats.” When Alex hummed in recognition, she went on. “No one got hurt, because no one was at the gallery at five am.”

“That’s good,” Alex amended, cursing Selina inwardly for her rash decision-making. She hated the position her friend had put her in. If Selina had been here, Alex would have given her one epic kick in the shin. “Not the fact that she stole something, but that no one got hurt in the process.”

“Yeah… Actually, I wanted to ask you something.” At Kara’s words, Alex’s whole body seemed to seize up with fear and anxious anticipation. There it was, the question she’d been dreading. “I know you’re friends with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and they obviously know Catwoman, so I was wondering… have you ever met her? Do you know how to contact her, by any chance?”

Alex’s heart seemed to be beating overtime, but she forced herself to stay calm. She couldn’t avoid this direct question without making Kara suspicious, which meant she’d have to find a way to lie. She lowered her hand from her face and stared at the ceiling, Trish purring happily in her lap, perfectly unaware of her human’s struggle.

“I’ve run into her a couple of times,” Alex started, hedging a little for time while she tried to come up with some form of excuse why she couldn’t put Kara in contact with Catwoman. In a world where she didn’t know Selina, Alex might have been able to call up Harley and Pam to ask them about it. But not here, not now.

“I figured you had,” Kara said, sounding excited and relieved all at the same time, which only drove the spike further into Alex’s heart. “I don’t really know how to ask this, but…” Kara hesitated, like she didn’t want to accuse Alex of anything. “Is she a friend of yours, too?”

Stiffening, Alex straightened up on the couch.

“Kara… I don’t think getting in contact with Catwoman about the painting she stole from you is such a good idea,” Alex said, fully aware that her non-answer about whether or not she knew her was confirmation enough. “She’s not going to give it back and she’s not going to accept that what she did was wrong.”

There was silence for a moment, wherein Alex pulled over her laptop on the coffee table and flipped it open, Trish curling a little onto her side so she wouldn’t get squashed between Alex’s thighs and stomach.

Alex could hear rustling on the other end of the line as she booted up her laptop to check whether or not the theft was already being talked about on the internet. She hoped it wasn’t, but she had a feeling she’d be disappointed.

“Does it ever bother you?” Kara asked, her voice strangely gentle. The question surprised Alex, who had been prepared for scorn and rightful anger about her involvement with one of the most notorious thieves in the entire world.

“That my friends are self-described evil villainesses?” Alex asked in return, pulling up Google and typing _Catwoman News_ into the search bar before hitting enter. When Kara only hummed, Alex drew her fingers over Trish’s head and gave the question some thought. “I guess… I mean, they try to keep me out of their truly illegal stuff most of the time, because they know I can’t be involved in it.”

The news sites were teeming with the story of Catwoman stealing a painting in National City. There were even some pictures, no doubt pulled from the video feeds in Siobhan’s gallery. Alex suspected she’d made a copy of the tapes before she’d called the cops.

“It’s difficult to explain and most of the time I don’t even understand it myself.” She was struggling now. She’d come to terms with the fact that there would always be parts of her friends’ lives she couldn’t agree with, but putting it into words was making her come up short. “I know it sounds fucked up that I’m friends with people who are involved in so much sketchy stuff, but… they’re my family, you know? And I honestly think they’ve mellowed out a lot since we met.”

She could tell she was justifying herself at this point, trying to make Kara see that while she didn’t condone her friends’ illegal actions, she still considered them people worthy of love and trust. Her friends, who had been through so much with her, who had put her back on her feet after _the incident_ , who had helped her out of the hole she’d fallen into.

Her friends, who worked on themselves constantly, trying to do better for themselves and their families, trying to do better for _Alex_.

Pam, who was keeping a steady job at the lab, helping and maintaining animal and plant life all over the world. Harley, who roamed Gotham’s streets, doling out vigilante justice now instead of terrorizing them. And Selina, who used her connection to the underbelly of Gotham to find stolen artifacts and return them to their rightful owners, when she wasn’t busy playing mobsters against one another and providing struggling artists with publicity.

“Trust me, I’m not trying to justify their behavior, I just…” She grunted in annoyance and slammed the laptop shut with a flourish, angry with herself for how poorly she was handling this conversation. “I just don’t think talking to Catwoman about her theft is going to give you what you want.”

She had a feeling she’d done a terrible job explaining herself, and she wished the topic had never come up. Considering how her friends would never not be a part of her life, however, she understood the inevitability of this conversation. She’d just hoped it wouldn’t be an issue quite so soon.

What she hadn’t counted on was Selina making a move like this.

“Okay,” Kara started slowly, drawing out the word, obviously just as unsure about how to proceed after Alex’s failed attempt at an explanation, “I’m not going to ask you who she really is.” Alex raised her eyebrows at that, surprised at Kara’s kindness and understanding. “I don’t want you to have to break her trust, but… maybe… someday, we can talk about it?”

“Yes,” Alex agreed immediately, feeling relieved, her heart slowing down a little. “Yes, definitely. If she’s cool with it and once we’ve got a few more months under our belts…” The thought of spending so much time with Kara sounded amazing.

“Or years,” Kara said absentmindedly, making Alex feel choked up. “Sharing a secret identity can be terrifying, not knowing how someone will react… That’s always scary…” It sounded like Kara was speaking from experience, and Alex figured being from another planet would come with its own set of anxieties. “N-Not that I would know anything about that. I just mean, I can imagine how difficult it must be.”

She laughed nervously, bringing a small smile to Alex’s face.

“Yeah, it took Catwoman quite a long time to open up to me,” Alex said, thinking back to Selina sitting next to her on the floor, smiling, telling Alex her real name. Alex would never forget that moment. “You know… if you ever wanted to tell me something. Anything. I would be totally fine with it.” She knew she was treading on very thin ice here. She didn’t want to make Kara feel pressured in any way to come clean. “You could be from Mars or Jupiter and I’d still care about you. I’d still want to be with you.”

There was silence for a second, and all Alex could hear was Kara’s slightly labored breathing.

Maybe she’d said too much and pushed too far, but she needed Kara to know that she wasn’t afraid of people who were different from her. As far as she was concerned, Kara could have a secret tail or horned feet and Alex would still want to be with her, alien or not.

“W-What? What makes you say that? I’m totally human,” Kara said quickly, her voice shaky and nervous. “I was born on Earth.” It was like a defense mechanism had been triggered and all Alex wanted to do was calm Kara down. She’d said her piece, she understood Kara wasn’t ready, and she would not be the one to push Kara over any kind of edge.

“It’s okay, Kara, I just wanted to let you know how I feel,” Alex tried to reassure her, rubbing her forehead and looking down at Trish, who got to her feet and sniffed at the cellphone, still purring. “But if you’re human, that’s totally cool with me, too. Humans are great most of the time.” Alex had a feeling now _she_ sounded like an alien.

“I mean, if I hadn’t been born on Earth, you’d still want to be with me, right?” Alex asked, hoping this diversion would pull the focus from Kara and onto herself, so her girl could take a little breather and relax. Trish purred contently as Alex scratched her under her chin. “I _am_ dating a superfangirl, after all. I thought you of all people would understand.”

When she heard Kara’s bluster from the other end of the line, Alex knew she’d succeeded.

“I’ve told you a _million_ times, Alex, I’m not a superfangirl,” Kara grumbled, her voice back to normal and her breathing no longer quite as loud as before. Grinning to herself, Alex pressed a kiss against Trish’s head, which earned her an angry little mewl. “Are you teasing Trish, too?”

“Nah, I just gave her a kiss. She doesn’t like it when I kiss her,” Alex said, grinning when Herbert shuffled over for one of her kisses. He always preened when she bestowed one upon _him_. But then again, Herbert was happy whenever she paid him any kind of attention.

“I do,” Kara mumbled, almost too quiet for Alex to hear.

Blushing furiously, Alex thought back to the night before and how much she wished Lucy hadn’t interrupted them. And now, here, they were on the phone, when all Alex wanted to do was grab Kara, push her against the nearest wall and kiss her senseless, no matter who was standing around to gawk at them.

Feeling bold, she leaned against the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling again.

“I thought about it last night after I went home,” she whispered, voice rough, ignoring Trish who curled up on her lap and Herbert who wrapped his vines around her torso, feeling content just to feel her warmth. Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes, imagining Kara’s face. “Thought about kissing you.”

She pressed her free hand against her stomach, trying to quell the butterflies.

“Me, too,” Kara breathed, her words slightly shaky. “I… thought I might have been a little too forward last night. I know we didn’t have a chance to talk about it, so I wanted to make sure that… me… kissing your neck and jaw… that that was okay.”

At Kara’s words, Alex felt like she was reliving the sensations all over again. The feeling of Kara’s hand on her stomach, on the skin of her neck, on her mouth. Her lips caressing Alex’s jaw, driving her absolutely wild with desire.

Staying still had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done.

“Trust me, it was more than okay,” she said, trying not to sound too eager. She still wanted them to move at Kara’s pace, go as slowly or as fast as Kara felt most comfortable with. She didn’t mind waiting. However long it took, Kara was worth it. “So… should I get dressed and come over now? Before it turns out Lucy and Siobhan have cleaned up the whole place without us in their excitement?”

Giggling, Kara gave a disbelieving snort.

“I think Siobhan got maybe an hour of sleep and Lucy doesn’t really do cleaning. She’s much better at delegating other people to clean for her,” she said, bringing a smile to Alex’s lips, but only until she realized _why_ Siobhan had barely slept. “There’ll be plenty of things for you to do once you get here, trust me.”

“Alright then, I guess I’ll see you in about thirty minutes,” Alex said, disentangling Herbert’s vines and setting Trish down on her kitty blanket, before she got to her feet. “Maybe Siobhan should go home and sleep, if she’s not going to be of much help anyway? I’m sure her assistant can handle things, and it _is_ Sunday morning.”

Walking into her bathroom, Alex turned on speakerphone and set down her cell on the bathroom counter before sliding off her _BioShock_ t-shirt and kicking the door shut behind her. She needed to take a shower if she was going to be meeting Kara soon.

“Oh, no, Siobhan’s going to want to gloat about her one night stand for the rest of the day, and she can’t do that from home,” Kara said, her voice sounding a little tinny through the amplified speakers of Alex’s smartphone.

Standing in her boxers and nothing else, Alex looked at the bandage on her left arm before unwrapping it slowly.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me Selina and Siobhan were going to hook up,” Alex said loudly, letting the piece of fabric she’d just removed fall into the trashcan next to the counter. “I asked you and everything.”

Tinny laughter ensued, and Alex grinned as she inspected her bullet wound.

“I can’t believe _you_ didn’t pick up on the fact that they were flirting! They were standing right in front of you,” Kara teased, while Alex decided her wound was looking about as good as could be expected after two weeks of recovery. It still stung and the skin was red, but things were definitely looking up. “I think she figured out who Selina was, because she told me she hooked up with her to do me a favor.”

Snorting loudly, Alex slipped off her Wonder Woman boxers and threw them into her hamper. A shower would be good for her. It would definitely help clear out all of the cobwebs in her brain from how little she’d slept. After all, she wasn’t eighteen anymore.

“You know, Selina told me the exact same thing,” she said, turning on the water, waiting for it to get warm. “ _I did it for you and your girl_ ,” she mimicked, rolling her eyes and picking up the cell again, turning off speakerphone. “But as long as they’re having a good time, I guess.”

“Yeah,” Kara agreed, while Alex leaned her lower back against the bathroom counter and poked her own naked stomach. She’d really slacked off on her workouts and running routines after getting shot. “What’s that sound on your end, are you outside already?”

“No, sorry to disappoint you, I just turned on the shower. I’m about ready to get in as soon as we hang up,” she said, flexing her abs and inspecting them critically. Had there accumulated a bit of flab while she hadn’t been paying attention?

“Oh,” Kara squeaked, sounding just a tad flustered at Alex’s words, “well, I don’t want to keep you from getting wet—I mean clean! Clean!” She laughed nervously. “So you can come over here and help us—also get clean! I mean, not, not in the shower, but in the gallery.”

Blushing ten different shades of scarlet, Alex ran her hand through her hair and kicked her foot against the side of the bathtub, feeling a bit shy. She would’ve been amused at Kara’s stuttering, if she herself didn’t suffer terribly from the same problem.

She knew exactly what Selina would say in this situation, something along the lines of _guess who’s naked right now and thinking about you_ , but she didn’t think that would go over too well with Kara. And besides, that sort of talk wasn’t them. At least not yet.

“I’ll just get in the shower and then I’ll be right over,” Alex said, scratching her thigh a little self-consciously. “Twenty-five minutes tops. I promise I’ll try to hurry.” She tried not to imagine Kara’s blushing face, no matter how adorable it would look.

“Take all the time you need,” Kara stuttered, probably also trying not to imagine Alex. “The gallery’s unlocked, so you can just come in. I’ll probably be running around in the back somewhere or something. Um, I guess I’ll see you in a bit?”

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, walking over to the bathroom door and locking it, just in case Selina came home much, much sooner than she’d said she would. “Like I said, I’ll be there soon. Can’t wait to see you. Maybe we can have lunch or coffee after?”

“That sounds nice,” Kara agreed, voice forcibly back to normal. “See you in a bit. Bye, Alex.”

“Bye, Kara, I’ll see you around... soon.”

When they’d both hung up, Alex hit her phone against her forehead a few times, unbelievably annoyed at herself. Making Kara uncomfortable was on a very long list of things Alex didn’t want to do. Immediately preceded by acting like a total tool around Kara.

“Ugh, what is wrong with me. Fuck. Fuck me so fucking hard,” Alex groaned, before setting her phone into the docking station and turning on some music. She shook her head, pulling aside the shower curtain and getting under the warm spray of water.

Surely, by the time she joined Kara at the gallery, they had both forgotten about this awkward little encounter. And even if they hadn’t, Alex knew they’d push through it. If they could look past Alex’s questionable friends and Kara’s obviously alien origins, they could work through Alex talking to Kara on the phone while she was naked.

There was definitely nothing at all to be worried about.

-

 

 

> [Alex Damnvers]: What were you doing with Jamie King last night? I saw the two of you shake hands and I could have sworn I saw her pass a piece of paper to you. What are you up to? _Sent 9:55am_.
> 
> [Supercop’s Least Favorite]: A lady doesn’t kill and tell. _Sent 9:55am_.
> 
> [Alex Damnvers]: If something shady is going on with Kara’s benefactor, I need you to tell me! _Sent 9:56am_.
> 
> [Supercop’s Least Favorite]: Relax, baby, if Jamie had something sinister in mind, I’d tell you about it. Pls get that stick out of your cute lil butt. _Sent 9:56am_.
> 
> [Alex Damnvers]: Imagine me grumbling VERY LOUDLY. _Sent 9:56am_.

-

By the time Alex actually arrived at the gallery shortly after ten am, motorcycle rumbling attractively, Kara was still feeling flustered from their conversation. The knowledge that she’d been talking to her detective, while said detective had been _naked_ , had rattled her quite a bit.

Imagining Alex in any sort of undress was dangerous, but knowing that only a few blocks away, Alex was naked in her apartment… Well, Kara was only Kryptonian. Part of a race of people who were in control of their emotions… unless they’d been raised by humans, apparently.

Alex looked as gorgeous as always in her black leather jacket, and she smiled shyly at Kara as she opened the glass door to _The Silver Banshee_. She was wearing a steel-blue button up and a pair of tight jeans. When Kara’s eyes flit downward, she saw Alex had traded in her expensive dress shoes for her old, beat-up boots once more.

“Hey, I’m finally here,” Alex said, walking up to Kara. “Sorry I’m late. Trish fell asleep on the shirt I wanted to wear, so I had to pick out something else. I didn’t have the heart to take it away from her.” For a second, she visibly hesitated, before leaning up and kissing Kara’s cheek. “I hope you left some work for me to be done.”

Lifting up her hand, Kara adjusted her glasses, before sliding her palm against Alex’s and holding on tightly. She had a feeling Alex was beating herself up for how flustered Kara had reacted, and she didn’t want this small and ultimately insignificant little moment to come between all the progress they’d made together.

“Come on, you can help me put the glassware back into boxes. Siobhan’s people will take it all back to the catering service later,” she said, pulling Alex along with her and towards the kitchen where most of the glasses had been taken throughout last night’s event.

Together, they started putting away the glasses, working in comfortable silence, occasionally making a comment or two about the night before. About the food, the people, and how nice it had been for Kara to see most of her family again.

They didn’t talk about some of the more serious stuff, like the fact that Lois had very clearly threatened Alex _somehow_ the night before, no matter how much Alex had been trying to smile. Not to mention the fact that Kara had a feeling her Uncle Jonathan had probably said something to Alex, too, though he’d most likely been less explicit about it.

She hoped her family had gotten all of that bad blood out of their systems now.

“Did Siobhan mention that Selina bought one of your paintings?” Alex asked, grabbing three more glasses and placing them in the appropriate slots. She’d taken off her leather jacket and rolled up her sleeves, looking just as handsome as she did last night. Kara had loved seeing her in that fancy evening wear, but Alex Danvers in casual clothing was something else entirely.

“No, we haven’t had a chance to talk about how many of my paintings were sold. Siobhan and Lucy have been too preoccupied with the theft,” Kara answered, feeling touched and surprised that Selina had bought one of her works. “Do you know which one she bought? If she’d talked to me about it, I could’ve made her a slightly less expensive offer.”

“Trust me, Selina has plenty of cash, please feel free to charge her through her nose,” Alex replied, grinning at Kara, obviously back to normal after the shower incident. “I don’t know the name of the one she bought, but she told me it’s for Pam, because it’s about flora and fauna.” She shrugged. “I’m sure Pam’s flowers will love it.”

For a moment, Kara imagined her painting in Poison Ivy’s lair, even though she’d never been there. She imagined some sort of sewer, maybe, overgrown with plants and moss. And in there, somewhere, her painting, showing off Krypton’s most exotic flora and fauna, being appreciated and loved by Earth’s flowers and the woman who tended to them.

It was a nice thought, though it felt a little bizarre, too.

Supergirl’s canvas in Poison Ivy’s lair.

“I really hope she likes it,” Kara said, smiling at Alex and reaching out to squeeze her hand. “Maybe she can send a picture once she’s hung it up? I’d love to see where she’s going to put it.” It would also give her an opportunity to get used to the fact that she’d likely be communicating with Poison Ivy on a regular basis soon.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll send her a text about it. She’ll be thrilled,” Alex agreed, slipping out her phone to type up the message immediately. “I’m not going to be spoiling anything for her anyway, because I know Selina already told her. I had to wade through roughly forty messages of excited screaming this morning.”

Giggling, Kara let go of Alex’s hand and started putting away glasses again.

“I’m glad my art is making her so happy,” she said, putting down a full box of glassware and picking up an empty one. “At least with this one I know it’ll be in a good home.” All of her paintings were extremely personal to her, and every single one represented a small part of herself that she needed desperately to let go of.

Krypton didn’t exist anymore, and bringing her memories to canvas and paper had been helping her heal throughout the years she’d spent on Earth. The only paintings she never gave away, not even to show them off, were those she’d painted of her mother and father, their faces clearly visible. She’d never been able to bring herself to part from them.

“Alright, I sent her the message, I’m sure she’ll get back to me soon,” Alex said, stuffing her phone back into her jeans.

For a moment, they both worked in silence once more, Alex humming quietly under her breath and Kara happily adjusting her glasses and enjoying the feeling of domesticity that settled over them. Periodically, she snuck glances at Alex’s profile out of the corner of her eye, feeling more and more flustered every time she looked.

“I’m really glad you’re here,” she whispered almost without meaning to, simply thinking out loud. When Alex turned her eyes on her, looking stunned and relieved all at once, Kara smiled and turned back to the glasses in front of her.

More comfortable silence ensued, broken only by the sound of glass clanking against thick plastic.

About twenty minutes later, the number of glasses slowly starting to dwindle, Alex spotted Lucy vacuuming lazily somewhere outside the kitchen, and left to go talk to her about something. Kara didn’t bother asking her about what was going on. She was just happy Alex and Lucy finally seemed to be civil with one another again, and it was amazing to see the two of them standing together, talking to one another.

She didn’t bother listening in on their conversation.

Maybe it was something Catwoman-related, or maybe it was just Alex talking to Lucy about something that didn’t concern Kara at all. She didn’t even bother getting nervous when Alex nodded solemnly and Lucy gestured wildly with her hands.

Her almost-girlfriend and her best friend were talking and no one was being insulted or punched or shoved.

Life was good.

-

At roughly one pm, Alex and Kara left _The Silver Banshee_ to grab lunch at _Noonan’s_. Their hands clasped in between their bodies, they walked towards Alex’s motorcycle and put on their helmets, Alex shaking out her shoulders. After they had finished with putting away the glasses, they’d spent the last two hours carrying around boxes and canvases.

“I’m starving,” Alex groaned, patting her stomach before swinging her leg over the motorcycle. “Let’s go and stuff our faces. Having to listen to Siobhan gush about Selina having sex with her has scarred me for life.”

Shuddering, Kara sat down behind Alex, wrapping her arms around her waist and holding her tightly. She’d missed being on this motorcycle with Alex. Never again would she take this feeling for granted. Being pressed against Alex like this, from her chest down to her legs, was as exhilarating as it had been months before.

With a kick, Alex started up her machine.

“I’m sure the food will fix everything,” Kara called as they started driving, laughing about Alex’s dramatic words. Listening to Siobhan definitely hadn’t been fun for her either, but Kara had been far too preoccupied with watching Alex’s muscles look amazing to care about her friend being inappropriately explicit.

They reached _Noonan’s_ in less than ten minutes, parking in one of the lesser-used side streets and stowing their helmets inside Alex’s bike. Once the machine was properly locked and secured, Alex curled her fingers around Kara’s and smiled.

“I seriously need some food, or I’m going to drop,” she said, pulling Kara along quickly, taking no prisoners in her quest for sustenance. Thankfully, Kara was able to keep up just fine with Alex. “I need a sandwich or something, my stomach feels like it’s fileting itself from the inside out.”

Scrunching up her nose, Kara bumped her shoulder against Alex.

“Thank you for _that_ mental image,” she said, opening the door to _Noonan’s_ and immediately looking around to check if her favorite table was empty. When she realized it wasn’t, she pouted, but walked Alex over to her _second_ _favorite_ seat, a booth by the window with a comfortable half-circle bench and a round table. “Hopefully Lupita is working today. Maybe she can rush our orders a bit. Wouldn’t want you to actually _die_ from starvation.”

Sliding out of her trench coat, Kara grinned when Alex huffed and gave her a mock-wounded look.

“I came out to have a good time, and I’m honestly feeling so attacked right now,” Alex grumbled, shrugging out of her leather jacket before sitting down opposite Kara, who could tell her face had changed into one of sappy appreciation for Alex’s adorableness.

“That meme is so 2014,” Kara said, leaning her chin on her palm and stretching out the fingers of her free right hand for Alex to take. “Also I would just like to point out, that while I recognize your desire to be viewed as a badass police official, you are very, very cute.”

Even though Alex pouted at this description, obviously disagreeing with Kara’s entire premise, she intertwined her fingers with Kara’s on the table top.

The gesture brought an even wider smile to Kara’s lips.

-

Several sandwiches and milkshakes later, Alex and Kara were almost completely stuffed to the brim. For once, Kara hadn’t worried about looking like a crazy person for polishing off so much by herself, because Alex had been holding her own, chowing down on the impressive number of food items Lupita had brought to them.

Now, finally, an hour later, they were eating two pieces of freshly baked apple pie, which Alex was only all too happy to demolish while she told Kara all about her mother’s cat Caesar and how much he hated Alex on principle.

There were crumbs all over the corners of her mouth, and she looked like an adorable little dork that Kara wanted to spend the rest of her life with. After all the dates they’d had and the time they’d spent together, Kara could say with absolute certainty, that she felt truly comfortable around Alex again.

“I swear, that cat wants to kill me,” Alex said, stabbing her fork into the pie and giving Kara a serious look. “I don’t know why he doesn’t like me. It’s not like I’ve ever wronged him or anything. He just… decided he hated me for some reason.”

Smiling a little, Kara watched as Alex stuffed the piece of pie into her mouth, chewing furiously. It was obvious she took her mother’s cat’s resentment very personally.

“Maybe he doesn’t like your aura,” Kara said, shrugging one shoulder as she finished her final forkful of pie and swallowed it down. Licking her lips, she savored the rich flavoring for a moment longer, before looking at Alex, who was shaking her head.

“Selina has a habit of picking up misfits,” she said, wiping her cheek and only leaving more crumbs in her wake. Kara had a feeling her face looked about as sappy and in love as she felt. “That’s probably why she picked me to be her friend, too.”

Her fingers playing along Alex’s naked forearm, Kara listened to the sound of Alex’s steady heartbeat pumping away across from her.

“We’re all misfits in our own unique ways, I guess,” Kara mumbled, drawings circles on Alex’s skin with her pointer finger. She could feel the goosebumps rise under her touch, and the thought excited her. Feeling Alex tremble with pleasure underneath her… Definitely something Kara could get used to.

The thought brought her back to the night before, the moment she’d been reminiscing about ever since they’d been interrupted. Alex had been so choked with pleasure, she’d barely dared to move for fear of somehow breaking the spell. Kara remembered everything about that moment. Alex’s scent, the feel of her soft skin, the rapid beating of her heart. Her _taste_.

“I’m glad mom has someone that she can spend time with, especially now that I’m not there anymore, but did it have to be a vertically challenged panth-mh—“ The moment had been now or never and Kara didn’t want to wait anymore.

Without a word or a warning, Kara had slid around the table, next to Alex so fast she hadn’t even been able to finish her sentence. In exactly the same beat, she’d cupped Alex’s cheek and leaned in, gently pressing their lips together and closing her eyes.

Nothing about this moment was exceptionally romantic, except for the act itself. For a few seconds, she was content just feeling Alex’s lips against her own, feeling that soft texture again, committing it to memory.

Then, after another beat, Kara started to move, curling her hand more firmly against Alex’s cheek and shifting her head to the side, sliding her lips tenderly back and forth, enveloping Alex’s bottom lip in between her own, sucking and biting. Their noses brushed against one another as Kara tilted her head to the other side, moving more insistently.

Once the shock had worn off, Alex responded enthusiastically, lips parting, moving in tandem with Kara’s kisses. Alex’s lips were soft and warm, her heart beating faster than Kara had thought possible, and she couldn’t get enough. It had been so long since their last kiss all those weeks ago.

Their last kiss, pressed against Alex’s motorcycle.

Moving even closer, Kara gripped Alex’s right shoulder tightly, nails digging into her shirt, both of their breathing now slightly labored. Her detective tasted like apple pie, and Kara couldn’t get enough of her, their tongues touching gently from time to time.

Kara didn’t care that there might be people watching them. She’d waited too long for any of them to matter now. They could gawk and stare at them all day long, if they wanted to. The only one who mattered in this moment was Alex.

 _Alex, Alex, Alex_.

With her hand curled around Alex’s jaw, she tipped the detective’s head a little further up, slowing down the kiss considerably, their mouths moving languidly, almost lazily against one another. This was a kiss to be _enjoyed_ , to be reveled in.

With one more kiss and suck to Alex’s gorgeous bottom lip, Kara pulled away, face flushed furiously with pleasure, eyes opening to find Alex’s lids still firmly closed. She looked just as dazed as the first time Kara had kissed her, like she’d been hit over the head with a heavy rock.

Leaning in again, Kara pressed another, short kiss against Alex’s lips.

When she pulled back, she was gratified to see Alex’s mouth chasing her own for just a few seconds. This wait had been more than worth it, even though she would definitely have been fine with kissing Alex in the relative privacy of Siobhan’s office.

Still, she would take what she could get.

-

When Kara kissed her, the world stopped moving for Alex.

Kara’s lips and hands were the only things keeping her tethered to this booth, and nothing else seemed real aside from the feeling of Kara kissing her so deeply Alex barely had the brain power to keep up. In this moment, there was nothing more than what she felt for Kara.

All she wanted was to pull Kara close and hold her, curl her arms around Kara’s waist and smooth her hands along her back. More than anything, she wanted to be as close to Kara as possible, but she kept her hands to herself for now.

Only when Kara pulled away briefly before leaning in again, kissing Alex slowly but insistently, did Alex feel confident enough to curl her fingers over the back of Kara’s hand. It wasn’t just the physical connection that was driving her wild with want, it was the implications this kiss carried with it.

The implicit trust that came with the gesture.

The proof that Kara wanted her just as much. As their lips continued to explore one another, sending off several firework shows in Alex’s mind, she couldn’t help but think about how amazing, how wonderful Kara was.

When they parted again, breathing irregular, Alex finally opened her eyes, meeting Kara’s gaze head-on. Kara’s pupils were blown, and her lips shimmered, her glasses pushed just a little bit further up her nose than usual.

She was everything that Alex wanted.

But most importantly, she was so much more than that.

She was funny, and brilliant, and clumsy, and shy, and she was terrible at keeping secrets. She was most likely an alien from another planet, and one of the kindest people Alex had ever met. She was beautiful, and soft, and strong, and so talented.

Leaning their foreheads against one another, Alex swallowed hard as she wrapped her arm around Kara’s waist, pulling her closer. Tilting her head slowly to the side, she gently nudged Kara’s nose with her own, pulling Kara’s hand away from her cheek and onto her chest, right where her heart was beating like a jackhammer.

“Is it okay if I kiss you again?” She asked quietly, pressing Kara’s hand more firmly against her heart. “And is it okay if I hold you like this? Are you comfortable with that?” With a bright smile on her face, Kara nodded, leaning in and pressing a long, lasting kiss against Alex’s lips.

“That is more than okay,” Kara husked, kissing Alex again and again, grinning like a fool. “I trust you, Alex.” Her right hand brushed away any wayward crumbs from Alex’s cheeks, but Alex didn’t even care to blush about her own messiness.

As they continued to kiss, ignoring other patrons and Lupita’s raucous laughter when she saw them making out in her booth, the only thing running through Alex’s mind were those three pesky little words, telling her she really _had_ well and truly fallen for this woman.

 _I love you_ , she thought.

 _I love you, I love you, I love you_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *slumps*
> 
> you guys
> 
> you
> 
> you almost missed it
> 
> *perishes*
> 
> Find me on tumblr @goshdarnitjay, also Coara betad this fml i deleted half the chapter in AO3 somehow wtf
> 
> Update: I found out what the problem was. There was a kissy face emoji in one of Selina's text messages, which FOR SOME REASON deleted everything that came after it.


	15. No. 1 Superfangirl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex finally goes back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

> [Kara Kent]: Guess who finally made out with a very handsome detective!  _ Sent 2:24pm _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: There’s a new person in your life??? Congrats!  _ Sent 2:24pm _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: Detective DUMBass must be devastated.  _ Sent 2:24pm _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Are you done being sassy?  _ Sent 2:25pm _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: No.  _ Sent 2:25pm _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: Jk jk. GET IT, KARA, THAT’S MY GIRL.  _ Sent 2:25pm _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: ♥.  _ Sent 2:25pm _ .

-

Monday morning at six am, Alex woke to the sound of her alarm blaring loudly in her ear. Her two weeks off from work were over, and it was time for her to get back into the precinct. She’d be saddled with desk duty, but it was better than hanging out at home, doing nothing.

Groggy and tired, Alex pulled herself out of bed and shuffled into the shower, leaning her forehead against the cold tiles of the wall while she washed herself. The past two weeks had seriously screwed with her regular sleep cycle, and she was paying for her recklessness now. Getting up mostly between ten and eleven didn’t work so well when she was expected to be at work by seven am.

By the time she came out of the shower, had combed and blow-dried her hair, and had brushed her teeth, Selina was already in the kitchen, preparing coffee. Alex was grateful, and she didn’t even complain about the fact that Selina had picked out an outfit for her, too.

She felt like she could barely function at this hour, and by the time she was dressed, she was about ready to drop straight back into her bed. Maybe her colleagues could survive without her for just one more day…

“Come on, baby, let’s get you all fed and ready to go,” Selina said, curling her arm around Alex’s shoulders and guiding her into the kitchen, where she pushed Alex onto a chair. With a disposition much too sunny and happy for six fifteen in the morning, Selina placed down coffee and toast in front of Alex, alongside a healthy helping of avocado slices. Smiling, she pressed a kiss against Alex’s head before sitting herself down on a chair next to her.

They ate mostly in silence, occasionally interspersed with Selina trying to make conversation, which Alex ignored for the most part. She grunted when appropriate and shrugged to any questions directed at her. With the way she was feeling, she may as well have been a zombie.

Sighing good-naturedly, Selina picked up the newspaper she’d taken inside.

“Look at that,” she said, unfolding the paper, “I made the front cover.” She hummed with pleasure and turned the newspaper around so Alex could see the picture. Tired eyes taking in the cover, Alex realized she was looking at a screenshot taken from the feed of a security camera.

Selina was saluting.

Instead of her usual grunt, Alex grumbled, rolled her eyes, then went back to eating her avocado slices and drinking her coffee. She didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with her best friend’s antics right now, not when she’d have to deal with  _ Maxwell Lord’s _ antics very, very soon.

She had a feeling she would not survive this day without being ordered into his office. That was one thing she certainly hadn’t missed while being off work.

“Do you think this lighting makes me look fat?” Selina asked, turning the paper a little to the side and inspecting it carefully. When Alex only stared at her, Selina put it down and rolled her eyes. “I’m  _ kidding _ . Jeez, I forgot how grumpy you get when your sleep cycle is off.” Finishing her bagel, Selina got up from her chair and started massaging Alex’s shoulders.

They stayed like that until Alex had finished her breakfast.

-

> [Kara Can Get It]: Good luck on your first day back :)!  _ Sent 6:42am _ .
> 
> [Kara Can Get It]: Can I expect you at CatCo’s for lunch today?  _ Sent 6:42am _ .
> 
> [Alex Damnvers]: Wouldn’t miss our lunch date for the world!  _ Sent 6:43am _ .
> 
> [Alex Damnvers]: Can’t wait to see you again ♥.  _ Sent 6:43am _ .

-

By the time she walked into the precinct, Alex was still smiling from Kara’s text messages. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have someone like Kara in her life. The thought made her chest feel tight with pleasure. With the way her and Kara’s relationship was going right now, she was already more than looking forward to her lunch break.

Many of her colleagues walked up to her to welcome her back personally. Clapping her on the shoulder, shaking her hand, telling her how glad they were that she was back. Even Senior Criminalist Susie Chang was happy to see her, despite the fact that Alex had snapped at her a few weeks ago.

When Alex walked up to her desk, she noticed that Hank was acting suspiciously like he was purposefully ignoring her, and Vasquez was loitering around in the kitchen, shooting her glances in between small sips of water.

She had a feeling something was going to happen as soon as she sat down. Or as soon as she opened her drawer… or something else of the sort. She’d been pranked plenty of times during her years working for the GCPD.

Looking in between her two friends, Alex shook her head and accepted her fate, sitting down in her chair, relieved when it didn’t instantly fall apart. Her desk seemed to be clean as well. No glue, or toothpaste. In fact, it looked like it had recently been polished.

She raised an eyebrow.

“Alright, where’s the prank?” She asked Hank, opening her desk, prepared for confetti or a pop-up snake, or  _ something _ . When nothing happened, she became even more suspicious. “What, did you change my computer’s default font to comic sans? Did you order a strippergram? What?”

Hank didn’t say anything, not even bothering to look up from his keyboard while he typed, though there was a definite smile on his lips that he wasn’t trying to hide. Shaking her head, Alex leaned back in her chair and surveyed her desk.

Only then did she notice that her old pencil holder had been exchanged for a new one.

“Wow,” she said, voice dead-pan, “very funny.”

Her old pencil holder had been a non-descript black mug. It hadn’t been anything special, but it had done its job and Alex had been just fine with it. It had become such a regular part of her work here, she was surprised she hadn’t noticed the bright blue replacement before.

Lifting her eyebrows, she picked it up and poured out the pencils, so she could look at it more closely. She wanted to seem annoyed, but she couldn’t fight the amused smile that took root on her face. Her friends sure were something else.

The mug was the same electric blue color as Supergirl’s outfit.

It read:  _ No. 1 Superfangirl _ .

The letters were big and blocky, yellow with a broad red rim. Supergirl’s primary color scheme. She lifted the cup to check underneath it. Sure enough, there was another message.  _ If found, please return to no. 1 superfangirl, Alex Danvers _ . The handle was adorned with a heart, a plus sign and Supergirl’s signature crest. There was another message hidden inside the cup. The text was arranged into a circle, reading:  _ Supergirl owns my entire ass _ .

“I hate you bastards,” Alex growled, grinning brightly as she cradled the cup in both hands. It was ridiculous and stupid, and if the Sirens ever found out about it, she would never hear the end of it. And yet, she couldn’t help loving the damn thing.

“We offer you a present and this is what we get? Rude, Danvers, rude,” Vasquez said, walking up to her desk and patting her on the shoulder. “That thing is custom-made. We ordered it especially for you.” They grinned. “We know how concerned you are about Supergirl’s well-being… And how shy you get around her… so shy, you’re practically invisible. Or, like, not even there.”

Shaking her head, Alex put the cup on her desk and pulled out her phone.

“I’m taking a picture of this as evidence. I’m suing,” she said, making good on at least the first part of her words and snapping a picture of all the different features, before replacing the pencils and putting the cup back in its proper place. “This is very clearly harassment, Officer Vasquez. Defamation, even.” She tried not to look at the damn thing too lovingly when she angled it just right. “I’m sure Lord will be more than happy to fire the two of you for your hero fearmongering.”

To her left, Hank snorted.

“Hero propaganda everywhere,” he mumbled, a small smile flitting across his lips. “Even in our very own precincts. What a tragedy; I don’t know how we’re going to stay objective and follow the menacing hero haters,” he coughed, “I mean, hero  _ truthers _ in upper management.”

Sniggering, Alex turned around in her chair and took a selfie with her new mug.

“Tragic, tragic,” she agreed, sending Kara the selfie and a few of the other pictures with an exuberant  _ look what I got, now we match _ . Today was already shaping up to be amazing, despite the fact that she felt like she had barely slept. Who cared about that when there were people like Hank and Vasquez at work?

Turning her chair back around, she booted up her computer.

“Alright, people,” she said, typing in her password, “Danvers is  _ back _ .”

-

Alex spent the first hour being caught up by Hank and Vasquez about which cases she’d missed out on over the last two weeks. While she listened, she sipped on a bottle of water Vasquez had given to her, and ate some of Hank’s homemade cookies.

It really was good to be back, especially when Lord walked through the precinct, spotted her, spotted her  _ mug _ , then scowled blackly and vanished into the hallway leading to his office. No matter how ridiculous and obnoxious that blue monstrosity was, she’d keep it around just for that reason alone (aside from its sentimental value).

“Nice,” Vasquez said, high fiving Alex as they both watched Lord disappear into the darkness. “It’s good to have you back, Danvers, our team just isn’t the same without you.” They squeezed her shoulder. “Serg and I had a tough time of it. Alone. Surrounded by brutal enemies.”

“I’m going to punch you,” Alex said, elbowing Vasquez in the side without hurting them.

They laughed.

“Settle down, children,” Hank said, picking up one of his cookies as he read over a file. “Or I’m going to have to put you in the timeout corner.” He flipped over one of the pages and gestured to his box of cookies. “Take one of these instead.”

They complied.

“Hey, how was that vernissage, by the way? Did you have a good time? Did your girl sell a lot of paintings?” Vasquez asked, munching happily on their cookie and getting crumbs all over the front of their shirt. “Isn’t it weird that there was a second vernissage at exactly the same time that Catwoman broke into?”

Swallowing her own cookie and wiping her face, Alex stared at Vasquez and narrowed her eyes at them. She couldn’t quite tell if they were pulling her leg this time, but when Vasquez only smiled and started brushing their shirt free of crumbs, Alex figured they really didn’t know.

“That was the same vernissage, Vas,” she said, reaching for another cookie.

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?” They asked, crossing their arms over their chest. “Kara Kent is your girlfriend? Man, I would’ve called you when I got the message.” When Hank held out another cookie, they took it without a word. “She could’ve told me all sorts of embarrassing stories about you.” They pouted.

“I was going to show you a picture of how she looked on Saturday, but I guess you don’t really want to see it after all,” Alex said, dramatically picking up her phone and stuffing it into her pocket. “You would’ve seen how amazing my—well, my sort of girlfriend looked.”

Vasquez raised one of their eyebrows.

“Sort of girlfriend?” They asked, voice skeptical.

“We haven’t had that conversation yet,” Alex grumbled, shrugging her shoulders and drinking another sip of water. “I’m working on it.” One step at a time. The amazing make-out session at  _ Noonan’s _ and the goodbye kiss they’d shared after Alex had driven Kara home on her motorcycle had left her feeling more confident than she had in a while.

Scoffing gently, Vasquez kicked Alex’s shin.

“If my girl looked like that, I’d work a little faster, Danvers,” they said, making Alex kick them back. “Now show me those pictures from Saturday night. I know you want to. I’m sure Hank wants to see them, too.”

At the mention of his name, Hank looked up from his file and looked at them both.

“Yes,” he said, putting down the file, “I would very much like to see them.”

There was a glint in his eyes that Alex couldn’t quite place, but she pushed the thought aside in favor of showing her friends how amazing Kara was and how beautiful she had looked. The phone was in her hand and unlocked before either one of them could say another word.

Pulling up her gallery, she scrolled through the pictures to get to the very beginning.

“Alright, that’s me, that’s my outfit,” she said, zooming in and showing them her various pieces of clothing. “I picked the tie out myself.” Perhaps she was still too excited about that damn tie, but when she’d been at the tailor with Selina, she hadn’t gotten many words in edgewise. Not while the tailor and Selina had talked about how best to clothe Alex.

“It’s very nice,” Hank complimented, patting her shoulder. Vasquez gave her a thumbs up.

Swiping right, Alex’s heart started beating a little faster when she saw the picture she’d been wanting to show Vasquez and Hank. It was a beautiful shot of Kara in her suit, her arm wrapped around Lucy’s shoulder, both of them smiling brightly into the camera at the end of the night.

“This is what she looked like,” Alex said, pointing at Kara and grinning from ear to ear while Hank and Vasquez took in the picture. “She was just gorgeous, not that she isn’t always.” While Hank nodded his approval, Vasquez blew out a whistle, shaking their head and giving Alex an exasperated look.

“Did I mention that you’re just surrounded by too many beautiful women, Danvers? Damn,” they said, grumbling quietly to themself. “Seriously. Uncool.” They plopped the phone out of Alex’s hand and zoomed in on the picture. “If I didn’t know who Kara was already, I’d ask you who we’re talking about right here, because they’re both drop-dead gorgeous.”

Taking the phone back from Vasquez, Alex noticed the spark of interest in their eyes.

“Well, Kara’s the one on the left, obviously,” Alex said, looking down at the picture again, “but keep it in your pants, Vas.” Immediately, Vasquez froze, obviously unprepared to be caught in their appreciation for Kara’s best friend. “Her friend Lucy is married.”

“Aw, foiled again,” Vasquez said, grinning. “I, uh, I actually saw her yesterday at the gallery, but—well.” Suddenly, they seemed shy, and Alex was reminded of the fact that Vasquez was only outgoing, loud, and fun when they were among friends. Beautiful women were much more of a problem for them. “I was too nervous to talk to her.”

When Vasquez looked down, gaze fixated on Lucy’s beautiful smile, the urge to tease left Alex’s body. She had a feeling that ribbing Vasquez about being shy wouldn’t lead to anything but making Vasquez feel badly about themself, and that wasn’t something Alex wanted to do.

Instead, she punched their shoulder and grinned.

“Hey, we’re going to find you someone at some point, too,” she said, hoping to wipe that sad little half-frown from her friend’s face. “I mean look at me, I’m a complete disaster and I found someone who’s willing to date me.”

Vasquez raised one eyebrow.

“Are you implying that  _ I’m _ a complete disaster, too?” They asked, grabbing one of the last few cookies left in Hank’s plastic Tupperware box. “Because I’ll have you know, that I’m actually an alright kind of disaster.”

They high-fived while Hank snorted at their behavior.

“Really though, Danvers, your girl is a catch. Congratulations,” Vasquez said, offering their hand and squeezing Alex’s when she slapped it. “Lucky bastard.” Their grins only widened while Hank couldn’t quite manage to squash his smile.

“Maybe we should have gotten you a  _ No. 1 Kara Kent fan _ mug instead, hm?” He asked, picking up his file once again and starting to read. “I guess there’s always next time.” He already knew her too well, she thought; he already knew this wouldn’t be the last time she’d get herself hurt to protect one of her friends.

“If you do, please warn me ahead of time so I can make room in my kitchen cupboard for it,” Alex said, voice completely dead-pan. “And maybe we can make Officer Vasquez here a  _ No. 1 Batfan _ mug? I think that sounds like a great idea. I could ask Batman to sign it.”

Vasquez slapped the back of her head.

“Don’t even joke about a Batman autograph if you’re not going to deliver, Danvers,” they said, looking away when they heard their name being called somewhere off to the side. They sighed. “Guess it’s time for me to actually go to work now.” Looking at Hank and Alex, they bared their teeth for them. “All clear? No crumbs?”

Both Hank and Alex lifted their thumbs.

“Alright then, I’ll see you two later,” Vasquez said, high-fiving Alex and saluting Hank, who rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Say hi to your girl for me during lunch, Danvers. Tell her I’m on Catwoman like white on rice.”

Without another word, they were gone.

Alex had a feeling, that if she wanted Vasquez to survive, she would do well to keep their final statement to herself. If Selina ever found out what they’d said, Alex had a feeling she would take it as a challenge to find out who would actually be on whom.

Trying not to imagine that particular scenario, Alex grabbed one of Hank’s files and started reading up. Figuratively, she was shackled to this desk, at least for the time being, so she figured she might as well get used to the idea.

She would only leave this desk if she absolutely had to.

-

Almost vibrating behind the counter, Kara looked up at the clock hanging on the wall while she served one of her many lunchtime rush customers. Her lunch break was about to start, which meant it was about time for Alex to show up with her beautiful smile, her sparkling eyes, and those strong hands.

As always, Lucy was working next to her, both of them moving in tandem like the perfect team they were.

While she rang up another order, Kara’s ears picked up on a distinctive heartbeat, and her eyes moved over to the door just in time to see Alex walk inside, her hips moving in an attractive swagger. She was wearing sunglasses again, and her police badge was dangling from around her neck. Her hair was windswept, like she’d chosen to walk here instead of taking her bike, and she looked just as handsome as she always did in her dark blue detective suit under her leather jacket.

It didn’t take long for Kara to work her way through the queue of customers ahead of Alex, who was playing around with her phone and smirking to herself. Another quick glance at the clock told Kara she’d be free in about five minutes.

“Welcome to CatCo Coffee, ma’am, what can I get you today?” Kara asked cheekily as Alex walked up to the counter with a smile on her face. At Kara’s words, she grinned and leaned on the wood in front of her, raising one eyebrow.

Kara blushed.

“I’d like a hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon, please, as well as a cheese sandwich and a blueberry muffin,” Alex drawled, causing Kara’s heart to dance rapidly in a circle. “Pray tell, miss, does that order come with a date?”

If that hadn’t been enough to sufficiently demolish any kind of defense Kara might have had against an attack like this, Alex chose this very moment to slowly slide off her glasses and shake out her hair. While Kara was pretty sure she’d just died and gone to heaven, Lucy sniggered next to her and started preparing Alex’s order.

“You need to come with a warning,” Kara stuttered, ringing up Alex’s order, her fingers a little shaky. No matter how much time she spent with Alex, how many times they kissed and held hands and shared secrets, Alex Danvers would never stop making her flustered.

Alex grinned as she stuck her sunglasses into the breast pocket of her light blue shirt.

“When do you get off?” Alex asked, looking behind her and up at the clock.

_ Pretty sure I just did _ , Kara thought, rolling her eyes at herself.

“In about a minute,” Kara said, sliding over the receipt and accepting the ten-dollar bill Alex was holding out to her. “Can I interest you in some change today?” She watched as Alex stuffed the receipt into the inside pocket of her leather jacket.

“No, thanks. Keep it. But I’ll take my date now, if that’s alright with you,” Alex said, moving off to the right to pick up her food. When she reached for it, she made eye contact with Lucy, and they nodded to each other.

“Lucy.”

“Danvers.”

Kara stared in fascination for a second, before she noticed Hayashi joining her behind the counter with a smile on his face. She returned the expression and patted him on the shoulder, moving over to Lucy and picking up her own food.

Ms. Grant had no problem with her employees eating some of the products they sold, and Kara was grateful for it. It saved all of them a good amount of money they would have otherwise spent on feeding themselves, and it also made for a relatively healthy choice. Not that Kara had ever had a problem with her health, not on this planet, but she still appreciated it. Especially for Lucy and their other friends.

“I’ll be right back,” Kara said, grinning at Lucy and walking around the counter to meet Alex, so they could walk side by side towards an empty booth. As soon as Kara was done with her lunch break, Lucy would take hers, though she’d probably spend it behind the counter anyway, chatting while Kara prepared other people’s orders.

Setting down their items, Kara watched out of the corner of her eye as Alex shrugged off her leather jacket and her blazer, and placed both on the bench before she started rolling up her sleeves. If Kara had to pick between her favorite Alex outfits, the rolled up sleeves-look would definitely be very high up on the list.

She smiled as she undid her own red and gold apron and slid into the booth, Alex sitting down opposite her.

“So, how’s your first day back in the lion’s den?” Kara asked, taking a sip of her chocolate mocha and reaching across the table to take Alex’s hand. They’d both need their fingers to eat soon, but she wanted to touch Alex desperately, if only for a moment.

Her detective rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I’ve managed to go an entire morning without hearing even one word out of Lord’s mouth,” she said, lifting her free hand to give Kara a high five. “But he’s going to order me into his office at some point today, I can already feel it.” She grimaced, and Kara understood her distaste all too well. “He’s probably going to want to see me just before my shift is over, so he can annoy me just that little bit more.”

“I don’t know how he ever managed to get elected,” Kara grumbled, squeezing Alex’s hand and trying to be as supportive as she possibly could. “I don’t understand how anyone could have voted him into office.” She shook her head, wishing there was something she could do to make this situation less terrible for Alex.

“A few months ago, Batman told me about rumors that Lord somehow managed to rig the election,” Alex ground out through her teeth, picking up her CatCo Coffee mug and taking a hefty sip of her hot chocolate. The milk mustache made her words only slightly less impressive. As she wiped it away, her eyes lingered on the Special Limited Edition National City April Coffee mug, one eyebrow raised. “I should get this for Selina, I don’t think she has this one yet…”

“I can get you a discount,” Kara said, feeling a little distracted.

The news about Lord should have been surprising to her, but they weren’t. Someone like Lord, who had contacts in higher places and ran on a platform of fear and hatred, would of course be a person who didn’t shy away from rigging the system. The thought disgusted her. And all of this just because he didn’t understand people like Kara, people who only wanted to help and live their lives in peace.

“Maybe there’s a way to uncover what he did,” she said, feeling a well of anger at the thought of Lord buying his way into the position of Chief. “If  _ Batman _ heard about it all the way in Gotham, there must be someone who can help reveal the truth.”

Their hands parted as Alex reached for her sandwich, looking entirely unhappy about the course their conversation had taken. Kara felt the same way. Someone as awful as Maxwell Lord would be enough to sour any conversation and lunch date.

Then, suddenly, Alex’s expression turned slightly sheepish.

“I might actually… just ask Catwoman to look into it,” she said, a look of apology plastered all over her handsome face. If Kara were to guess, she’d said Alex felt partially responsible for Kara’s painting being stolen. And then, to top it all off and make matters even worse in her detective’s eyes, Alex had  _ refused _ to offer Kara any help about the return of her canvas. The thought of Alex beating herself up about something she had very little control over without compromising her moral compass made Kara feel awful.

“Do you think she could help you with something like that?” Kara asked tentatively, nudging her foot against Alex’s leg to let her know that she wasn’t angry about what Alex had said the previous day. She knew all about keeping a secret identity, and the strain it put on her friends to keep that secret every day of their lives.

A little reluctantly, Alex returned the foot bump with one of her own.

“She’s got ties to the criminal underbelly of Gotham, obviously,” Alex replied, voice a little stilted, like she was worried Kara was going to realize who she was dating and run screaming for the hills. “And she knows how to get information the police can’t even dream about.”

“Then I guess you better ask her,” Kara said, smiling brightly in the hopes of making Alex realize that nothing was different between them just because Catwoman had made a choice that Alex had not been privy to. In all honesty, Kara had no doubt that Alex would have tried to prevent the woman from stealing one of Kara’s paintings if she had known about it in advance.

“So… you would be… okay with that?” Alex asked, drawing out the words while unwrapping her sandwich from its paper prison. “I would totally understand it if you didn’t want me to talk about her in front of you ever again. I’m still really sorry that she stole from you.”

Putting down her mocha, Kara pushed herself to her feet a little so she could reach over the table, cup Alex’s cheeks and press a soft kiss against her frowning lips. The kiss was short and sweet, but it was enough to wipe the expression from Alex’s face.

Before she could get sucked into the vortex of joy that was kissing Alex Danvers, Kara pulled away, but not until she’d tilted her head to the side briefly to kiss Alex a little more insistently. She simply couldn’t resist, and it was well worth the little look of awe that now shone clearly in her detective’s eyes.

“It’s not my place to tell you who you can and can’t be friends with, Alex, and if she means that much to you, there is obviously a darn good reason for it,” Kara said gently, reaching out and taking both of Alex’s hands. “From what I’ve seen, you’re a good person, and the fact that you’re defending her, well…” Kara squeezed Alex’s fingers. “That gives her a pretty gigantic benefit of the doubt in my book.”

For a second there was silence, then Alex’s gaze seemed to intensify, her eyes burning across Kara’s face, causing a blush to spread all over Kara’s body.

“You need to stop saying things like that to me when we’re not in private, or I’m going to stage a very inappropriate public display of affection that is going to get you fired,” she growled, causing heat to shoot through Kara’s veins like fire. If she’d been her fifteen-year old self, she would’ve set the whole damn coffee shop on fire with her heat vision.

Feeling hot under her collar, Kara had half a mind to keep talking, to test Alex’s proclamation.

Then, as though Alex had realized what she’d said, her face cleared a little and she gave Kara a small smile, pulling one of her hands free and rubbing the back of her neck. It was a gesture of insecurity that did not exist on Krypton, something Kara picked up on frequently, even now that she’d lived on this planet for over fourteen years.

“With your permission, of course,” Alex said, squeezing Kara’s hand with her own. She looked down at their uneaten piles of food. “Thank you, by the way… for being so understanding. I know it’s a shit situation she’s put you in. Both of us.”

Letting go of Alex’s remaining hand so she could indicate that they should actually use their time together for eating instead of just talking like they so often did, Kara shrugged her shoulders a little and picked up her sandwich.

“I know you didn’t have anything to do with the theft, and you’re not her gatekeeper,” she said, before biting into her sandwich and chewing vigorously while Alex picked at her blueberry muffin. “And to be honest, her theft has helped me more than the money for the painting would have. Lucy and Siobhan have been busy fielding requests left and right. It’s sort of nuts over at  _ The Silver Banshee _ right now. And the painting was only stolen  _ yesterday _ .”

Alex nodded, picking up and biting into her own sandwich, the lettuce and tomatoes making satisfying crunching noises. CatCo Coffee ordered nothing but the freshest fruits and vegetables, and Kara was glad Alex would be getting those all-important nutrients.

“That’s why she did it, you know,” Alex revealed, making Kara raise her eyebrow. “She stole the painting to get you publicity. That’s sort of what she does.” At Kara’s confused look, Alex shrugged a little self-consciously. “She didn’t  _ have _ to show herself on camera, but she did it because she knows her name is high-profile and would get you exposure.” When Kara didn’t stop staring, Alex blushed. “It was her twisted and convoluted way of saying that she really likes your work and wants you to succeed.”

The thought made Kara pause.

Obviously, Catwoman had taken notice of Kara because of Alex, because they were apparently much closer friends than Kara had originally anticipated. But would Catwoman have gone this far to make a random stranger happy, just because that random stranger happened to be dating Alex? That seemed like a bit of a stretch.

“Do you think she stole the painting because I’m dating you?” Kara asked, wondering what kind of a person Catwoman truly was.

Alex stopped mid-chew and stared at Kara for a few seconds before she swallowed.

“She doesn’t steal things she doesn’t like, not even as a favor,” Alex said, face completely void of any deception. Just the earnest and strong expression Kara had come to associate with her. “If she didn’t believe in your art, she wouldn’t have paid you any attention, no matter how hard I was dating you.” She blinked, then she blushed. “That sounds really dirty, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Grinning, Kara pushed her foot against Alex’s, her stomach filled with happy butterflies.

“I don’t know if I should be, but I’m feeling strangely flattered that she stole from me,” she said, finishing off her sandwich and following it up with a gulp of chocolate mocha. “Do you think the NCPD is going to be big trouble for her?”

Alex snorted.

“No, the only one who’s going to be in trouble is Vasquez,” Alex said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Vasquez and they’re a great police officer, but Catwoman is going to eat them alive. Which I am very scared of, because I’m fond of Vasquez as they are. In one piece.”

“But if Catwoman is as great as she seems at keeping herself out of police custody, it’s unlikely Officer Vasquez is ever going to come into contact with her, right?” Kara wondered, thinking about the sweet, young police officer who had taken her statement yesterday morning. She was surprised to find out that Alex apparently knew them quite well.

They really needed to spend more time together, and get to know one another better.

“I don’t know,” Alex responded, shrugging her shoulders and popping a piece of muffin into her mouth. “Catwoman might seek them out. She’s always had a flair for the dramatic; how do you think her and I ended up being friends? She loves dangerous and ill-advised situations.”

Alex rubbed her forehead in exasperation at her friend’s antics.

“Really, I’m just relieved Vasquez got the case and not a member of the hero menace ‘keep humanity human and isolationist and boring’-brigade.” More rubbing ensued, and Kara was glad Alex wasn’t using her nails. “Those assholes are probably just jealous they can’t pull off the cape and spandex look.”

Chuckling, Kara curled her fingers around Alex’s left forearm and held on tightly, the tips of her fingers only just touching the gorgeous ink.

“I’m sure you’d look great in a cape,” Kara mused, imagining Alex in a suit much like her own. Maybe with a pair of thick, sturdy tights instead of Kara’s red skirt. Would Alex wear a mask? She’d have to, Kara figured, considering no one was likely to forget a face that gorgeous once they’d already seen it. “Don’t you think so? Maybe we should design you a costume. You’ve already got the superhero name down,  _ Supercop _ .”

Alex groaned, and buried her face in her hands. Kara laughed.

“What? I think you’d make for a great superhero,” Kara said, reaching up with both hands to pull Alex’s fingers down so she could see those beautiful, hazel eyes. To Kara’s great amusement, Alex was pouting. “If you don’t like the cape idea, we can always just make you a costume without one.” Biting her bottom lip, Kara thought she might be enjoying this just a little too much

Sighing, Alex finished off her hot chocolate.

“You saw the Wonder Woman underwear,” Alex said, nodding, voice void of any sort of humor, as though she’d just been caught doing something highly illegal. “I guess the jig is up.” She sighed once more, leaning back in her chair and affecting a downtrodden expression. Kara was having trouble keeping her laughter inside. “I am a closeted wonder fan.”

Kara lost it, her laughter causing several people to look at their table, including Lucy, who had a soft expression on her face. Even the side of Alex’s mouth twitched, despite the fact that she was clearly trying to stay in character.

“I’m glad you felt comfortable sharing this with me,” Kara said, wiping a tear out of her eye and pushing her glasses further up her nose. “I promise I won’t tell anyone.” The obvious amusement in Alex’s eyes made Kara wish they were sitting next to one another so she could place her hand on Alex’s thigh. “How does Batman feel about you liking a hero who isn’t him?”

Snorting, Alex’s serious expression finally broke.

“The day I wear Batman underwear is the day all other underwear has been made illegal,” she said, shaking her head and shuddering in mock-disgust. “He’s like a  _ dad _ . The media makes him out to be some sort of scary presence, but he’s really, just, not.” She shook her head again. “Also, I’m a lesbian.”

Her words drove Kara into another bout of laughter.

“Lesbians wear Batman underwear,” she said, kicking Alex under the table and smiling at her brightly. She could feel the love she had for Alex pulse through every fiber of her being. “Stop stereotyping and putting other people into boxes, Alex.”

Their lunch date was almost over and Kara was already dreading their goodbye.

“I’m sure they do, Kara, but I’m also sure Batman hasn’t tried to parent any of them like he has me,” Alex said, snarking back at Kara with just as much enthusiasm. “You try finding a date in the city with your bat guardian looking out for you all the time.”

The thought of Alex dating other women before she met Kara was less painful than Kara had anticipated. She knew Alex had had a life in Gotham before she’d moved to National City, and that this life had involved dating at some point or another. It really wasn’t anything to get worked up about.

And besides, with the way Alex was looking at her now… how could she possibly worry about some ex coming back into Alex’s life to steal her away?

“Maybe Batman is more omniscient than we give him credit for,” Kara said, leaning forward and reaching out with her right hand. Her heart was beating fast, and her blood felt like it was burning hot with how much she wanted to be around Alex. Hold her hand, hug her tight, kiss her senseless.

“Are you saying Batman was only trying to keep me from anyone who wasn’t you?” Alex asked, a cheeky grin spreading over her lips at Kara’s insinuation. When Kara only smiled, not feeling the need to clarify anything, Alex slid her hand into Kara’s and held on tight. “And here I thought you were holding out hope you’d end up dating Supergirl. I’m glad I’m not just a second-rate replacement.”

Kara didn’t have it in her to get overly offended again at what Alex was implying. There was no use defending herself. Alex would ride this train until she found out who Kara actually was, and Kara wasn’t about to let her in on her secret in a crowded coffee shop.

“By the way,” Alex interjected before Kara could open her mouth, “did you get my texts? I sent you a bunch of pictures that should be of big interest to you,  _ supergirlismyhero121 _ .”

Furrowing her brows, Kara pulled her phone from her pocket. Once again, she’d defied Ms. Grant’s mandated rules, and yet she’d forgotten to check her phone in between heavy bouts of incoming customers.

“Ms. Grant doesn’t allow us to check our phones while we’re working,” she said absentmindedly, unlocking her phone and staring down at the five new text messages she’d received, all of them from Alex. “I guess the police isn’t as strict about it as Ms. Grant.”

“From what I’ve heard, no one’s as strict as Ms. Grant,” Alex supplied, by her own admission only parroting back what she’d heard from colleagues and other people around the city. Frankly, Kara felt only half-inclined to agree. Cat had often shown a great willingness to work with her employees, not against them.

She was just about to defend her boss, when she saw the first picture Alex had sent her, which was a selfie Alex had taken of herself at her desk, with an electric blue mug behind her. Her face grew hot when she read the letters and scrolled to the next picture, which had a much more provocative text on it.

_ Supergirl owns my entire ass _ .

“My colleagues think they’re so funny,” Alex said, smiling more warmly than her words would have suggested. Obviously, she was fond of the mug, no matter how ridiculous it was. Still, Kara desperately wished for this mug to be telling the truth.

_ I’m Supergirl _ , she thought,  _ I’m Supergirl _ .

Alex had no idea how ironic this mug truly was.

“Why would they give you something like this?” Kara asked, feeling like her chest was squeezing in on itself from the possibilities that lay before her. Had Alex defended Supergirl so vehemently that she had been presented with this gag gift because of it?

“Because they’re jerks and because they like to tease me,” Alex said, grinning, revealing nothing. “It’s cool, though, like I said, now we match.” Her smile got wider and wider, and Kara didn’t have it in her to rebuff Alex’s words, not when she felt so light-headed with affection.

“Are you going to keep it?” She asked tentatively, hoping she didn’t sound as faint as she felt. She didn’t know why the answer to this question mattered so much, only that she wished desperately for Alex to like Supergirl.

“Of course I am,” Alex said, looking at her watch to check the time. “It would break Vasquez’s heart if I gave it away, and it makes Lord really angry. Double whammy.” Kara’s chest deflated a little at Alex’s answer, even though she hadn’t expected much else. “And if I didn’t want to be with you, I’d definitely be in love with Supergirl.”

She winked at Kara, who blushed even more furiously.

“Guess we’re not so different after all,” Alex said, her words wrapping themselves around Kara, making her feel warm and happy. Her body full with love, Kara stood up just as Alex did, though they both moved for different reasons. “I should get going, desk duty waits for nobody.”

Before Alex could gather up her things, Kara had both her apron and Alex’s jackets clutched under one arm and was pulling Alex along by the hand, ignoring her confused facial expression. Walking briskly, Kara made eye contact with Kelly, the waitress on staff who was clearing tables, and the other woman nodded in understanding.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kara could see Lucy giving her a thumbs up, but she ignored her. She couldn’t focus on anything but getting them into the back room before she lost her nerve or Ms. Grant found them loitering around where they shouldn’t be. Especially not Alex.

She pulled Alex through the kitchen, past Winn, who stared at Kara with his mouth wide open, and made Alex follow her into the locker room. Closing the door quickly behind them, Kara dropped the clothing she was holding onto the nearest bench and whirled around to Alex, who was staring at her with something in between confusion and cautious excitement.

“Kara?” Alex asked, just before Kara grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pushed her against the wooden door, accidentally knocking the wind out of Alex for a few seconds in her enthusiasm. Pressing her whole body against her detective, Kara leaned down, mouth hovering Alex’s lips.

“Is this okay? Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” Kara asked, hands holding onto Alex’s shirt, pressing herself even closer against Alex when she felt her detective’s fingers settling on her waist.

“Yes, yes, no,” Alex husked, leaning forward and up and pressing their lips together, hands digging into Kara’s back as they kissed furiously. Kara tilted her head to the side, mouth slanting against Alex’s over and over again while her hands finally left Alex’s shirt to go into her hair instead, nails scratching against Alex’s scalp.

Feeling desperately out of control, Kara had half a mind to discard her glasses so they wouldn’t keep bumping into Alex’s face, but she caught herself just in time, choosing instead to move Alex’s chin a little further up, letting Alex control the pace this time.

Alex, however, seemed just as out of control, her hands gliding up and down Kara’s back, trying to pull Kara closer, even though they were already as close as two people could be, save for the layers of clothing in between them.

The moment felt perfect, and Kara never wanted it to end, especially when she slipped her knee in between Alex’s legs and hiked up her detective’s thigh. They were both breathing heavily, and the little happy noises Alex was making, the small moans and sighs were almost more than Kara could bear.

She drank it all in greedily, Alex’s lips seemingly softer than velvet, her teeth exerting just the right amount of pressure on Kara’s bottom lip, her tongue exploring gently, briefly, making Kara feel like she could set the whole world on fire with one glance of her heat vision.

Her veins were burning hot, and her ears pulsing with blood and two heartbeats.

Alex’s and hers.

Together.

“We need to go back to work,” Alex murmured into the kiss, sliding up one of her hands and caressing Kara’s cheek, slowing down their kiss. “I just got back and you don’t want to lose your job  _ before _ your big break as an artist.”

Kara swallowed hard, her hand still on Alex’s firm thigh, and she took the opportunity to squeeze the muscle, gently feeling the strength in Alex’s body. Every fiber of her being was telling her to stay, but the sensible part of her brain knew her detective was right. There was no point in getting fired because she couldn’t keep her big and scary Kryptonian hormones under control.

Still, she allowed herself another kiss, slow and sensual, her eyes firmly closed as she memorized the feeling, the scent, the sounds of Alex’s body. Their lips fit together perfectly, and Kara exhaled shakily as she pulled away. She could feel the sizzling heat envelop her eyes, and for a second she was afraid Alex would see the red glow, but Alex’s eyes were closed.

“Goddamn it, Kara,” Alex ground out, head resting against the wooden door behind her. She, too, visibly swallowed, her hands shaking a little on Kara’s back. “How the hell am I supposed to go back to work now?”

When her eyes opened, they were full of appreciation and desire and Kara had half a mind to just screw the whole going back to work thing and spend the next few hours lazily making out with Alex. Right here. Against this door.

Also maybe on the bench.

Instead, she smiled and pressed a kiss against Alex’s chin.

“You’ll figure it out,” she said, feeling energized beyond what Earth’s yellow sun could give her. She hadn’t felt this good in a long time, and the smile on her face could have lit up the entirety of National City for at least a month.

“You drive me crazy,” Alex murmured, moving her hands to Kara’s shoulders, beckoning her to move backwards so she could start putting her outfit back together, considering Kara’s little attack had severely disheveled her.

Giving Kara a heated look, Alex ran her hand through her hair and shook her head. Her mouth was red from all the kissing, her hair stood up at odd ends and her shirt had been pulled partially out of her slacks.

“This is a  _ really _ good look on you,” Kara said, voice rough and deep from arousal, hands curling into the bottom half of Alex’s shirt and pulling her closer again, feeling emboldened by Alex’s words and actions. She could tell they both wanted this desperately, and it was a wonderful feeling to want and be wanted in return.

For a second, Alex looked torn, then she sighed and pulled her shirt free from Kara’s grip.

“You have no idea how much I want to stay here and make out with you, but I actually do need to go back to work, or else Lord is going to use this as just one more excuse to give me bullshit,” she said, sounding genuinely upset about the prospect of leaving Kara and her embrace. “I’ll call you later, though, I promise.”

Sighing dramatically, Kara shrugged.

“I guess I can live with that.” She smiled as she watched Alex try to stick her shirt back into her pants. A part of her wanted to be bold and ‘help’, but a bigger part of her, the one who recognized that starting anything else would actually be a terrible idea, won out eventually.

Instead of groping Alex’s waist, she took a step forward and fixed her detective’s hair, amazed yet again at how soft it was, and how it slipped through her fingers.

When the hair was back to normal and she’d wiped away any excess lip gloss from around Alex’s mouth, Kara smiled a little in satisfaction. Now Alex could go back to work and would hopefully not get teased for making out with her almost-girlfriend in the locker rooms.

Well, there was still the slightly wrinkled and askew shirt to consider, but Kara didn’t bother pointing that out.

-

Alex’s legs were still shaking by the time they walked out of the kitchen and back into the main room, where Lucy was standing, her eyes raking over them for any sign of what they had been up to in the back. Alex doubted she’d miss the signs, but she couldn’t find it within herself to care. She’d spent the last ten minutes in heavenly bliss.

“I’ll call you later,” she repeated to Kara, hands smoothing over her shirt one more time.

“Please do,” Kara said, leaning forward and gently kissing Alex goodbye. “I get off work at ten tonight. If you can stay up that long.” She smiled and Alex grinned. She could already see herself napping on the couch after work, just to catch up on some much needed sleep before she called Kara.

“I’ll see you around,” Alex husked, feeling that if she didn't pull away and leave now, she never would.

Legs feeling like jelly, Alex nodded to Lucy and walked out of the coffee shop, only looking back once to see Kara watching her. She had a good feeling about this. Nothing would bring down her mood today. Not even Lord and his cronies.

She held onto this thought and Kara’s kisses as she made her way back to work, all the while keeping an eye out for anybody who could possibly mean her harm. With her level of excited energy, she’d be able to take on anyone right now.

Not that she wanted to.

She was more than fine with simply staying in this happy little bubble.

Which was why she was disgruntled when she spotted Vasquez leaning against the wall outside of the precinct, soaking up some sun, their sunglasses sitting firmly on their nose. Seeing them would have ordinarily been a good thing, but the way they looked at her when they spotted her… It wasn't their usual happy chatter, nor the sunny disposition Alex had expected.

“No,” she told Vasquez, holding up one finger, “don't you say it.”

When Vasquez opened their mouth, Alex frowned.

“I said no, Vas,” she repeated herself, shaking her head and crossing her arms.

“Sorry, Danvers, I'm only doing what I’m told.” They frowned, too, and Alex sighed. It wasn't Vasquez’s fault that Maxwell Lord was a ginormous douche who loved nothing more than to mess with his employees. The fact that he liked to use Vasquez as his own personal gofer to assert his dominance made Alex only hate him more.

“Alright,” she acquiesced, waving her hand around to indicate that she was ready to listen now. So much for staying in her happy little Kara bubble. “Tell me what our great and powerful leader wants from me now.”

Vasquez snorted, rolling their eyes in annoyed solidarity.

“Putin wants you in his office,” they said, making Alex raise an eyebrow. When Vasquez didn't seem perturbed by what had just come out of their mouth, Alex frowned in confusion.

“That’s not a pun,” she said tentatively.

“Are you sure?” They replied, moving backwards and shooting finger guns at them as Alex stared. “Think about it, Danvers. Think about it. I’m just saying.” They winked and opened the precinct door, Alex furrowing her brows. “Oh, and you might want to fix your shirt before you walk into his office. Right now you look like your lunch date involved all kinds of eating that’s not appropriate for polite society.”

They grinned and Alex flushed, punching them in the shoulder.

“Shut up,” she said, grinning despite herself. Kara and her definitely weren’t ready for any kind of step that involved the kind of nudity Vasquez was implying, but that didn’t mean Alex couldn’t think about it a little. Preferably when she was alone and not walking through their crowded precinct. Who knew what kind of mind-readers worked for the NCPD.

She wasn’t sure what she had expected when she walked along the dark and gloomy corridor towards Lord’s office, but it certainly wasn’t for Lord to greet her with a smile and a handshake. His smarmy behavior, which he obviously considered charming, couldn’t fool her. What did it matter if Lord was trying to be nice to her  _ now _ , when he was so awful in every goddamn aspect of his life?

Besides, she’d seen his look this morning, when he’d noticed the blue mug on her desk. He hated super powered people and wanted to see them eradicated. Hell, if there really was a conspiracy involving someone trying to take out Supergirl with some sort of alien weaponry, there was no doubt in Alex’s mind that her current chief of police would cheer quietly from the sidelines.

Oh, he’d openly condemn the affair, of course, calling for a way to rid the Earth of superheroes in a more ‘humane’ sort of way, but inside, he’d be crying for joy. Alex knew plenty of people like him, and the thought made her sick.

She wondered why he was  _ trying _ so goddamn hard to play nice now.

The one thing she’d been prepared for had taken place as well. He’d ordered her to take some mandatory sessions with their resident police psychiatrist, because she’d been shot. To be perfectly honest, she was more than fine with taking the department up on their (non-negotiable) offer. Due to her proneness for getting hurt on the job, she’d spent a lot of time at Dr. Melanie Chávez’s office in Gotham. It had been only a matter of time before she’d get acquainted with this new psychiatrist on staff.

It was fine.

Going to the police psychiatrist wasn’t anything like going to Dr. Zhou had been. She was going to Dr. Zhou with the express purpose of working through some of the worst moments of her life. There was no way she’d be doing the same at the precinct. The psychiatrist there would most likely take one look at her file and determine that she had seen far worse during her career.

Still, she’d go and talk about her feelings. No way in hell would she give Lord the satisfaction of having a reason to reprimand or suspend her. He was being courteous now, with his smug grin and scraggly looking beard, but she knew the masquerade wouldn’t last. Alex was too much of an alien-loving freak to him.

The conversation with Lord took less than ten minutes. She’d shot down any attempts of his to make small talk, mainly because she had the feeling he was trying to get her to  _ admit _ to something. What that entailed, she wasn’t quite sure yet.

At any rate, as soon as she’d closed his office door behind her, she exhaled, relieved to be done with it. Something was going on with Lord, and Alex had a feeling she’d be the one who’d have to figure out what it was.

-

Wednesday morning, Alex felt like her bio rhythm had finally moved back into what it had been before she’d been shot. Getting up at six am still felt somewhat like a chore, but at least she wasn't completely brain dead anymore. That was something, at least.

Yesterday morning, she’d been to her second therapy session with Dr. Zhou, and it had left her just as rattled as the first one. She wasn't used to talking about all the things that made her want to go into hiding and never come out again. Most of the time, she’d elected to silence that part of herself. The part that screamed at her, told her she wasn't worth anything, that everything she touched turned to shit. And she was good at the whole silence thing. Except when she wasn't.

With her head supported on her hand, Alex stared at her computer screen at work and scrolled down the  _ Jessica Jones  _ fanfiction she had opened a few minutes ago. Desk duty sucked harder than she’d anticipated, and after filing everything that could possibly be filed in three days, she’d officially run out of ideas.

Hank sat next to her, pouring over a file and making notes on a sheet of paper next to him. His ballpoint pen was red, and the words on his paper held a pleasant, green color. Maybe green and red were Hank’s favorite colors, she mused, eyeing the pen.

“Is there a reason why you’re staring at me?” Hank asked, without bothering to put down his pen or stop writing.

Alex didn't startle.

“I’m bored. This sucks,” she said, picking up her own pen and starting to doodle on a piece of paper. Her eyes fell to the Supergirl mug. She had a feeling this little trinket had brought on the impromptu make-out session during Monday’s lunch, though she couldn't quite figure out why. “Desk duty is awful. I need to be out on the streets, beating up bad guys.”

Alright, so Alex felt  _ a little _ sulky.

“If you're that bored, you can take this opportunity to make me another coffee,” Hank replied, holding his colorful mug out to her with his free, left hand. The porcelain was littered with tiny Oreo cookies. “Try not to make it so strong this time. You know I prefer it sweeter.” Without looking, he put down his pen and clapped her on the back, gently shoving her in the direction of the kitchen.

“I saved  _ your _ life, shouldn't you be the one bringing me coffee?” She grumbled, getting to her feet and plucking the mug from his fingers. When he didn't answer, she sighed and resigned herself to her fate. “Fine, I wanted to get up and get myself another coffee anyway.” She didn't make eye contact with Hank, who no doubt looked immensely amused at her words.

When she’d walked into the kitchen and pulled down a mug for herself, she contemplated texting Kara, only to realize that messaging her at this time of day would be pointless. Kara was behind a counter right now, most likely smiling at customers and handing out receipts.

Staring at the coffee pot, Alex thought about seeing that sweet smile again. Kara and her were scheduled to meet up for a quiet night in at Alex’s apartment on Friday night, and Alex could hardly wait.

She’d already told Selina to scram on Friday, and her friend had been surprisingly accommodating. While Alex wasn't absolutely sure, she figured Selina might decide to go out with Siobhan again. Though  _ going out _ was quite the charitable description, in Alex’s opinion.  _ Hooking up  _ seemed much more appropriate.

Yawning, Alex poured the coffee into three mugs and added the right amount of sugar and milk to each one. She knew Vasquez was currently working on the Catwoman case at their desk and Alex wanted them to take a break at least once in a while. She didn't want her friend to work themself into the ground on a case they’d never solve.

Picking up the three mugs, Alex was confused when she saw Vasquez standing next to Hank’s desk with a grim expression on their face.

“What’s up? I made coffee,” she said, putting down the mugs and grabbing the one with the Batman logo. “Did something happen? Is there a new case?” She knew she wouldn't be allowed to go with them, and she’d promised Selina she wouldn't start looking for trouble, but she at least wanted to know what her friends were getting up to. When Vasquez didn't take the cup, she got worried. “What?”

“Another dead couple with their eyes burned out of their skulls,” Vasquez said gravelly, finally taking the mug, though without taking a sip.

Alex’s mouth curled down in a frown, her heart picking up its pace.

“Another one?” She scowled, eyes moving from Hank to Vasquez and back again. “Well, then what are we doing here? Let’s go.” She’d already grabbed her jacket and shrugged it on, when Hank gripped her wrist.

“You're on desk duty,” he reminded her, sounding conflicted.

“I don't give a fuck. That case is using alien tech, I’m not going to sit around here and watch Lord’s puppets screw it up,” she retorted, freeing her wrist and snatching up her coffee. It burned her mouth when she drank it down, but she didn't care. “Besides, it’s been weeks since the last attack. Something’s either gone really wrong or  _ really _ right with their weapon of choice.” She finished the coffee in four hearty gulps.

The heat only made her more determined.

Hank looked stricken, but Vasquez seemed convinced.

“This isn't going to fly well with Lord Thanos,” they said, as though they were simply trying to point her into the direction of what she already knew.

“Let’s say I’m taking a field trip,” she said, giving Hank his coffee and clapping him on the shoulder. “The place is going to be swarming with police and forensic people, I’m not going to be in any danger, nor will I be forced to engage in combat or discharge my weapon. It’ll be fine, Hank.”

He growled in disbelief.

“You could fall into a vat of pillows and come up with the  _ one _ knife that’s in there,  _ after _ it stabbed you in the back,” he grumbled, rising from his desk chair and pulling on his suit jacket. “Fine, let’s go. I’d rather you ride with me than on that motorized death trap you drive.” Before Alex could turn and leave, he stopped her with a hand to the shoulder. “If any kind of danger transpires, you  _ bail _ , you hear me? You're hurt and I do not want to have to look for a new partner.”

She nodded gravely.

“I promise, I only want to see what’s going on,” she said, meaning every word. She had no intention of getting herself into any more trouble, not when she was looking forward to spending both her Friday and Saturday nights with Kara. Getting shot, or stabbed, or sliced was not part of that equation. Especially when she considered how upset Selina would be if she got herself hurt even  _ one _ more time, when she was supposed to be resting up.

Then again, who knew what could happen in the heat of the moment.

-

The crime scene was swarming with people.

Alex was standing in the dining room, watching as the medical examiner worked her magic. This apartment looked just as undisturbed as all the others, and it appeared as though no one but the victims had been here. Not even a cleaning lady, judging by the layer of dust on the television and various other appliances. As it were, the man and woman sat at their dining table, lunch still on their plates, though it had long since grown cold.

Scowling, Alex scanned the surrounding area, looking for something that could tell her why this incident was so far removed from the other four. When she’d first started here, the murders had been days apart, and now this. Why wait for multiple weeks before striking again, if nothing else was different and the victims still died the exact same way? Had their perpetrators been out of the country? Something was definitely wrong here.

Hank stayed where he was while Alex walked slowly around the room, taking in the untouched valuables clearly on display. These attacks had never been about money, and she would’ve been surprised if that had changed. No, these perps were after something else.

If Pam’s report about the chemical composition of the poison being used in these attacks was anything to go by, the people behind this had something far more sinister in mind, even if Alex couldn't see what it was yet.

Coming to a stop next to the window, her eyes raked over the impressive collection of caladium plants on the windowsill. These would have to find a new home now, she thought, unless someone decided to just throw them out altogether and be done with it. Pam would be devastated if she knew, and Alex felt a twinge of discomfort when she thought about it.

In a fit of reckless stupidity, she turned to Hank.

“Do you think anyone will notice if I take these caladiums home?” She asked, wondering how she would fit them onto her motorcycle. She’d have to call Selina to come and pick them up. “Who knows how long these will have to go without water if we just leave them here.” She wasn't the best at caring for plants, but she knew if all else failed she could always ask Herb to help her tend to them. He was already pretty good at watering himself.

“Take them to the precinct first,” he said, looking at her with a fond expression that made her feel slightly bashful. “If any next of kin want to claim them, we can give them back. If not, you can always take them home then.” He stepped over to her and clapped her on the shoulder, studying the flowers in front of them. “I need to talk to you when we're back at the precinct, so let’s bag these flowers and get out of here.”

His words made her jaw drop.

_ Bag these flowers. _

“They're completely fine,” she whispered, horror taking root in her chest, more terrifying than the thought of getting involved with superhero business again. She couldn’t believe she hadn't realized it before. “Hank, the flowers.” She grabbed one of the caladium plants and picked it up, turning it from side to side. “Look, there isn't a scratch on them. They're perfect.” His face turned grim and sober as he stared at the red and green petals.

“They're evolving the weapon,” he growled quietly.

“Whatever is killing these people, they're trying to keep it from spreading throughout the room, and it looks like they just succeeded.” She was shaking with the realization. If the people responsible somehow managed to improve this weapon to the degree that its effects could be tightly controlled… she didn't even want to think about the consequences. “That’s why they waited so long to test it again. They couldn't control it, but now they can.” Her voice was a furious whisper. She desperately hoped there were other things holding their perps back, some other way in which the weapon was broken or malfunctioning.

She and Hank needed more time to figure this out.

“I’ll send another sample to my contact,” she said, grabbing two more of the caladiums and balancing them in her arms. “But this time, I’m having the results sent directly to my home, so we don’t get that two-week waiting period fuck-up again.” She watched as Hank grabbed the remaining three plants, looking around at the other people in the room. Judging by his expression, he was no doubt wondering if anyone had picked up on their little discussion.

Thankfully, everyone was busy doing other things.

“Let’s go,” Hank said, walking briskly away from the window, stopping briefly at the door to let Vasquez know where they were off to. While following, Alex wondered why he wasn’t telling them to come along, too, considering he wanted to tell her something important at the precinct. Was it something so terrible that even Vasquez couldn’t hear about it?

Maybe Vasquez would be put in danger if they knew. If that was the case, Alex wholeheartedly supported Hank’s decision to keep them out of it. She would do anything to keep her friends safe, and she knew Hank felt the same way.

With a smile directed at Vasquez, Alex followed Hank out of the building.

-

> [Alex Damnvers]: I’m sending you more flower petals. Can you check and see if these new ones absorbed the same toxins as before?  _ Sent 3:23pm _ .
> 
> [Flower Power Pam]: Of course, pumpkin, just gimme those samples.  _ Sent 3:23pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Damnvers]: Thanks, Pam, you’re the best! Please send the results to my apartment.  _ Sent 3:23pm _ .
> 
> [Flower Power Pam]: Supercop, stop making me blush ♥.  _ Sent 3:24pm _ .

-

As soon as they reached the precinct, Alex went down to the lab and snagged the supplies she needed to mail Pam some of the petals. She was careful not to destroy the caladiums too badly, since she actually did still plan on taking them home, if nobody else wanted them and there wasn’t anything deadly about them.

For now, she placed the six flowers on a windowsill in their bullpen and put a sign on each one, telling everybody else not to touch them. She wasn’t too worried that another cop would bother getting too friendly with a bunch of flowers, or to go so far as to actually mess with them, but she wanted to make sure anyway. If anyone even so much as  _ looked _ at those plants, she’d have their head.

When all of that was finished, Alex followed Hank out of the building, after he’d told her to turn off her phone and stash it inside her desk’s lockbox.

“I don’t want anyone else to listen in,” he’d said, and she’d complied without question. She knew there were ways to track a phone even while it was off, so she understood why he’d made her get rid of it. She hoped whoever was apparently after them wouldn’t go to such extremes, but she had a feeling that was naive and wishful thinking.

“Do you want to take your car?” She asked as they walked down the steps in front of the station, looking around to see if any of their colleagues were paying them any special attention. After all, Lord had his cronies everywhere.

“No, they’re tracking my car,” he said, walking briskly along the zebra crossing in front of  _ Tribune Tea _ , Alex following after him with a queasy feeling in her stomach. “I found the tracker a few weeks ago.”

“Fuckers,” Alex breathed, a scowl overtaking her face. She knew damn well why he hadn’t removed it, too. He didn’t want them to know that he knew. Shaking her head, she walked more closely to him as he led her through the streets and towards one of National City’s parks. “Are they bugging your phone, too?”

“Most likely,” he said, nodding gravely.

“Do you know who’s behind it?” They’d reached Griffin Park and Alex took off her leather jacket when the sun and the heat became too much for her. “Is that why we’re out here? Do you think they might be targeting me, too?” The thought made her clench her teeth in anger. Maybe there was a tracker on her motorcycle at this very second. And what about her phone calls? Had she revealed any secrets?

Hank didn’t say anything as they made their way deeper and deeper into the forest of the park. When they reached a small birdwatching tower, he stopped, and leaned his back against it, scowling in derision, though Alex knew the expression wasn’t aimed at her.

“I checked your bike for trackers on Monday while you were off on your lunch break,” he said, the skin around his jaw tightening unpleasantly. “I checked it before you got shot, too. There wasn’t one on you before, but there is now.” She clenched her hands into fists, the fiery pits of anger curling like wild snakes in her belly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you as soon as I found it.”

She shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest, angry expression never wavering.

When she didn’t say anything else, he started talking again.

“A few weeks ago, Supergirl and I were attacked right here, from this very spot,” he said, which made Alex’s chest tighten uncomfortably. Her partner and friend had been attacked  _ yet again _ , and he hadn’t told her about it? And Supergirl, too?

“Is she okay?” The question felt mildly pointless, considering the fact that Supergirl was supposedly indestructible. The thought was a comfort, because it meant Alex didn’t have to worry about National City’s hero, even though she’d never even met the woman. Despite Batman’s great many talents, Alex worried for him constantly.

Hank gave her a sharp look.

“What I’m about to tell you needs to stay between us,” he said, looking every bit the terrifying sergeant he was, and she nodded.

“Of course. I’d never betray your trust,” she said, straightening up so he could see how serious she was. “And if it has anything to do with keeping you or Supergirl safe, I’m going to do whatever it takes to help you out. I just need to know what’s going on and who the enemies are.”

Hank nodded, too, studying her intently.

“You can’t tell anybody, not your mother or your closest friends. Not even your girlfriend,” he said, trying to drive home the point how important this piece of information truly was. “I’m only telling you this, because it affects you directly. When you pushed me out of the line of fire, you pushed  _ yourself _ into the spotlight.”

She swallowed, and gripped her leather jacket a little tighter.

“I promise, Hank, I’ll keep whatever it is to myself.” Her voice was strong and steady, and she meant every word. There was no way she’d go and blab this secret to anybody, not when it could put Hank in danger. “You can trust me.”

“I wouldn’t have brought this up if I didn’t,” he said, taking a step towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders, leaning down so they were closer together. She didn’t flinch when he lowered his voice so only she would be able to hear him, even if there’d been anyone else around them at this moment. “Supergirl has a weakness, and whoever is killing people with alien technology knows about it.”

Furrowing her brows, Alex unfurled her arms, unsure what to do with them.

“One component of the weapon is using a mineral called  _ sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide with fluorine _ , it’s a radioactive material from Supergirl’s home planet,” he whispered quickly, his eyes boring into Alex, as though he were reading her mind to gauge her reaction. “It’s called kryptonite and it can be used to kill her. I believe they’re hoping to use the weapon on Supergirl once they have perfected it.”

Her heart was pumping rapidly in her chest. This was far worse than she’d anticipated. So much for not worrying about Supergirl’s well-being. There was always a weakness, wasn’t there? Even a being as perfect as Supergirl wasn’t without flaws. The thought was terrifying.

“Who is doing this?” She whispered, nails digging into the palms of her hands.

Of course, when she’d pushed Hank out of the way, she’d made herself a target. Maybe they’d assumed that Hank would call Supergirl, if he’d been mortally wounded, or maybe they’d thought Supergirl would come to the scene of the crime if her friend and partner had been murdered.

She felt sick.

“I don’t know,” he said, obviously angry. “All I have is a name, and it hasn’t gotten me very far. It’s obviously a pseudonym, but I haven’t been able to find anyone who’s seen his face or heard his real name.” He squeezed her shoulders. “I wanted to tell you, so you know what we’re up against, and what we might be facing soon.”

“Thanks,” she said, her mind racing a mile a minute. A criminal whose face no one had seen? Alex knew just the right person to ask. “What’s the pseudonym? I’ll ask Catwoman to look into it; she’ll be able to help us track him down.” She’d reached for her phone, before realizing she’d left it at the precinct. Besides, she might have to get a new one, anyway, if someone had really bugged it.

“His name is Desaad.” He let her go and ran his hand over his mostly shaved head in a gesture of frustration. “I’ve been trying to find him for a few weeks now, but like I said, I haven’t had any luck. If your friend could find him, I’d be very grateful. Not being able to get a handle on this situation is making me nervous.”

“I understand,” she said, meaning every word. She shook her head once more. “They probably had the weapon already and then introduced this kryptonite agent. Maybe that’s what made the whole thing so unstable.” She was thinking out loud now, mostly, but Hank was nodding. “The weapon already worked on humans, but they must still be working on how far it spreads.” She rubbed her face, dangerously close to losing her mind. “This is so fucked up.”

“I agree,” he said, voice grim.

Exhaling slowly, she shook her head. Again and again.

“You need to tell Supergirl to be careful, Hank, I’m not fucking around this time,” she said, dropping her hands and catching his gaze with her own. “She is in serious danger. They could show up and use that thing at  _ any _ time and I’m not about to let some punk with a god-complex or a hero-problem kill her.”

Once again, Hank grabbed her shoulder.

“She knows how to be careful, and that someone is out there hunting her. I just wanted you to know that all of this is connected, and that we’re working on a much bigger picture than just the five double-homicides.” He grimaced. “If they perfect this weapon, Supergirl won’t be the only Kryptonian in danger.”

She sighed, feeling utterly drained from her anger, and the unexpected fear for Supergirl’s life and well-being. There was no reason she should care this much, and yet, here she was.

_ Supergirl  _ does _ own my entire ass, and I don’t even know her _ , she thought, leaning her forehead against Hank’s broad chest.

“Time to kick some ass,” she mumbled, feeling profoundly tired.

When Hank started awkwardly patting her back, she pulled away, and gave him a tired smile.

“At least we're in this together, right?” She said, holding out her hand for a fist bump. If they were going to go up against a shadowy organization trying to kill Supergirl, she may as well inject some sort of humor into the situation.

He smiled.

-

Friday night couldn't have come soon enough for Kara’s taste. Fine, so she’d seen Alex every day during lunch, but that couldn't make up for true and genuine one-on-one time with her. Besides, they’d not yet spent a whole evening together at one of their respective apartments. At least not one where they’d been alone, considering Selina had been there the first time Kara had stepped foot in Alex’s home.

As she rode up the elevator now, she was brimming with nervous excitement. Not only would she get to spend this evening with Alex, she’d also see her tomorrow for their very first sleepover, for lack of a better word. Quite frankly, Kara was more nervous than excited about tomorrow. What if she got an important call and would have to step out and fulfill her Supergirl duties? What if she had to leave Alex alone in bed?

And even more worryingly, would she and Alex even  _ harmonize _ in bed?

The thought brought a blush to her cheeks, and she tried not to imagine Alex being naked. After all, the only thing they’d be doing tonight and tomorrow would be to cuddle and maybe make out a little. Kara definitely wasn't ready to take any steps with Alex that were more advanced than that.

She was even willing to take the risk that Alex would recognize her as Supergirl without her glasses on. She’d reached the point where she was almost one hundred percent certain that even if Alex figured it out and they somehow stopped dating one another, Alex would never reveal her secret identity to anyone. Even under threat of duress.

Besides, Kara had never seen Alex in person as Supergirl, which continued to amaze her like almost nothing else. While she kept National City safe, Kara usually saw all manner of different police officers out on the streets. She recognized all of them, thanks to her superior, Kryptonian memory, and she hadn't even so much as seen the back of Alex’s head at any of the crime scenes she’d been to over the last few months.

When the elevator dinged, she pushed the thought away for another day and drew her shoulders up in excitement. Leaving the small space, she nearly ran over Selina, who had obviously started forward at exactly the same moment as Kara. In an effort to keep them both from tumbling to the ground, Kara curled her hands around Selina’s waist and held on tightly, pulling them both back into an upright position, using a mixture of her super strength and flying abilities.

“Whoa there, Super-Girlfriend,” Selina said, grinning brightly as Kara let go of her. Every time Selina used that nickname, a small part of Kara freaked out about having been discovered. “Save the hot loving for your sweetheart.” She patted Kara on the cheek and winked at her. “Supercop’s really excited about tonight. She’s trying not to show it, but I know her. Have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do. And for God’s sake,  _ use protection _ , Alex’s egg cells are very potent and fertile.”

At this barrage of words, Kara flushed bright red, unable to do anything but nod stupidly. Judging by Selina’s smirk, she was having the time of her life teasing Kara like this.

“I’ll be going now, I have a hot date with your friend Siobhan,” Selina said, leaning forward and up a little to press a kiss against Kara's cheek. When her lips veered off at the last second, Kara ducked out of the line of fire to save herself the embarrassment of having to confess to Alex that she’d been kissed by another woman.

And not just  _ anyone _ .

“Bye,” Kara squeaked, walking around Selina and quickly stalking toward Alex’s front door, Selina’s chuckles seemingly following her all the way down the corridor.

“I’ll get you one way or another!” Selina called after her, before getting onto the elevator and blowing her a kiss. “Those sweet lips shall be mine.”

With another wink and a smirk, the doors to the elevator closed, and Kara was alone with her sledgehammer of a heart. Alex’s friend really was something else. Not for the first time, she wondered how Alex could be so relaxed around someone who was so unpredictable. It had probably taken her many, many years to perfect, and Kara was only just starting out.

Lifting her hand, she pressed the doorbell, excitedly digging the tips of her shoes into the carpet below her. She’d slipped inside the building when one of Alex’s neighbors had left the premises, so she hoped Alex would be pleasantly surprised by her arrival. Her ears picked up footsteps, but she didn't bother x-raying the door. Only when she heard a gun being cocked did she start getting worried.

Her x-ray vision revealed Alex, holding a small pistol in her hand as she leaned closer to the door to check through the peephole who was on the other side.

Maybe Kara should have rung the bell downstairs after all.

When Alex saw that it was Kara, her expression relaxed immediately and she slipped the pistol behind the small chest of drawers next to the front door. Kara figured she must have installed a hidden compartment behind it, just in case she ever needed a weapon against an unwanted intruder. The thought sent chills down Kara’s back. Then, Alex unlocked the door and pulled off the chain, smiling brightly as she swung it open to admit Kara.

“Hey,” she said, showing no sign that she’d just been expecting an ambush, “you're early. I like that.” Her face light and happy, she grabbed Kara’s hand and pulled her inside, pushing the door shut and dragging Kara down into a kiss which left Kara more than a little breathless.

They kissed for a few seconds, Kara winding her arms around Alex’s back and dragging her closer. She was all too aware of Alex’s fingers caressing her cheeks as they moved their lips together and against each other. Kara would never tire of this feeling, she thought, the tips of her fingers sliding under Alex’s t-shirt and seeking out soft skin. Greedily, Kara tilted her head, her breathing coming out in a sharp staccato fashion, as her hands caressed the dimples at the base of Alex’s back.

They only pulled away from one another when a small mewling sound reached their ears from the floor.

Instantly charmed, Kara pecked Alex’s lips once in parting, before falling to her knees and cooing at the small cat standing in front of her. She was more than a little emotional when Trish jumped up to her and started purring, rubbing her tiny head against Kara’s chin. Smiling, Kara curled both hands around Trish’s back and gently cuddled her, fingers freely flowing through the silky fur.

“I missed you, too,” she whispered, while Alex walked past her and into the living room, most likely so she wouldn't intrude on Kara’s moment with her cat. “Have you been taking good care of Alex?” Her words were even less audible now, and she grinned when Trish started licking her hand. “That’s what I thought.”

Holding Alex’s cat close to her, Kara closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment. She was here, she felt comfortable, and she knew she was completely safe with Alex. Emotionally safe, more than anything else.

With a grin as wide as her face, Kara pushed herself to her feet again and shrugged off her trench coat, revealing a casual sweater and a pair of jeans. By this point, she knew she didn't have to put on a show for Alex to like her. She’d just have to be herself. The thought bolstered her, and she hummed happily under her breath as she hung up the coat, Trish walking around her legs, silently asking to be picked up.

The kiss had almost wiped the memory of Alex holding a gun behind her front door from Kara’s mind, stowed away for another day. She’d have to think about it eventually, and she’d confront Alex about it, too, but not tonight. All she wanted right now was to cuddle and kiss and watch television while they talked about everything and nothing all at once.

That wasn't too much to ask for, was it?

When she turned around, she saw Alex leaning in the doorway, wearing her Harley Quinn t-shirt again, alongside a pair of well-worn, comfortable looking jeans. Her feet were stuffed into dark green socks with a pattern Kara couldn't help but smile about.

“Harry Potter fan?” She asked, fondly taking in the golden snitches littered all over Alex’s socks. Yet more points to Detective Danvers and her rapidly growing nerd cred.

Alex grinned, walking over to Kara and picking up Trish.

“Isn't everybody?” She asked, handing a squirming Trish over to Kara, who was all too happy to accept the offering. The small cat started purring immediately and cuddled herself into Kara’s arms. Eyes narrowing a little in thought, Alex stepped closer and curled her hands around Kara's waist. “Let me guess… Hufflepuff?”

Blushing happily at Alex’s proximity and words, Kara leaned in for a small kiss.

“Got it in one,” she murmured, pecking Alex’s mouth a few more times.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all week,” Alex husked, cheeks warm and red with her own blush.

“Tell me my Hogwarts house?” Kara teased, smiling so hard she could barely manage to keep kissing Alex.

“You think you're so funny,” Alex husked, drawing Kara close and kissing her hard, ever-mindful of Trish’s tiny, dozing body. When she pulled away abruptly, Kara’s mouth chased after her, but Alex was already walking backwards and into the living room, grinning like a fool. This woman would be the end of her, Kara could tell. “Come on, we can make out on the couch, I’ve been on my feet all week.”

Biting her bottom lip, Kara followed after her.

“I thought you were  _ behind your desk _ all week? What happened to being shackled to the bullpen?” She should’ve known someone like Alex couldn't be contained for too long. It had most likely only been a matter of time until she’d escaped. “You didn't get into another shootout, did you?”

Alex was poised to respond, no doubt to defend herself, when Kara stopped dead in her tracks.

She’d just entered the room, prepared for more happy banter and heady kisses, when she saw it.

In all of the excitement over the vernissage and Catwoman stealing from her and that second first kiss her and Alex had shared… Kara had completely forgotten that Alex had said she’d buy one of her paintings. She also hadn't expected it to be  _ this one _ . And yet there it was. Of all the paintings Alex could have chosen, she’d picked the one Kara had been most reluctant to part with.

_ Little One _ .

The canvas showed two figures with their sides facing the observer, their features obscured by hair and shadows. There was a child and an adult, both sitting on a soft bed with Krypton’s red sun setting in the background, the huge windows giving the perfect view of the scenery.

The taller figure, the woman, was holding the child’s hands, a small blue shape clutched in between her fingers, the brightest spot on the entire painting, making it look almost like it glowed. Kara had used special reflective paint to achieve the effect. When light was applied to it directly, small flecks of glass in the paint started to sparkle.

Tears welled in her eyes as she took in her Aunt Astra, whispering to her when she’d been nothing but a small child, the love they had for each other clearly tangible even with their faces out of view.

Alex had hung the painting on the broad back wall of her living room, opposite the windows, though Kara could tell that the sun wouldn't hit it at any time of the day. Obviously, Alex had wanted to ensure that her painting wouldn't be damaged by prolonged exposure to the light.

Her heart beating a mile a minute, Kara’s eyes left her aunt to seek out Alex’s face.

“You—when—“ She  could hardly speak, her eyes welling over, fat tears running down her cheek as she set Trish down on the floor. She could tell Alex was becoming distressed, concerned for Kara and wondering if she’d made a mistake buying the painting. Kara wanted to reassure her, wanted to tell her that no,  _ no _ , the gesture meant  _ everything _ to her, but her throat felt tight with emotions she didn’t know how to express.

In two strides, Alex was by her side, her arms wrapped around Kara, holding her tightly while Kara sniffled. Swallowing hard, Kara tried to stop the flow of tears. She hadn’t cried about her aunt in a long time, not since discovering that she was alive and well on Earth, but bent on destroying everything and everyone Kara held dear.

She hadn’t given up hope that Astra would someday see the error of her ways, but knowing she was here and not being able to see her was torture. And now, with Alex buying the painting that equally joyed and hurt her the most, aside from her parents… it was just too much for her.

“I wanted to surprise you, but if I’d known you’d start to cry, I would’ve warned you first,” Alex said, arms holding Kara as tightly as humanly possible. “You know I wanted to buy one of your works, but I couldn’t decide between three of them, and so I asked Lucy, and she said this one meant the most to you, and I—I figured…”

She pulled back and cupped Kara’s cheeks, wiping away her tears.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you, or made you upset. I can give it back if you want me to, I know I should have asked you first, but—I’m sorry.” Alex was rambling and Kara’s heart felt as though it were on the verge of exploding.

Not only had Alex done exactly what she had promised to do, she’d also asked Lucy for advice, because she knew Lucy knew Kara better than anyone. Maybe that was what they’d been talking about at the gallery on Sunday.

Quickly wiping away the last of her tears, Kara grabbed the front of Alex’s t-shirt and walked them briskly over to the couch. In a flurry of motion, Alex was sitting and Kara had straddled her lap, hands on Alex’s neck and shoulder as she kissed her. Hard.

Alex seemed caught off guard, and it took her a few seconds to catch on and respond, her hands sliding under the back of Kara’s sweater, finding warm skin. Mouths sliding against one another, Kara tried to pull Alex as close as their bodies would allow, trying to convey through her actions what she had been unable to put into words.

“If I’d known you’d react like that, I would’ve bought more than one,” Alex husked into the kiss, pressing their foreheads together and taking her hands out of Kara’s sweater so she could rub her back instead. “But seriously, are you okay? Out of all the reactions I expected,  _ crying _ wasn’t very high on the list.”

“I was just overwhelmed,” Kara said, nudging Alex’s nose with her own and keeping her eyes closed, soaking in the feeling of Alex holding her. “I thought my aunt was dead for years.” She curled her fingers into Alex’s t-shirt, careful not to rip it. “And then, a few years ago, she found me, but… she was...  _ different _ .”

How best to describe an aunt who wanted to enslave the entire human race…?

“That’s her in the picture… with me, when I was about eleven or twelve.” She lowered her head to Alex’s shoulder and neck, seeking her warmth and that reassuring heartbeat. “I didn’t want to give the painting away, not really, but when she came back and did all of those horrible things…” She trembled, and Alex held her more tightly, kissing her hair. “I’m trying not to lose hope, but I figured… that picture… It doesn’t show the person she is now, so I gave it up.”

One of Alex’s hands reached up to cup the back of Kara’s neck, her thumb drawing over the skin in a soothing, circular motion.

“Like I said, I can give it back, if it’s too painful for you to look at,” she whispered, pressing a kiss against Kara’s shoulder. “I can buy the one with the awesome citadel or the bird's eye view of the sprawling city.”

Kara didn’t even have to think about it.

“No, keep it, I want you to have it,” she said, pulling her head back and lifting her hand to Alex’s cheek, fingers dancing over her temple and forehead, smoothing some hair out of Alex’s face. “I love my Aunt Astra, and I…” She bit her bottom lip. No, it was still too soon. Instead of finishing the sentence, she smiled and kissed Alex. Softly, slowly. “You’re the best girlfriend ever.”

All of a sudden, she could feel Alex’s heartbeat race into overdrive.

“Girlfriend?” She asked, staring up at Kara in awe.

Blushing a little, Kara leaned forward again, Alex’s chin tilting up automatically to receive the kiss. It felt different this time, too. Much less frantic and unsure than all of the previous times, when the possibility of something coming in between them had still existed. But not now, not anymore.

“Only if you want to be,” Kara husked, fingers caressing Alex’s chin.

“Yes,” Alex choked out, hand moving over to cover the one Kara had on Alex’s shoulder, “I would love to be your girlfriend, Kara. Yes.” Her lips broke into a beautiful, breathtaking smile, so blinding Kara had a feeling she was being doused in sunlight.

“Then it’s official,” Kara husked, all shyness gone from her body, “Kara Kent and Alex Danvers are exclusive. Going steady.” She giggled and Alex laughed. “Just you and I, being girlfriends.” Her chest felt tight with happiness, her belly full of butterflies.

“Kara Kent is my girlfriend,” Alex mused, as though she was just trying out how it sounded. “Wow. That means you now have to accept the fact that I walk into everything, and that I kick during my sleep. Oh, and I leave my pants on the floor of my bedroom, and I obsessively play video games with Harley until four am.”

Placing her finger over Alex’s lips, Kara had a feeling her eyes had grown very soft.

“I’m looking forward to finding all of this out for myself. You don’t have to tell me,” she whispered, eyes shining with wonder. “And now I think we should do something very girlfriend-like.” Alex was nodding before Kara had even spoken another word. “Let’s cuddle, watch Netflix, and order some Chinese food.”

Squeezing Kara around the waist, Alex reached for the phone at her side.

“Let’s get this show on the road, then, Ms. Kent, this is the rest of your life,” she said, immediately turning bright red. “Wait… you only say that when you’re married, right? Forget I said anything.”

Chest burning with love and desire, Kara kissed Alex deeply.

“No take-backs.”

It took them thirty minutes to make the call.

Kara couldn’t regret a single second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at our kids finally making things official!
> 
> Sorry I haven't been replying to everyone's comment these last few chapters. Uni and my mental health have been kicking my ass. 
> 
> Thanks as always to Coara for betaing :))
> 
> And if you want to chat to me, find me on tumblr @goshdarnitjay


	16. A Great Farmhand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Kara spend their evenings together as girlfriends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad you guys enjoyed that Alex and Kara finally got their shit together and made it official! :) Your comments and kudos mean the world to me!
> 
> I hope you'll keep enjoying the story!

Kara was enjoying her quiet evening in with her  _ girlfriend _ .

The Chinese food had been all but demolished, the empty cartons littering Alex’s nice coffee table, cheerfully surrounding both of their phones. Currently, Netflix was set to playing old episodes of  _ Person of Interest _ , but Alex and her were too busy making out to notice what was happening on the screen.

When their food had arrived about half an hour earlier, they’d almost missed answering the door, because they’d been too busy thoroughly reacquainting their mouths with one another. Kara couldn't get enough of touching Alex and being close to her, especially now that they’d made it official. Now that they were  _ girlfriends _ .

She still couldn’t believe it.

Her hand was curled around Alex’s neck, her thumb stroking along the gorgeous jawline of her detective.  _ Hers _ . They were kissing lazily, enjoying the knowledge that no matter how much they kissed, they would not be interrupted. There would be no Lucy barging in, no Selina poking fun, and no Ms. Grant reprimanding them for slacking off.

It was just them, making each other feel good.

There was nothing but bliss. Lips on lips, and hands holding them close together.

And then, as though Kara’s thoughts had summoned it, her phone started to vibrate on the coffee table. Not once, not twice, but  _ three _ times.

For a moment, she ignored it, choosing instead to continue moving her lips in tandem with Alex’s.

“Do you need to get that?” Alex asked, her lips leaving Kara’s mouth to suck on her neck instead, gently leaving butterfly kisses in her wake, making Kara feel like her insides were slowly turning into mush. Damn her attractive detective - how the hell was Kara supposed to function when it felt so amazing to have Alex kissing her body?

“Maybe,” she answered, voice rough, staring at the flashing light on her phone. “Might be something important.” It could be anybody or anything, really. Work, Supergirl-related stuff, or it could be her Aunt Martha sending her another recipe for cookies she wanted her to try out.

“Go ahead,” Alex husked, hand sliding to the other side of Kara’s neck while she continued to kiss Kara’s pulse. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Closing her eyes, Kara thought she was enjoying herself rather too much when Alex started nuzzling the underside of her jaw. For some reason, she had a hard time collecting her brain. Everything felt warm and comfortable and exciting.

_ No, focus _ , she told herself, leaning slightly to the side and grabbing her phone from the coffee table. This had better been important, or Kara was going to rain down some serious words on whoever had decided to interrupt her make-out session with the hottest detective in town.

Unlocking the screen, she stared down at the notifications that greeted her. Three messages from Lucy, one of them containing a screenshot of yet another conversation. Sighing, she opened up the chat window, all the while trying not to succumb to her own desires and pull Alex into another ravenous kiss. If Lucy needed her, Kara would be there for her. Besides, Alex kissing her neck was a more than adequate substitute for making out.

The first text was comprised of a screenshot, which had been taken on Lucy’s phone, containing a text conversation Lucy must have had with Siobhan not that long ago. There was the bottom quarter of a picture Siobhan had sent, the subject of which was barely decipherable. If Kara had to guess, she’d said it was a photo of Siobhan and Selina at a table in a fancy restaurant, judging by the expensive looking table cloth.

It was accompanied by a text from Siobhan.

> [Siobhan SMITES]: Check out who’s being classy, having a candle light dinner before the mind-blowing sex!  _ Sent 8:18pm _ .

Below the picture were multiple text messages, in which Lucy complained about Siobhan going out with… the  _ enemy _ . Of course. Lucy hadn’t forgiven Selina for what had happened, so the thought of Siobhan willingly sleeping and going to dinner with her must have been inconceivable to her. What was more, Kara could perfectly imagine Selina’s amusement at Lucy’s reaction. From what Alex had told her, Selina hadn’t exactly made a good first impression at the vernissage.

Before she could read what else Siobhan had sent, Kara moaned a little as Alex found the sensitive patch of skin at the bottom of her neck and started lavishing attention on it. Kara could feel her girlfriend’s grin against her skin. That only made it worse.

“Anything good?” Alex asked casually, as though she hadn’t just uncovered the holy grail of neck kissing.

Feeling desperately out of control again, Kara’s free right hand slipped into Alex’s hair, holding her close.

“Lucy and Siobhan are talking about something, I don’t know,” she husked, phone clutched in her left hand and resting on her knee, screenshot open and visible. “I can’t concentrate with you kissing my neck, or touching me in general. I don’t think my brain is made for that kind of distraction.”

Her eyes closed again, when Alex’s teeth gently glided over her skin.

“Do you want me to stop?” Alex asked, pulling her head up and looking at Kara with a teasing glint in her eyes. “I could keep watching TV while you finish with whatever problem Lucy’s dealing with right now.” Surging forward, Alex pressed a small kiss against Kara’s lips and grinned.

She wanted to protest, wanted to tell Alex to keep going, to make her feel good, but she also knew Lucy was alone in her apartment, confronted with other people’s happiness, and Kara wouldn’t leave her friend out in the cold all by herself. She hadn’t been kidding, either. Her Kryptonian brain didn’t seem to be built to compute Alex’s touches.

She sighed.

“I definitely want to make out some more later,” she grumbled, pulling her phone back up and pouting.

Chuckling, Alex leaned back on the couch and spread her arms along the backrest, affecting a cool sort of nonchalance. It was a good facade overall, but Kara  _ knew _ Alex, and she could tell her detective was just as compromised by their kissing and touching as Kara was.

Cuddling herself into her girlfriend’s side, Kara was more than happy when Alex wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, while Kara finally finished reading through the texts Lucy and Siobhan had sent to one another. When she reached the bottom one, her eyebrows climbed very far up her forehead.

> [Siobhan SMITES]: Maybe you should just hook up with her, too. That solved all the anger I was working through about her and Kara.  _ Sent 8:21pm _ .

Blinking in confusion, but already having a feeling where this comment would have led, Kara exited out of the screenshot and read Lucy’s two subsequent messages.

> [Lucylicious]: Kara, look at this shit! Look at it!  _ Sent 8:20pm _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: Can you BELIEVE she sent this to me?!  _ Sent 8:20pm _ .

Frankly, Kara was at a loss for what to say.

She had a feeling Siobhan and Selina were having the time of their lives teasing Lucy like this, with the knowledge that they’d end the night on a bang, literally, after enjoying a wonderful meal with an intellectual equal.

She wasn’t at all surprised that Siobhan had sent such a text, especially not after Alex had told her that Selina’s first and natural reaction upon seeing Lucy had been to hit on her. Most likely, Selina wouldn’t even be opposed if Lucy were to actually signal that she wanted something other than animosity between them.

Overall though, despite the fact that they were now  _ gently _ teasing Lucy, Kara was glad that Siobhan and Selina were having such a good time together. They were both fiercely intelligent, and Kara imagined it could be hard to find people who could keep up with them. Mentally, as well as physically.

Considering all of these factors, she screwed up her face a little in thought and composed her own text. Maybe her words would be enough to take Lucy’s mind off the fact that her marriage was having troubles while everybody else’s love or sex lives flourished around her.

> [Kara Kent]: Well… I mean… if that would solve the problems you have with her…  _ Sent 8:26pm _ .

It was meant as a joke, though she knew Lucy wouldn’t be very thrilled with her cheeky response. Still, she couldn’t help the grin that spread over her face as she reread what she’d sent her friend.

Lucy’s affronted response only made it better.

> [Lucylicious]: ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!  _ Sent 8:27pm _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: KARA KENT, I RAISED YOU BETTER THAN THIS!  _ Sent 8:27pm _ .

Laughing, Kara showed Alex the texts and cuddled closer to her chest, feeling more relaxed than she had in days. Weeks, even. She had Alex, she had her art, and she was taking her best friend’s mind off of something awful.

> [Kara Kent]: I’m kidding, please don’t sleep with her. Don’t make this any weirder than it already is!  _ Sent 8:27pm _ .

The thought of Lucy ever doing anything even remotely sexual with Selina was disturbing and absolutely wrong. Kara had a feeling the end of the world would be brought on if an event of such magnitude ever took place.

“We really need to do something about Lucy,” Alex said nonchalantly, the fingers of her left hand drawing lazy circles on Kara’s arm. “Something about her marriage, since it’s obviously not working out. They either need counseling, or they need to reevaluate what they want.” Her words seemed purposefully careful, as though she was trying not to step on Kara’s toes in terms of Lucy.

Kara appreciated the effort.

“It’s complicated; they’ve been married for over nine years,” she said, looking down and waiting for Lucy’s no doubt snarky reply to her earlier text. “They’ve had counseling before.” She sighed, turning her head to the side and nuzzling her nose against the underside of Alex’s jaw. “They want different things, but I know Lucy is still hoping they’ll work it out  _ somehow _ .”

Her phone vibrated with a new text and she lowered her chin so she could read it. The words made her blush with exasperation.

> [Lucylicious]: The only one who’s making it weird is Detective Dumbass. Be honest, how many times do you think they’ve done it over the years?  _ Sent 8:29pm _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: Not to imply that they’re doing it now. They’re obviously not. The woman is hopelessly devoted to you, it’s disgusting.  _ Sent 8:29pm _ .

To her own surprise, Kara didn’t feel even a twinge of jealousy at the thought of Alex and Selina possibly having had sex in the past. She knew they hadn’t, since Alex had told her so the night after the whole kiss fiasco, but even the idea wasn’t painful anymore.

“Lucy thinks you and Selina slept with each other,” Kara mentioned, while composing another reply, only to be interrupted a second later. Alex sounded like she was nearly choking to death next to her, having taken a sip of her orange juice and nearly spitting it out again when Kara had spoken.

Putting down her phone without hitting send, Kara clapped Alex on the back gently to help her get rid of the fluid in her windpipe.

“We haven’t,” she said, coughing all throughout, “especially not recently.” Her voice sounded rough and pained from the acid of the juice, while Kara raised one eyebrow. Half-amused, half-worried.

“Especially not  _ recently _ ?” She repeated, wondering if she’d somehow misunderstood Alex’s insistence from a few months ago, where Alex had said she  _ had _ never and  _ would _ never sleep with Selina.

Alex grimaced.

“I just meant that recently… I’ve only had eyes for you. I haven’t even thought about or looked at another woman since I met you…” Alex confessed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. “I told you I’ve never had sex with Selina. We came close a couple of times, but then it never happened.”

Alright, now Kara  _ was _ a little jealous. Just a bit.

“Do you regret that?” Kara asked tentatively, biting her bottom lip and looking at her phone again to distract herself from Alex’s face. Maybe she wasn’t as over the whole Selina thing as she’d thought and hoped.

“No,” Alex said, reaching out and grabbing Kara’s hands. “Please, trust me. I don’t want anyone but you, and I don’t regret never sleeping with Selina. Who knows, maybe in another universe she and I could have worked, but not here. Not in this one.” She reached up, her fingers cupping Kara’s cheek.

“Okay,” Kara said, exhaling shakily, heart pounding harshly in her chest. She  _ did _ trust Alex, and there was nothing she wanted to do more in this moment than to show her how much she appreciated her honesty and willingness to discuss even the difficult parts of their relationship.

Grinning slightly, she kept her phone clutched in her hand, before she straddled Alex’s lap once more.

“We can make out again now,” she whispered, lips dangerously close to Alex’s mouth. “In the breaks between texts from Lucy.”

Radiating relief that Kara had accepted her heartfelt words, Alex took her up on her offer, leaning up and sealing their lips together, arms wrapped around Kara’s waist, content with simply holding her. With a small smile, Kara stroked the fingers of her right hand along Alex’s brow, her next words whispered directly into their kiss.

“I don’t want anyone else, either.” Her glasses nudged Alex’s nose, and they both laughed, the moment no less romantic for it. “You’re the only one I want to be with. I just… want you to know that. You’re not alone, I feel the same way.”

Her finger drew over a tiny scar at Alex’s left temple.

“I know I keep asking you about Selina...” Pulling her head away a little, Kara looked directly into Alex’s eyes, hoping that Alex would really  _ hear _ her. “I guess I’m still not completely over the whole kissing thing you do with her, but that doesn’t mean I don’t trust you.” She furrowed her brows. “Does that make sense?”

Nodding gently, Alex nudged Kara’s nose with her own.

“Yeah, yeah it does.” She leaned in and gave Kara a loving kiss. She smiled. “I don’t mind telling you over and over again that you’re the only one for me. I know the relationship I have with my friends is complicated, and I’m not angry that you have your reservations.”

Alex shrugged.

“I know we’ll figure it out,” she concluded, looking and sounding like everything Kara had ever wanted in a partner. The amazing thing was, Kara knew, deep in her heart, that this wasn’t a fluke or a fake.

This was hard work, but it was  _ real _ , and Kara wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world.

-

> [Lucylicious]: Kara??? Where did you go??? I’m sorry I suggested your girl may have had sex with someone who wasn't you in the past. I'm sure she’s still a virgin xoxo.  _ Sent 8:34pm _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Sorry, got a little distracted.  _ Sent 8:57pm _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: If I check under her nerdy boxers, will I find your lipstick marks, Kara???  _ Sent 8:57pm _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: NO! To all of this!  _ Sent 8:57pm _ .
> 
> [Lucylicious]: Too bad.  _ Sent 8:57pm _ .

-

“And you’re absolutely sure this is going to work?” Alex asked, leaning back in her kitchen chair, making it stand up on its hind-legs. “Cause I don’t want to talk about Catwoman or Supergirl business and have someone else listen in on me.”

She’d already searched her entire apartment with some special equipment Batman had sent to her, and she hadn’t found any bugs or tracking devices, at least for now. Quite frankly, she could already see herself scanning her apartment every time she came home. Batman had said she could keep the scanner, so there wasn’t anything holding her back.

Selina huffed, fiddling with Alex’s phone and giving her a glare.

Alright, fine, so maybe this hadn’t been the first time Alex had asked Selina about whether or not her tinkering was going to work and take effect, but Alex was impatient and anxious. She still didn’t know if her phone was being tapped.

The thought of someone else listening in on her private conversations with Kara, about how important she was to her, made her nervous. What if they tried to do something to Kara to get to her? She’d have to tell her about it, warn her, tell her to keep an eye out. Maybe even have Selina check out and protect her phone as well.

“It would go a whole lot faster, if you didn’t interrupt me every three seconds to ask me unnecessary questions,” Selina grumbled, her voice void of her usual banter. “It’s going to work, it’s how my own phone is set up, and I’ve never had a problem with anybody trying to listen in.” She had Alex’s laptop open next to her – which they’d also checked for spyware – and was typing on it furiously, her fingers flying over the keys at almost inhuman speed.

“Okay, okay, I was just asking,” Alex said, letting the chair fall back onto its front legs and getting up a second later. Trish and Herbert were dozing on the couch, and Alex’s eyes lingered on Kara’s painting. On her aunt’s half-obscured face. “I just don’t want what I do or say to affect the people I care about.”

Sighing, Selina continued typing.

“I know, baby, I know,” she said, leaning against the chair and stretching out her back. “But  _ trust me _ , if there is spyware on your phone, we’re going to find and eradicate it. And then I’m going to add my specially designed encryption software.” She smiled when Alex wrapped her arms around her neck and rested her forehead against Selina’s hair.

“Thanks,” Alex mumbled, feeling a little bit silly for doubting her friend. Selina had always come through for her, no matter the problem. “As long as the phone isn’t going to ask me for a blood sacrifice every time I try to unlock it.”

Snorting, Selina shook her off.

“See? This sort of attitude is why no one likes you,” she said, the screen filling up with a schematic of the contents of Alex’s phone. “Well, this is interesting…” Her mumble was enough to make Alex’s ears perk up, and in a second, she was back in her chair, after pulling it out so she could look at the laptop, too.

“What? Spyware? Self-destruct button? Proof that electronics only last as long as the guarantee is still valid?” Her eyes moved over the screen, unable to understand what Selina was seeing.

“Hm?” Selina asked, obviously having been deep in thought while she surveilled the data. “Oh, no, nothing like that, your phone seems to be clean. I was just wondering why you kept that nude I sent you by accident a few years ago… I mean, I’m flattered, Supercop, and I get you, but my oh my.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “What is the Mrs. going to say?”

Eyes getting wide, Alex pulled the laptop closer to herself, unable to see anything but scrambled code.

“I deleted that message as soon as I got it,” she said, completely confused why something as old as that would somehow show up in her files. Besides, there had been plenty of nudes Selina had sent  _ on purpose _ , back when she’d been trying to tease Alex about being a boring, no-nonsense cop, and Alex had deleted all of those as well.

When Selina started to laugh uncontrollably, Alex scowled.

“There are no nudes,” she said, rolling her eyes and pushing the laptop back towards Selina. “One day, that mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble with me.” She crossed her arms and slid down in her chair. Unsurprisingly, Selina’s hand slid over the inside of Alex’s thigh, a teasing glint in her eyes.

“Oh, Supercop, my mouth can get  _ you _ into all kinds of trouble, too,” she said, grinning, eyes half-lidded. “Maybe you and Kara will be up for a little three-way action someday… you always know where to find me.” She leaned over Alex, her hands firmly placed on both of Alex’s thighs. “Offer stands.”

Alex thought she was going to get kissed, but instead Selina just smiled and brushed their noses against one another. Sometimes, her friend could be incredibly sweet.

“I’ll think about it,” Alex sassed, not quite able to hide her fond smile.

“You do that, baby, think  _ long and hard _ about it.” With a grin, she pulled away and went back to typing on the laptop. “I’m going to install the encryption software and spyware protection now. After I’m done, you and Kara can sext your little hearts out as much as you like without big brother or sister watching over you.” Her fingers started flying over the keyboard again. “Send me some screenshots.”

Snorting, Alex got up from her chair and walked over to the window, hands at her hips, staring at the sky. Maybe, if she looked for long enough, she’d be able to spot Supergirl zipping by again. The thought of someone wanting to do someone harm who was as good and right as Supergirl still baffled her.

Pam had sent her back the results of her analysis the following day, after which Alex and Hank had poured over them at their desks, making sure they kept the files out of everybody else’s hands.

There was more at stake now than solving the five double-homicides.

Looking down at the six new caladium plants gracing her windowsill, Alex eyed the watering can off to her left, wondering if the flowers needed to be tended to again. Rubbing her chin, she looked over to Herbert, who was sleeping peacefully, curled up against Trish’s back. She wanted to ask Herb if the flowers were doing alright, but she didn’t want to disturb her pets while they were resting.

Awkwardly patting the flowers, Alex turned back around and watched silently as Selina did her thing. Keeping herself protected would be of the utmost priority right now, especially with their enemies making strides on their weapon.

The results of Pam’s analysis stated there wasn’t even a hint of the previously detected toxins in the petals, so Alex had had no qualms taking them home. After the next of kin had been informed, of course, and they’d given their okay.

“How much longer is this going to take, do you think?” Alex asked, ducking instinctively when Selina threw a roll of paper towels aimed squarely at Alex’s head. “Fine, fine, geez, I’m going to let you work. No need for this level of violence.” She shook her head, picked up the paper towels, and walked back over to Selina.

Looking down at the laptop, Alex rested her hands on her friend’s shoulders and started squeezing rhythmically. While she had no idea what Selina was doing or how time-consuming her work would be, she knew there were very few occasions in which a shoulder massage didn’t improve the situation.

“Thanks again for doing this,” she repeated, pressing her lips against the crown of Selina’s head to express her gratitude. This, at least, was one less thing she’d have to worry about, and she was more than grateful for it.

Selina didn’t say anything, but Alex knew she was smiling.

-

“Hey, Alex, can you hand me the iced tea?”

Alex was sprawled out on the couch, buried under a blanket, with her head pillowed on Kara’s lap while they spent their Saturday night watching the latest installment in the  _ Resident Evil _ franchise. She’d already seen plenty of spoilers for it on Tumblr, but her eyes stayed glued to the screen as she waited for Claire and Alice to finally lock lips while standing on a pile of dismembered zombie corpses.

“Sure, just a sec,” she said, sitting up and leaning forward, before grabbing the pitcher of iced tea on the coffee table and pouring some of it into Kara’s glass. The ice cubes rattled deliciously as Alex handed it over, grinning as she had all evening about the colorful bendy straw with its intricate swirls. Of course Kara would own such a thing. Of course.

“Tell your aunt her recipe for iced tea is out of this world, please,” Alex said, grabbing her own glass and sucking on her very own bendy straw. There was a small Wonder Woman logo attached to it, and Alex still wasn’t sure if Kara was teasing her, or if she’d bought the thing because she’d genuinely wanted to make Alex happy. Either scenario made Alex feel warm and fluttery inside.

“You can tell her yourself, once you come out to the farm with me,” Kara said, her glass already half empty again. “Maybe we can fly over there at some point. We’d take a plane, obviously.” There was a definite blush on her cheeks and Alex felt immensely pleased. Kara asking her to come to the farm where she’d been raised after her parents had died felt like a huge deal.

“Obviously,” she teased, grinning widely at Kara’s inability to hide the fact that she wasn’t human. At this point, Alex was pretty sure her hunch was correct. Now she was just waiting for Kara to feel comfortable enough to share her true identity. Vasquez would most likely shit their pants if they ever found out Alex’s hot girl was in fact a hot alien. “I’d love to come to the farm with you at some point.”

Kara smiled, shyly pushing her glasses further up her nose.

“Cool,” she said, handing Alex her now empty glass, so she could put it back on the coffee table. In the background, Alice was mowing down zombies left and right, and Alex took the opportunity to sidle up to Kara and rest her head against her chest.

“I bet I’d make a  _ great _ farmhand,” she said, scratching absentmindedly at her belly.

Laughing, Kara curled both arms around Alex and pulled her closer, nuzzling her nose into Alex’s hair.

“Well, we can test that hypothesis once we’re there, city girl,” she said, one of her hands rubbing Alex’s arm.

“Hey, I’ll have you know that this city girl isn’t afraid of a little hard work,” Alex protested, turning her head and giving Kara a determined look. She was mainly talking out of her ass; she had a feeling that working on a farm would be far more difficult than putting together her own furniture or helping her dad chop firewood in the garden. “Admit it, you’d love to see me sweat in the hot Kansas sun. Don’t even deny it.”

Her smile morphed into a smirk when she saw Kara’s cheeks grow hot with her blush. Smug satisfaction taking root in her chest, Alex had a feeling Kara had just imagined  _ exactly _ what Alex would look like. The fact that it had made Kara so very flustered was a complete win in Alex’s book.

“Me in a white tank top and a pair of jeans. Maybe some leather work boots. Muscles glistening in the sunlight…” Her grin stayed unwavering, even when Kara slapped her on the arm to chastise her.

“You—You’re just—“ Kara  sputtered, shaking her head.

“Amazing? Attractive? Wonderful? Sexy?” Alex finished the sentence, accompanying every word with a kiss to Kara’s overheated face.

“Impossible,” Kara supplied, lowering her head and bringing their lips together in a sweet kiss. “I think you’ve been spending too much time around your inappropriate friends. They’ve dangerously inflated your ego with their sex jokes and now I’m the one who has to deal with it.”

With a grin, Alex pulled herself up on her knees and pushed Kara down on the couch, perfectly aware that Kara’s muscles yielded immediately under her touch, putting up absolutely no resistance.

“Dangerously inflated, huh?” Alex drawled, hovering over Kara and wiggling her eyebrows. Channeling her inner Selina, Alex plowed on. “Want to know what else is dangerously inflated right now?”

Kara’s face flushed with blood, her mouth opening and eyes closing as she  _ laughed _ . Loudly, and with no regards as to whether she looked or sounded ridiculous. It was the most beautiful sight Alex had ever seen, and she couldn’t believe she’d been the source of such unbridled joy in her girlfriend. The feeling made her heart beat faster than a sledgehammer.

“Alex!” Kara called out, slapping Alex’s shoulder, tears leaking from her eyes. “This is not what I signed up for when I agreed to be your girlfriend.” She was obviously joking, and the loving look in her eyes made Alex feel as though she were floating ten feet above the ground.

Left hand reaching up, Alex smoothed her fingers over Kara’s forehead and smiled.

“Tough shit,” she murmured, leaning down, her lips fitting perfectly against Kara’s as she felt fingers slide over her waist and dig into her back. “I told you there’d be some rough edges you’d be bumping up against now that I can drop the veneer of being a respectable citizen. I’ve got you now, Kara.”

Eyes half-lidded, Kara lifted her head a little for another kiss.

“I surrender,” she whispered, grinning and sighing with satisfaction.

Continuing to slide her lips against Kara’s, her body now completely blanketing her on the couch, Alex couldn’t fathom how she’d managed to get so damn lucky. She’d been contemplating the thought on and off for the past three weeks, ever since Kara had come back into her life. No matter how fucked up the whole thing with Supergirl and Alex’s involvement in it was, she could come home and Kara would be there.

Which was why Alex needed to at least offer her some protection, if Kara wanted it.

Pulling away from their soft kissing, Alex sighed and sat up on her knees again, watching as Kara furrowed her brows in worry. Alex didn’t want to make her too concerned, so she patted her girlfriend’s knee and tried on a small, reassuring smile. She wanted to talk about this now, before they devolved into endless kissing and tender conversations again.

“Are you okay?” Kara asked, sitting up as well and grabbing Alex’s hand.

“Yeah, there’s just something I want to talk to you about,” Alex replied, putting on a serious expression. When she saw Kara’s eyes fill with fear, she squeezed her hands tightly. “It has nothing to do with us being a couple, I promise. We’re  _ great _ .”

Kara’s breath of relief was barely audible.

“It’s about a case, actually, and me being shot,” Alex continued, though these news apparently weren’t much better at keeping Kara at ease. Her entire body seemed to stiffen, her eyes flitting down to Alex’s left bicep.

“Did you find out who’s responsible?” Kara asked, her fingers leaving Alex’s hand and sliding up her arm instead, stroking the skin just below Alex’s bullet wound.

“No,” Alex replied, biting her bottom lip, feeling uncomfortable at the half-truth. “Well… we know who’s behind it, in a general sort of way, but we haven’t been able to locate them.” Cupping Kara’s hand on her arm, she intertwined their fingers. “They’re tracking my motorcycle and I thought they might also be tracking my phone, so I asked Selina to look into it. She’s good with computers.”

Next to them, an explosion filled the screen and a zombie head flew directly at the camera. Alex barely took note of it, her heart set on giving Kara the option of more protection. She didn’t want to force her into agreeing to anything she might not want to do.

“Did she find anything?” Kara asked, brows furrowed in concentration. As usual, her reaction surprised Alex, though she knew on some level that it shouldn’t have. Selina had been right, when she’d said that Kara was a lot tougher than she sometimes appeared to be. She didn’t look scared at the prospect of someone tracking Alex’s whereabouts in order to do her harm - she looked  _ pissed _ .

“Her various scans and tests came back clean, but I actually wanted to ask you something.” Fingers squeezing Kara’s hand, Alex made eye contact. “Selina added her custom protection and encryption software to my phone, and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to protect your phone as well.” She knew she was looking far too intense for such a simple question, but she couldn’t stop herself.

Kara’s protection was  _ important _ .

“I’m scared they’re going to use you to get to me,” Alex confessed, chewing on the inside of her cheek and looking down at their entangled fingers on her arm. Trying to keep the thought of Kara being harmed because of  _ her _ out of her mind, Alex rubbed her thumb over the back of Kara’s hand.

Kara being hurt, being in  _ pain _ because of her was the last thing Alex wanted.

Just like him, just like her dad.

As though she could sense Alex’s shift in mood, Kara lifted her free hand and softly cupped Alex’s chin, moving her head back up again.

Alex didn’t try to resist, only clenched her jaw when she saw Kara’s tender expression.

“You don’t have to worry about me or my safety,” Kara murmured, completely unaware how much Alex felt was at stake. She’d already been responsible for her father’s death, she wouldn’t be responsible for her girlfriend’s, too.

“I do, though,” Alex whispered, fingers trembling a little.

“Yeah,” Kara breathed, a strange expression coming over her face, as though there was something hovering just on the tip of her tongue. Words she didn’t feel quite ready to share. Alex wondered if it had something to do with the whole maybe not being quite human thing. A second later, the expression was gone. “But you don’t have to worry about my phone being hacked or listened into.”

When Alex screwed up her face in question, Kara grinned.

“Clark’s best friend is a certified genius and an absolute computer whiz. You met her at the gallery, Lucy’s cousin Chloe?” Kara said, smiling more widely when Alex nodded in the affirmative. “I’m pretty sure she’s actually the smartest person on the planet. She’s the one who set up my phone for me a few years ago. I give it to her for regular maintenance at least once a month.”

Letting go of Alex’s hand, Kara cupped both of Alex’s cheeks and gave her a small, reassuring kiss.

“See? No need to be worried at all.” Kara’s smile rivaled the sun in intensity, and she drew her fingers down Alex’s neck. “You know what we should be worried about?” She asked, looking highly amused when Alex just shook her head, unsure where Kara was going with this. “We should be worried we’re going to miss Alice kissing Claire. I’ve been waiting for literal  _ years _ .”

Her lips slowly spreading into a smile, Alex rolled her eyes good-naturedly and leaned against the back of the couch, opening her arms for Kara to sink into.

All she wanted was to hold Kara close, make sure that at least for now, today, Kara would be safe in her arms, away from any sort of danger. Her worry wasn’t gone, not in the slightest, but she was glad Kara was protected when it came to her electronics. One less thing she had to think about.

“Alright, let’s make sure you get your fix for gorgeous women loving women zombie killers,” Alex said, happy when Kara snuggled up to her and curled both arms around her torso. There would be plenty of time to worry about Kara’s safety, she didn’t have to do it here and now, when she had Kara all to herself.

“I can’t wait to watch them kiss. It’s going to be so beautiful…” Kara whispered, nudging her head under Alex’s chin and digging her fingers into Alex’s t-shirt, Alex’s muscles twitching in response to Kara’s touch.

Yes, she had plenty of time to worry.

She didn’t have to do it now.

-

Eying her bed, Kara fiddled with the bottom of her sweater.

“Do you have a side that you prefer to sleep on?” She asked, looking at the side of Alex’s face. They were both standing in her bedroom, Alex with her duffle bag slung over one shoulder and Kara biting the inside of her cheek. She’d agonized over which pajamas to wear, wondering if she should go for something sexy rather than what she usually wore. Ultimately, though, she knew Alex would want her to be herself.

Besides, there would be plenty of occasions for her to be  _ sexy _ .

“No, not really,” Alex replied, fingers digging into the strap of her bag, a light dusting of red coloring her nose and cheeks. “I usually sleep in the middle, so, you can sleep on your favorite side of the bed, if you want to.”

Kara was trying not to notice how fast Alex’s heart was beating at the prospect of sleeping in the same bed. In turn, she was glad Alex wasn’t able to hear  _ her _ heartbeat. Unless, of course, Kara’s very loose and tentative theory of Alex’s super powers held true and they involved some sort of super hearing.

“Let’s just get ready for bed, then we can figure out how we’re going to sleep togeth—with— _ next _ to one another,” Kara managed to squeeze out, abruptly burning bright red and turning around to grab some pajamas from her closet. “Um, I’ll go change in the bathroom, you can change in here, if that’s okay with you?”

Her  _ Star Wars _ pajamas were in the hamper, so she made a grab for the light blue pair littered with breakfast foods. Lois had given it to her a few years ago as a birthday present; she had one just like it, and Kara loved it to pieces.

“Yeah, sure, sounds great,” Alex said, her face noticeably more flushed as well, and she set her duffle down on the bed, unzipping it just as Kara left her bedroom to walk into the ensuite bathroom. “I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out. Wouldn’t want to scar you for life too soon.”

When Kara looked back, Alex patted her own stomach and grinned, obviously trying to lighten the mood and get them out of their awkwardness. Even though Kara knew Alex was kidding, she couldn’t help but blush as she imagined the moment she’d be confronted with Alex’s naked body. Once again, she was glad to be in complete control of her heat vision. 

Closing the door behind her with a small smile, Kara breathed a sigh of relief when she pressed her back against the wood and shut her eyes. So far tonight, she’d only had to step out once to save some people from a burning building. Heart racing, she’d made it back to Alex in less than ten minutes, with a sketchpad she’d claimed had slipped all the way under her bed, which was why it had, supposedly, taken so long to return.

Alex hadn’t looked suspicious, for which Kara was more than a little grateful. Frankly, her detective had simply looked relieved that Kara was back for more cuddling and TV watching. But Kara knew it wouldn’t always be this easy. While she’d not had a romantic partner during the three years she’d been working as Supergirl, there had been many occasions where a dangerous alien or human attack had thrown a wrench into her social outings with friends.

Stepping forward to change out of her clothes and into her pajamas, she tried not to imagine the worst. Like abandoning Alex so many times to save other people that she would  _ leave _ . Not because there was someone better, but because Kara had disappointed her one too many times. Losing Alex because of something she’d done would be even worse than losing her to someone else.

Changing into her sleepwear took less than a minute, and Kara shook off the rest of her lingering worry with a look at the mirror. Squaring her shoulders, she took on her regular Supergirl pose and gave herself a determined nod. She could do this. Alex would understand. Considering who her detective was, it was much more likely that Kara would simply reveal herself as Supergirl before Alex left her for constantly going away without a good explanation.

“Are you done changing?” Kara called out, too scared to use her x-ray vision. The first time she saw Alex naked, she wanted it to be completely consensual.

“Yeah,” Alex called back, which Kara took as confirmation that she could push open the door and throw her clothes into the hamper in the corner. What she hadn’t expected to see was Alex’s  _ very naked back _ directly in front of her. “I just need like one more second…” Alex’s arms were already inside of the dark blue t-shirt she wanted to wear, and she looked up in surprise when she saw Kara over her shoulder, standing in the doorway.

Silence settled over them, in which Kara stared at the ridiculous muscle definition of Alex’s back, and Alex stood frozen next to the bed, effectively wearing nothing but her chubby Pikachu boxers.

Neither one of them moved for several seconds, then Kara slapped a hand over her eyes and fled back into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her, a stream of  _ sorry, sorry, sorry _ spilling out of her mouth. She could feel the old, familiar tightening of the muscles in her eyes, telling her that her body really wanted to give off some heat vision, but she held it in.

“So much for consensual nudity,” Kara murmured to herself, slapping her hands against her forehead a few times and taking off her glasses for just a second. She always felt more like herself when she wasn’t wearing them, often drawing on her Kryptonian strength and heritage. When her glasses were off, she didn’t have to hide who she really was.

A knock shook Kara free from her thoughts, and she pushed the glasses quickly back onto her nose.

“Kara, are you okay in there?” Alex asked, knocking one more time, sounding more than a little worried. Kara didn’t want her girlfriend to think she’d done something wrong, when the incident had been a simple miscommunication, and so she pulled open the door, coming face to face with her detective.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, her face feeling hotter than the surface of Earth’s yellow sun. Alex’s face looked equally flushed. “I just didn’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than I already have.” She couldn’t quite manage to keep holding eye contact, so her gaze fell to the side, taking in the pile of clothes Alex had left behind.

“Hey,” Alex said, grabbing Kara’s hand, making her look up again, “you didn’t make me uncomfortable. Not at all.” A little self-consciously, Alex rubbed the back of her neck. The gesture always made her look extra adorable. “It was just a naked back, right? Nothing to be uncomfortable about. See?” With a flourish, Alex grabbed a fistful of her shirt and pulled it up to reveal her muscular stomach. “You’d see more of me if we went to the beach together.”

Kara gulped, eyes glued to the six perfect abs staring back at her. Her hands trembled, her eyes grew molten hot, and it took every ounce of willpower she had to keep herself under control. She wanted to kiss Alex, wanted to make her feel good, wanted to lavish attention on those ridiculous muscles.

It was obvious Alex worked out. Hard.

She seemed to have reached the perfect fat to body ratio for a human, and her skin looked softer than it ought to have done. It looked inviting, too, and smooth. Save for a small, two-inch scar stretched along the left side of her abs.

Fingers shaking, Kara touched the scar, rewarded with the sight of Alex flexing her muscles.

She didn’t even have to ask.

“I got stabbed a few years ago,” Alex said, goosebumps breaking out on her arms as Kara drew her pointer finger over the patch of rough skin. Kara’s heart ached for her girlfriend. She’d been hurt so many times already, and Kara wondered how many other scars she would find over the course of their relationship. “We got a call from Arkham to pick up a body and the killer was still hanging around. He managed to get the drop on me before I could disarm him.”

There was no denying that Alex was gorgeous, that her features and her body made Kara want to fall to her knees in worship, but there was so much more to her than Kara could have anticipated that first time Alex had entered CatCo Coffee. Considering the things Alex had seen and done, there was no wonder she might be seeing Dr. Zhou to make sense of it all.

Remembering where they were and what she was doing, Kara snatched back her hand. Sure, she’d touched Alex’s naked back during heated make-out sessions, but she wasn’t quite prepared to give Alex the impression that she was ready for anything more, no matter how much her beautiful detective looked like a Greek goddess.

“I’m sorry I barged in on you,” Kara said, equal parts relieved and disappointed when Alex dropped her shirt to cover herself back up again. Only now did Kara have the space of mind to appreciate the fact that Alex was wearing a pair of boxers, which showed off her legs ridiculously well.

Kara simply couldn’t win.

“What happened with the murderer? Did you catch him?” She asked, before Alex could say anything else, noticing the toothbrush in her girlfriend’s hand. Moving a little to the side, Kara walked over to her bathroom sink and picked up her own toothbrush. She was desperately trying to move past her feelings of awkwardness.

Following after Kara, Alex wet the tool in her hand, before picking up Kara’s toothpaste.

Thankfully, she didn’t make another comment about the fact that Kara had almost been privy to her sideboob.  _ Almost _ . That was one thing Kara actually  _ was _ very relieved about. When her and Alex reached that stage  _ together _ , Kara wanted it to be full-on boob.

Rolling her eyes at herself, Kara prepped her own toothbrush as well, then started scrubbing furiously, all the while keeping her super strength in check to stop herself from snapping the tool like a twig. She wasn’t exactly  _ avoiding _ eye contact with Alex, but she also wasn’t seeking it out. If she was already this embarrassed now, she had no idea how she was supposed to survive the whole bed situation.

“Yeah, we got him,” Alex said, moving her naked foot so it touched Kara’s striped sock, “and I told you, I didn’t mind. It was my fault anyway; I should have led with the whole ‘I need another second’ thing.” She grinned at Kara in the mirror, before she started brushing her teeth, too, though much less aggressively.

_ I didn’t mind _ .

Kara was glad she had a toothbrush stuck in her mouth, or else she would have pushed Alex against the shower stall behind her for some very PG-inappropriate making out. Swallowing hard, she tried not to imagine touching Alex’s naked thighs while they were wrapped around her waist.

She didn’t quite succeed.

-

Finished with their nightly routines, Alex and Kara were once again standing in Kara’s bedroom, staring at Kara’s bed. The clock on the nightstand read eleven fifty-seven pm and Alex felt bone-tired, considering her sleep cycle had switched back to work-mode.

Curling her fingers around Kara’s hand, Alex pulled her girlfriend along.

“I need to sleep,” she said, rubbing her eyes and sitting down on the bed, holding on tightly to Kara’s hand. “I don’t care which side you want me to sleep on, I just need some rest.” The last few of her words got swallowed up almost completely by a yawn, and Alex noticed the softly fond look on Kara’s face.

Before she could say anything else, Kara had straddled her lap and was hugging her tightly, trying to kiss her, squealing a little in surprise when Alex let herself drop down on her back, pulling Kara down with her. Alex’s heart felt light and happy as she laughed, Kara’s hair tickling her nose.

“Did you not hear that I need to sleep?” Alex asked, expertly rolling them over and dramatically collapsing on Kara’s body, breathing in her familiar scent and closing her eyes, feeling warm and comfortable on Kara’s chuckling body. Reaching this level of emotional closeness felt amazing, and Alex was more than content to stay right here. “I really like your pajamas. They’re soft.”

Kara chuckled again, fingers lifting to sift through Alex’s hair, scratching her scalp and generally being perfect. She made for a great pillow, and for a second Alex honestly contemplated letting herself drift off.

“Lois gave them to me when I moved away from the farm,” Kara whispered, fingers dragging over Alex’s neck and under the collar of her shirt, following Alex’s vertebrae. “She didn’t want me to feel alone at college, so she gave me the pajamas to remind me of home. She has the same ones. We’re both big fans of breakfast foods.”

Humming in appreciation, Alex nuzzled Kara’s throat and pressed a small kiss against it before shifting a little so her cheek was cuddled squarely into Kara’s breastbone. She loved imagining a younger Kara being so important to her family.

“My dad bought us matching shoes,” Alex revealed, feeling soft and pliable under Kara’s hands. “He was so excited when I made detective, he had the pair of boots specially made for us. He actually stole my old pair so the shoemaker would know the exact size.” She chuckled gently. “He had them engraved, too…” Her voice trailed off, thinking about her father’s proud face. “That’s why I wear them every day.”

Kara seemed to sense that Alex wasn’t ready to talk about anything more in depth about her father, so she only hugged Alex closer and kissed her head. The fingers of her right hand drew symbols and shapes into Alex’s skin.

“That’s sweet,” Kara whispered, nuzzling her nose against Alex’s hair.

As Alex’s mind drifted off to the day of her promotion, she squeezed her eyes shut and breathed in more of Kara’s reassuring scent. She smelled like heaven, and if anyone had asked, Alex wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint why it made her feel so safe, but there was no denying the effect it had on her.

Alex had been twenty-five when she’d been promoted to detective, and she remembered the day as though everything had happened just yesterday. She’d gotten the news at work and had gone straight to her parents’ home after her shift was over, where her mother and her father had already been waiting for her.

The look of pride on both of her their faces was a sight Alex was still holding onto, especially after  _ the incident _ had taken her father away from her. The happiness they’d all felt on the day of her promotion was something no one could ever wipe away.

“ _ Now we’re both hot-shot police officials, we need to look the part, champ. You’re a detective now, and detectives have to look cool _ ,” her dad had said, pulling out the shoes and presenting them to her with a flourish. His face had shone with delight, while Alex and her mother had looked on skeptically. “ _ And seriously, what could be cooler than a pair of suave, black biker boots _ ?”

“ _ Sure, dad _ .” She’d humored him, putting on one of the boots and staring at the engraving on the second one.  _ Alex Danvers, Super Detective _ . To this day, she couldn’t look at the engravings without starting to cry.

Worse still, her father’s boots had been engraved as well.

_ Jeremiah Danvers, World’s Proudest Dad _ .

He hadn’t even told her mom about his idea, so she’d been just as confused and touched as Alex. The picture she’d taken of the two of them was tucked away safely in Alex’s wallet. Both Alex and her dad laughing, him pointing at the shoes and Alex with her arm wrapped around his broad shoulders.

Forcing herself back into the present and back into Kara’s arms, Alex lifted herself up on her hands and knees and looked down at Kara with a sad little smile.

“They mean a lot to me. He died about a year after he had them made,” she said, sitting up and shuffling over to the headboard. She didn’t want to talk about his death, especially not right now when she was so very, very tired. Trying to shake off her anxiety, she rubbed her face and drew her eyes up to Kara. “Can we talk about something else?”

She didn’t mention the fact that she’d been the one to bring up her dad in the first place, and that Kara had been mostly silent since she’d started talking. She just wanted the moment to be over, wanted to stop seeing his face. There one moment, gone the next.

“Sure,” Kara whispered gently, moving over tentatively and sitting down next to Alex, gingerly placing her arm around Alex’s shoulders and pulling her closer. “We can talk about the fact that you’re wearing Pikachu boxers.” Her grin was small, as though she wasn’t sure how well her attempt at humor would be received, but Alex chuckled, leaning her head against Kara’s shoulder.

“Why are you hating on Pikachu?” She asked, closing her eyes and focusing on Kara’s warmth. She was like a small sun, giving off heat all the time. Alex had never seen or felt Kara be cold before.

“I’m offended, because you’re too damn adorable,” Kara retorted, hugging Alex closer for a second before letting her go and slipping under the covers. They’d turned off the ceiling lights after brushing their teeth, now only illuminated by the lamp on Kara’s bedside table. When Alex opened her mouth to refute Kara’s words, Kara shook her head and lifted her hand. “Stop trying to deny it. Only cute, adorable people wear chubby Pikachu boxers.”

Grumbling, Alex had to admit that being called adorable by Kara was more satisfying than she was letting on. It also had the added effect of pulling her mind away from her past.

“Selina likes to tease me for wearing them,” Alex confessed, slipping under the covers as well and laying her head on the pillow Kara had given to her. There was plenty of space between them, and Alex wasn’t sure if Kara would want to cuddle while they slept. Given her usually cuddly and tactile nature, Alex felt inclined to assume that she would.

Still, she wouldn’t move unless Kara moved.

“Because Selina knows that Pikachu boxers are adorable, and that they don’t correspond with the badass image you like to pretend to have,” Kara said, grinning when she flicked off the lights, covering them in darkness.

Staring at the ceiling, Alex heard Kara shuffle around a little. Her own heart was beating a mile a minute, and she had a feeling if she didn’t make a move soon, she’d be too wired to sleep. Apparently, Kara was thinking much the same thing, because a second later, Alex felt a hand grab her own, interlacing their fingers under the blanket.

“Are you a cuddler?” Alex asked bluntly, cursing herself for her total lack of subtlety. Goddamn it, she really was a total and utter disaster. “Not that that’s a bad thing, just wondering if you want to cuddle, maybe. Right now.” She squeezed Kara’s hand, trying to convey the fact that she wasn’t purposefully trying to make things awkward and weird again.

“I’d love to cuddle,” Kara answered quietly, squeezing Alex’s hand in return, “do you?”

“Yeah,” Alex said, turning her head to the side, trying to spot Kara in the dark. “How do you want to do this? Do you normally sleep on your side?” God, how long had it been since she’d actually cuddled someone in bed who wasn’t Selina, Harley, or Pam? Years, most likely. She was so horribly out of practice, her friends would laugh at her if they knew.

“I sleep on my side, yeah,” Kara said, her voice suddenly much closer, her left hand curling around Alex’s waist. “I know you said you’re tired, but can we… can we make out a little before we sleep?” Her words didn’t hold even a hint of teasing, completely void of any sort of demand, and Alex could feel the heat searing through her body at the request.

“Yes,” Alex said, finding Kara’s cheek and leaning in to kiss her, her eyes finally adjusted to the dark. “Can you get on top of me? I think that would make things easier.” She was glad they felt comfortable communicating like this as she laid on her back with Kara shifting under the blanket. Kara moved closer, slipping her leg in between both of Alex’s so they could kiss without her having to awkwardly lean over from the other side of the bed.

“Is this okay?” Kara asked, as she let her hand run along Alex’s side, before kissing her deeply again, Alex feeling as though her entire body was going up in flames. She hoped Kara wouldn’t be able to feel the heat between her legs through their thin layers of clothing. That would be more embarrassment than Alex could take.

She husked a  _ yes _ into their kiss, hands sliding under Kara’s pajama top and onto her back, loving how strong Kara felt on top of her. Kara had taken off her glasses, and Alex tried to make out her features in the darkness without them. Kara would be gorgeous with or without her glasses, but Alex wanted to see it for herself.

When Kara’s nails dug into her side, Alex lost her train of thought, moaning gently into her mouth as Kara moved her thigh just a bit to the side. Things were spiraling dangerously out of control, and Alex couldn’t stop herself, her hands sliding down and over the side of Kara’s gorgeous behind without lingering there, grabbing two handfuls of Kara’s thighs and pulling her in more closely, her back moving off the bed just a little.

Kara whimpered, her hand trembling when she pushed it against Alex’s chest, forcing her back down, separating their mouths. They were both panting, and Alex’s hands moved back to Kara’s waist.

“Maybe we should try to sleep now,” Kara husked, voice rougher than Alex had ever heard it. The way Kara was acting, Alex had a feeling she wasn’t the only one who was dangerously wet. Swallowing, she clenched her jaw and pulled Kara closer again. She wasn’t sure if Kara actually wanted to stop, or if she felt like she  _ had _ to. There was no way they were ready for sex, they probably weren’t even ready for getting each other off in any other way, but they could do  _ this _ .

Alex  _ wanted _ this.

“I’d like to kiss you some more,” she said, trying to quash her own anxiety at the prospect of Kara saying no. “I promise I don’t want anything more than this right now.” Kara still had her hand on Alex’s sternum, though she wasn’t exerting any pressure and allowed Alex to lift up for a small kiss. “We can stop if you want to, but if you don’t, I think we’re both mature enough to put an end to things if it gets too serious.”

Hands trembling, Kara nodded and leaned back down, bringing their mouths together, rocking forward and dragging another moan from Alex. It had been months since Alex had been touched by another woman, and she was much more sensitive than she usually was, but she also knew a little dry humping wouldn’t be enough to get her off.

Keeping her hands on Kara’s back, Alex whimpered when Kara moved her mouth down to Alex’s neck and started to nibble at her pulse point. Head thrown back and eyes closed, Alex’s mind was going into overdrive from the different sensations. Kara’s hand on her side, nails dragging over the skin, her thigh wedged in between both of Alex’s, pressing down on her overexcited wetness, and Kara’s lips and tongue teasing her neck.

Her mind felt like it was going up in flames, which was why her orgasm took her completely by surprise. One moment, she was focused on her neck getting delightfully ravished by Kara’s mouth, the next Kara’s thigh muscles tensed and pressed down on her just right, causing Alex’s eyes to roll into the back of her head. In her unexpected release, her mouth issued the quietest of whimpers.

Kara stilled, lips pressed to the underside of Alex’s jaw.

“Did you just…” She trailed off, lifting her head while Alex kept her eyes firmly closed, a mixture of exasperation, amusement, and embarrassment taking root in her chest. Sure, fine, it had been a while since she’d had sex, but fucking hell, she’d never been this fast, not since high school.

Bringing her hand to her face, a laugh bubbled up from Alex’s throat.

“I’m sorry,” she said, unable to stop the flow of laughter at her body’s inability to chill itself down. “Fuck.” She was trying to keep in her tears of amusement. At Kara’s confused stare in the dark, Alex tried to calm herself down, her body still pulsing deliciously from her ridiculously improbable orgasm. “Sorry, it’s just, I’ve had a lot of sex with a lot of different women, and I’ve never, and I mean  _ never _ , had an early arrival problem.”

She knew exactly what Selina would say, if she ever found out.

_ Hardcore stud Alex Danvers, comes after three thrusts. _

How very appropriate for the pair of Pikachu boxers Alex was wearing.

A small smile took root on Kara’s face, and she smoothed her fingers over Alex’s forehead, a look of fondness and satisfaction in her eyes.

“Isn’t that what they all say?” she asked, giggling and getting more comfortable on top of Alex, which had the added side effect of making Alex’s hips twitch up again. “Looks like you’re ready to go again, though.” Alex had a feeling that if the lights had been on, she would’ve been able to see the blush on Kara’s cheeks.

“Yeah, but maybe we should actually try to sleep now,” Alex said, chest burning with the knowledge that she’d just experienced her first orgasm by courtesy of Kara. Even if it hadn’t been planned, it felt special, and she was glad that neither one of them was acting weird about it. This was just another development in their relationship.

Then, something occurred to her.

“Unless you… want me to… you know, make you come, too,” she said, the hand she still had on Kara’s waist squeezing questioningly. Seeing Kara come apart would no doubt be one of the most beautiful things Alex would ever get to witness. Not as beautiful as her laugh or smile, but something special in an entirely different way.

Kara’s hand froze on Alex’s forehead.

“Oh, no, no, I’m not--I don’t think I’m ready for that,” Kara rushed out, sliding off Alex’s body and lying down next to her instead. Alex was half-relieved and half-disappointed for Kara’s thigh to no longer be pressing into her. “I hope that’s okay.” Kara’s voice sounded small, as though in the past, she’d encountered a point in a different relationship where it  _ hadn’t _ been okay.

The thought made Alex furious.

“Of course that’s okay,” Alex said, hand reaching out and grabbing Kara’s tightly. “We’re in this together.” Curling onto her side, she wrapped her arms around Kara and kissed her cheek. “If you ever feel uncomfortable with the pace of our relationship, just tell me, and I’ll dial it back.” She was more than fine with progressing at the speed Kara felt most comfortable with, even now that the whole Selina fiasco had mostly been worked through.

“Okay,” Kara replied, sounding relieved, which only made Alex feel more determined to do everything in her power to make Kara comfortable. “Now cuddle me.” She hesitated for a second. “Please.”

Grinning, Alex curled herself more firmly around Kara and did just that.

-

The first thing Kara noticed when she tumbled into wakefulness, was the weight of a warm arm draped over her back and the nose pressed into the back of her neck, warm breaths hitting her naked skin every few beats.

The second thing was the scent all over the bed that wasn’t her own. Her overactive Kryptonian scent glands were working hard on deciphering the new smell. It only took the fraction of a second for her hazy mind to work out the fact that it was Alex draped along her side, the key notes of her natural scent spread all over everything.

The sunlight was shining directly onto them, and Kara suspected that Alex had pushed her face into Kara’s neck at some point to escape the glaring light. The image was incredibly adorable, and Kara didn’t dare move, since Alex’s breathing was still deep and regular.

Instead of shifting, Kara kept her eyes closed and reflected on their night before. The movie portion of it had been amazing, and their little talk about her safety had almost been enough to make Kara confess to her dual identity as Supergirl. She’d been able to stop herself just in time, but she hated the thought of Alex being worried about her, when she had very little reason to. After all, she was a Kryptonian, and there was no way Alex knew about kryptonite.

The talk of tapped cellphones and tracked motorcycles made Kara feel certain that this was the reason Alex had drawn her weapon on Friday night. When Kara had rung the doorbell with no warning, Alex must have assumed the worst about possible attacks and break-ins. Maybe she should try to steal the tracker from Alex’s bike and ask Chloe to trace back the location of whomever had placed it there?

She’d contemplate her next course of action later, after Alex had gone home.

They’d promised to spend the rest of Sunday together, and for Alex to go home in the late afternoon, which would leave plenty of time for Kara to contact Chloe and ask her about it. Even though it was Sunday, crime and justice never slept, and Chloe would understand. She’d do the same thing, if she ever needed something from Kara.

Having decided on a course of action, Kara drew her mind back to Alex in the here and now, and her nose registered the foreign and yet so familiar smell in her bed all over again. There was something new and different mixed in with Alex’s usual scent, and Kara knew it was Alex’s arousal from the night before.

Her thoughts flashed back to Alex underneath her, looking absolutely radiant after her orgasm. Kara became flustered just thinking about it. She didn’t regret her decision to opt out of an orgasm for herself, not at all, but seeing Alex let go had been beautiful and Kara wouldn’t have traded in the moment for anything else in the world.

Aside from the fact that Kara didn’t feel emotionally ready to give herself to Alex in this way, her refusal to have Alex reciprocate had fairly practical reasons as well. Kara hadn’t had a lot of sex in her life, partly due to the fact that she had a harder time controlling her powers when someone else was pleasuring her. Frankly, she’d never been as interested in sex as some humans and other species were, but she enjoyed it, when she felt truly comfortable and connected with the person she was sharing herself with.

During the time she’d been a mature Kryptonian on Earth, she’d only had two serious relationships before Alex, and while she’d slept with both of her partners, she’d kept this part of their relationships to a bare minimum. During high school and during college, she’d been much more afraid of revealing herself to her boyfriend and her girlfriend, respectively.

But things were different with Alex.

She could easily see herself settling down with her, and being open and honest about who and what she was. They’d known each other for a while now, and she couldn’t wait to spend more time with Alex, get to know her inside and out.

Smiling, she imagined waking up with Alex becoming a more regular thing. Staying over at her apartment, cooking breakfast together, cuddling on the sofa, feeding Trish. She could hardly wait to experience all the mundane but wonderful things in store for their future.

“Mmh, you’re soft,” Alex murmured, curling her arm more firmly around Kara’s back and pressing her lips against her neck. “Good morning. How did you sleep?” Her morning voice sounded incredibly sexy and Kara wondered briefly when the time would come that she’d discover one of Alex’s traits she didn’t love. “I had a weird dream that I made love to a muffin.”

Grinning, Kara turned around in her girlfriend’s arms and brought her hand to Alex’s chest.

“Should I be jealous?” She joked, kissing Alex’s sleepily smiling lips. Her detective looked beyond adorable, with her disheveled hair and her half-lidded eyes. All in all, she looked exactly like the kind of person Kara wanted spend the rest of her life with if everything worked out.

“Nah,” Alex replied, hugging Kara tightly to her, “no muffin could ever compare to you.” She smiled lazily and closed her eyes, perfectly at ease. The lines around her eyes and mouth were gone, the rigid tension that so often plagued her shoulders completely vanished.

All they were was warm and soft.

Huddled away under blankets, forehead against forehead.

Safe. Happy. In love.

Kara felt like she never wanted to leave this bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all deserve this sappy lil ending hehe after so much angst
> 
> As always, this chapter was beta-d by the lovely Coara!
> 
> And if you want to come by and chat to me, find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr


	17. Down to Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex embarasses herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! i'm really tired! *snoozes*

“No way, my Umbreon would beat your Sandslash’s ass,” Alex said, holding her phone in one hand while eating her sandwich with the other.

It was Monday.

Vasquez, Hank, and Alex were sitting outside in the sun on one of the many benches scattered throughout the inner courtyard of the precinct. Sadly, Kara was busy with something at the gallery today, so Alex had decided to spend her lunchtime with her friends, rather than riding all the way to CatCo’s only to end up being there by herself.

There were worse things, however, and she was having a good time talking to Vasquez about her recently acquired  _ Pokémon Go _ account. She was also more than glad she’d only downloaded the game after the second generation had already been released, or she wouldn’t have been able to train her favorite Pokémon.

On the other hand, Vasquez had made their account the second the game had been released, so Alex knew she was talking out of her ass. With the amount of time Vasquez had had to capture and train their Sandshrews, there was no way Alex’s relatively new Umbreon would be able to keep up.

“Whatever, Danvers, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Vasquez replied, finger swiping over their phone in a motion that revealed they’d just spotted a Pokémon and were attempting to catch it.

Alex rolled her eyes good-naturedly while Hank pretended not to hear their chatter. He was leaning against the brick wall of the station, his sunglasses placed firmly on his nose while he ate his home-cooked meal with a fork.

“I’ve been playing  _ Pokémon _ games since before you were even born,” Alex said, nudging Vasquez’s knee with her own while she attempted to catch the same Pokémon as her friend. It took her a few tries, but that only made it all the sweeter when she finally hit it.

She was just about to check off the pokéstop at their station again, when a text message popped down at the top of her screen, making her exit out of the game to check out what Selina wanted from her.

Her friend had not been home when Alex had returned from Kara’s apartment yesterday evening, and she also hadn’t been there this morning. Considering who Selina was, Alex didn’t worry about her, since she was probably only chasing a lead, or hooking up with Siobhan again. Or maybe she was busy brokering a deal with someone.

There were plenty of options, and so Alex hadn’t bothered her, save for a message letting her know that she should call or text if she needed any help. Selina had only responded with a thumbs up emoji, which Alex had taken to mean that she was fine.

Pulling up the chat window now, Alex raised one eyebrow as she read her best friend’s message.

> [Supercop’s Least Favorite]: I’m at the station, come pick me up so we can have lunch together.  _ Sent 12:05pm _ .

Typing back a quick reply, Alex got to her feet and set down her sandwich in its wrapper, Vasquez looking up at her with a confused expression, no doubt wondering where she was off to.

“Brace yourself for impact, Vas, my friend Selina is here to have lunch with us,” Alex said, patting them on the shoulder and smiling slightly when Vasquez paled considerably. “Just try and ignore her flirting, she’s been talking about the two of you getting married.”

Vasquez’s horrified shriek of  _ what?! _ followed Alex along the courtyard as she walked through the exit for vehicles to get Selina. She was worried for her friend, and for what Selina might say to them, but she was also pleased to be spending her lunch with Selina. No matter what happened, it should be a blast.

“Hey, baby,” Selina called out as soon as she saw Alex, hands stuffed into the pockets of her black jeans, her arms bared to the sunlight. She was wearing a sleeveless, half see-through, white blouse, with the top three buttons left undone, and her black bra was clearly visible through the fabric.

She looked like walking sex.

Alex rolled her eyes.

Accepting the fact that her colleagues would end up talking behind her back about the possible relations between her and Selina, she wrapped her arms around her friend and didn’t comment on the kiss being bestowed upon her cheek.

“I thought it’d be nice if we hung out,” Selina said, curling her arm around Alex’s shoulder and squeezing her tightly. “I know you like to spend your lunches with your sweetheart, so I figured I’d just tag along. I’m sure my girlfriend Kara won’t mind.”

Shaking her head, Alex started walking back into the courtyard, Selina following after her without losing any of her sunny disposition.

“Kara’s busy today, so Vasquez, Hank, and I are having lunch out here,” Alex explained, ignoring the stares when Selina took her hand and held it tightly, swinging it back and forth between their bodies. “You can have half of my sandwich, if you want. Or we can ask Vasquez to get you something from the cafeteria.”

No way in hell would she leave Selina alone with her friends, or allow her to wander the halls of the precinct unsupervised. She really didn’t want to have to move to another city  _ again _ . She’d grown quite fond of this one.

Selina grinned.

“Officer Vasquez is here, how delightful,” she said, lips widening into an outright smirk when they rounded the corner and she saw them sitting on the bench, phone clutched tightly in their hands. With a devious chuckle, she let go of Alex’s hand and started waving. “Officer Vasquez! Over here!”

Shaking her head, Alex watched as Vasquez’s shoulders tensed and their head snapped up, hands already fumbling with the phone. Their face looked red, even from a distance, and it only flushed harder when Selina sat herself astride Vasquez’s lap, arms wrapped around their neck.

_ Selina used  _ **_Sit_ ** _ on Vasquez’s lap _ , Alex thought, trying and failing to hide her amusement,  _ it’s very effective _ .

“Did you miss me?” Selina asked, running her hands through Vasquez’s hair before pressing their head against her chest. Then, she turned her attention to Hank, who was still eating his pasta and hadn’t even bothered to look up. “I don’t believe we’ve met, though I’ve heard a lot about you.” She reached out her hand. “Selina Kyle.”

Finally looking up from his food, Hank placed his fork into the plastic box and shook her hand, nodding to her. He didn’t look unfriendly, and Alex got the feeling his judgement of Selina was still pending.

“Sergeant Hank Henshaw,” he replied, voice as deep and gruff as it always was.

Meanwhile, Vasquez looked about ready to pass out with their face pushed into Selina’s breasts.

“It is a true pleasure,” Selina purred as they shook hands, and Alex screwed up her face in disgust. Not because Selina was hitting on a guy, she did that all the time, but because she was hitting on  _ Hank _ . The father of all father figures. “Supercop works with so many truly  _ fascinating _ people.”

Trying to hold in her vomit, Alex forced herself in between their handshake, which made Selina pout, though Hank only went back to eating his food, for which Alex was more than grateful. She could take Selina hitting on Vasquez, she even found it a little bit funny. Vasquez was like a sibling to her in many ways. But Selina trying anything with Hank? No. No, no, no, no.

Her gaze returning to Vasquez, Selina grinned and finally released them from her bosom, a feral grin on her face. Vasquez looked every unhealthy shade of red, and they closed their eyes in resigned awkwardness when Selina grabbed their hands and placed them on her waist.

“There, that’s better,” she said, kissing Vasquez’s overheated face. It was obvious that she was having the time of her life, and Alex sent her a look that told her not to overdo it. If Selina went around touching Vasquez inappropriately, Alex would have her head.

Selina rolled her eyes, but Alex knew she’d gotten the message loud and clear.

“Alright, so, where’s my sandwich,” Selina asked, leaning her cheek against the side of Vasquez’s head and looking at Alex expectantly. “I think you offered me half of yours, Supercop.” Without complaint, Alex got out her pocket knife and cut the barely touched sandwich down the middle.

When she’d handed it over, Selina smiled happily and dug in.

“Let’s get down to business,” she said, breaking off a piece of the sandwich and offering it to Vasquez, who had stopped moving altogether and was staring at Alex with a look of utter reproach in their eyes. “Was last night with Kara a success?”

Considering that Vasquez was keeping their mouth firmly closed, Selina stuffed the piece of bread and cheese into her own mouth, raising her eyebrows in hopeful expectancy.

“Did you hit it out of the park?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Alex saw Hank stiffen ever so slightly, and she figured he was about as excited to listen to her sexual exploits with her girlfriend as she was about sharing this information with him.

Scowling impressively, Alex bit into what was left of her sandwich and glared at her friend. She would most definitely  _ not _ be divulging the details of her sex life to Selina, especially not without talking to Kara about it first.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said, relieved when she saw Hank relax.

“Come on, we’re all adults here. Was it that bad?” She kicked Alex’s leg with the tip of her high heeled boot and lifted both eyebrows. “I would’ve thought you’d want to make it all special and perfect for her, considering you  _ love _ her so much.” With a glint in her eye, she drew out the letter  _ o _ in love unnecessarily to tease Alex.

“It was very special,” Alex snapped out, too irked to realize she probably shouldn’t have said anything to begin with. “If you consider me acting like a fifteen-year-old teenager again a success, then yeah, our night was pretty fucking brilliant.”

When she saw the expression of sheer  _ delight _ on Selina’s face, Alex knew she’d royally screwed the pooch. She wanted to face palm herself into a different universe, one where this conversation had never taken place.

She wasn’t embarrassed that Kara had managed to bring her to orgasm while barely touching her at all, she just didn’t want to talk about it with Selina, especially not with Hank standing next to her.

“Just forget I said anything!” Alex ground out, stuffing her mouth full of sandwich and ignoring Selina, who had jumped to her feet and was shaking Alex’s shoulders enthusiastically.

Taking the opportunity for freedom head-on, Vasquez mumbled something about getting a coffee and fled towards the main building, their baton jangling against their thigh as they speed walked away. They didn’t turn their head to look back once, which was probably a good thing, since Selina was eyeing their butt quite hungrily.

Using Selina’s temporary distraction to give Hank an apologetic look, Alex twisted her mouth into a grimace. She’d never wanted to share any intimate details about her romantic life with him, not even something as simple as admitting that there had been something going on at all.

As soon as Vasquez was completely gone, Selina turned back around and slapped her hands together, looking at Alex with a mixture of pride and surprise. It was obvious she hadn’t expected anything to happen between Alex and Kara so soon.

“When you say you acted like a fifteen-year-old teenager…” She started, a shit-eating grin spreading over her entire face, which had Alex slumping back against the wall and closing her eyes. “This is everything I’ve ever wanted.” Chancing a glance at Selina, Alex saw her wipe away an imaginary tear. “My little stud, being so excited and raw she blows at the slightest touch.” She sniffed dramatically.

“I hate you so fucking much right now,” Alex growled, taking a huge bite of her sandwich to give herself something to do while she endured this torment she’d brought on herself. “I’m never telling you anything ever again.”

Hank was still eating, but it looked like he’d started meditating, just so he wouldn’t have to keep listening to Selina. With a sigh, Alex wished she’d be able to get out of it so easily, too. So much for lunch being a blast.

“Did you at least use a condom, baby? I mean, I guess you didn’t pull out in time, and I don’t know how Kara is going to raise a baby with her busy schedule and your full-time jobs.” One hand placed firmly on her hip, Selina waved the sandwich around with the other.

“I will shoot you,” Alex warned her, slumped so far down on the bench her ass had slipped almost completely off.

“And leave Kara to raise this baby all by herself while you rot away in prison? I’m disappointed, Supercop,” Selina said, grinning brightly and wiggling her eyebrows, unaware that Vasquez was walking back out of the station with a tray of coffee mugs in their hands. “And here I was looking forward to being an auntie. Vasquez and I will make excellent godparents once we’re married.”

As soon as they heard Selina’s words, Vasquez blushed, then turned on the spot and started walking away again before they could be noticed. It was only too bad Selina had already seen motion out of the corner of her eye and had turned around to look at them.

“Officer Vasquez!” She said, obviously pleased that Vasquez was back. While Hank put his empty plastic container onto the bench next to Alex and crossed his arms, Selina had hooked her arm through Vasquez’s and was gently pulling them along towards the bench.

Feeling partially responsible, Alex mouthed an  _ I’m so sorry _ at her friend and grimaced, while Vasquez tried not to drop the tray right out of their shaking hands. Maybe they would be able to withstand Selina’s raw sexuality at some point.

Today was not that day.

“I, um, I remembered that Alex said you prefer tea over coffee, so, I, um, I brought you some,” Vasquez stuttered, decidedly not looking at Selina’s face. Alex felt the urge to face palm again, because Vasquez had no idea what they’d just gotten themself into.

Being sweet only fueled Selina’s interest, and Vasquez was one of the sweetest people Alex had ever met. Something like this, something as simple as remembering a preference Alex had mentioned off-handedly at some point, would forever cement Selina’s appreciation, whether Vasquez wanted it or not.

“Officer Vasquez, you shouldn’t have,” Selina trilled, pressing a gentle kiss against their cheek, which prompted Vasquez to loosen their grip on the tray. The only reason it didn’t smash and spill hot coffee and tea over all of them was Alex’s quick reflexes kicking in, making her jump to her feet and grab onto the tray herself, steadying it.

Taking the coffee and tea off Vasquez’s hands, Alex watched in grotesque fascination as Selina grabbed the lapels of their uniform and pulled them close, Vasquez seemingly shrinking down and away from her, eyes wide open.

“I could just kiss you right now,” Selina whispered, grinning, mouth hovering dangerously close over Vasquez’s lips, though something seemed to be holding her back. Maybe she’d remembered Alex’s look, or maybe she wanted to play with them just a little bit more. The whole situation was unintentionally hilarious, considering Vasquez was currently investigating Catwoman. If they knew who was holding them in her grip, they’d lose their mind.

“Please don’t,” Vasquez squeaked, hands reaching up to grab Selina’s wrists.

To Alex’s great surprise, Selina actually let them go, smoothing her hands over the now slightly wrinkled uniform and winking at Vasquez, who gulped in relief at being freed.

Noticing Alex’s disbelieving look, Selina shrugged.

“I don’t kiss people who don’t want to kiss me,” she said, casually resting her elbow on Vasquez’s shoulder.

“Then what about me?” Alex asked, affronted, to which Selina only laughed.

“You  _ wanted _ me to kiss you when you were young, baby,” she said, sauntering up to Alex, grabbing the tray from her and setting it down on the now empty bench. Hank was still silent, though Alex had seen him move in her peripheral vision when Selina had grabbed Vasquez by the shirt.

She had a feeling if Selina had acted against Vasquez’s wishes, he’d stepped in to stop her.

“Denial is futile. Your sweet, twenty-one-year-old soul wanted all of this.” Selina laughed, gesturing to herself, before sitting down, picking up her tea and continuing to eat her sandwich. “It was cute, and I was very flattered.”

Scowling, Alex picked up her coffee and sat down next to Selina, handing Hank his Oreo cookie mug with an even more apologetic look. His lips were set into a firm line, but he lifted his sunglasses and winked at her for a second to let her know everything was fine.

When Vasquez sat down gingerly on Selina’s other side, Selina gave them a gentle smile while she sipped her tea and offered them another piece of her ( _ Alex’s _ ) sandwich. This time, they accepted it gingerly, looking a little apprehensive about it.

Apparently, Selina was done being rowdy and inappropriate, which Alex appreciated. Her friend could get a little over-excited when meeting new and interesting people, making her act out more vehemently. Now, however, after all of the excitement, Selina seemed about ready to spend the rest of their lunch break chattering amicably.

Smiling softly, Alex placed her hand on Selina’s waist and squeezed her tightly for a second, resting her chin on Selina’s shoulder, which earned her a wink and a grin.

“Love you, too,” Selina murmured, kissing Alex’s cheek and digging into her sandwich again.

-

> [Alex Damnvers]: Hey… wanted to let you guys know that I’m okay.  _ Sent 3:23pm _ .

Staring at her phone, Alex contemplated whether or not sending this text had been a good idea. Sure, she’d spoken to Dr. Zhou about reaching out to Stef and Lena after the grand fiasco that their last phone call had turned out to be, but still. She didn’t particular want to repeat that whole anxiety attack situation if she could help it.

Texting Stef and Lena had been the very first homework Dr. Zhou had given to her, and since Alex was going back to therapy Wednesday night, she figured she’d been putting it off long enough. After all, it had almost been a full week since her last session.

Selina had left the precinct after Alex’s lunch break was over, shaking Hank’s hand and giving both Alex and Vasquez a hug. She’d whispered something into their ear, but Alex could only make out one singular word.  _ Butt _ . She had a pretty good idea what the rest had been about, and Vasquez’s blush had only confirmed it.

Now, roughly two hours later, Alex had just finished filing some papers and was sitting at her desk, contemplating what Dr. Zhou had told her about keeping calm during conversations about  _ the incident _ and how best to avoid triggers. Most importantly, she’d told Alex to take baby steps, to start with something simple.

A text message.

Chewing the inside of her cheek while she waited for a reply, Alex fiddled with a pen and a piece of paper. Vasquez was out on patrol and Hank had been called to a crime scene, which left Alex feeling supremely bored. At least, before she’d decided to kick off her recovery process.

On some level, Stef had been right with her angry assessment. Alex  _ had _ bailed from any kind of responsibility after her dad had died, and no matter how much she knew deep inside that she couldn’t have stayed, even if she’d wanted to, she also recognized that she’d hurt the people in her life a great deal with her decision.

Now all that was left was to ask her friends for forgiveness, and to forgive herself in return.

Startled from her musings by her vibrating phone, Alex put down her pen, with which she’d been doodling the words  _ Mrs. and Mrs. Alex and Kara Danvers _ , and stared at the flashing screen.

Stef was  _ calling _ .

Of course she was.

Stef was of the firm belief that nothing solved problems more easily than talking face to face, and when that method wasn’t at hand, she took the next best option. But Alex knew she wasn’t ready for a phone call. Not yet, not when the mere thought made her want to curl up into a ball under her desk. Still, she felt a little bad pressing the reject button.

Pulling the phone towards her, she opened their chat window and typed another message.

> [Alex Damnvers]: I’m not ready for a phone call.  _ Sent 3:29pm _ .

It took everything she had to press the send button, but when she did, she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was trying to be as honest as possible, even when it was hard, and she didn’t want her friends to think she didn’t care about them.

This time, there were two texts waiting for her the next time her phone vibrated.

> [Mama Bear Cop]: OK. No phone call. How have you been, kiddo?  _ Sent 3:31pm _ .
> 
> [Mama Bear Cop]: I’m sorry I yelled at you.  _ Sent 3:31pm _ .

Looking around the bullpen, she didn’t see anyone looking at her. The camera in the corner would be able to pick her up, of course, but she didn’t think a little fiddling with her phone would get her into trouble, not when she was pretty sure Officer McNally was playing video games on her handheld game console while she waited for calls.

Satisfied with her assessment, she looked back down at her phone and started composing a return message.

> [Alex Damnvers]: It’s cool, I know why you did it. Sorry I didn’t call or text or anything for over a year.  _ Sent 3:32pm _ .

Chewing on the inside of her cheek again, Alex picked up her pen and spun it around in her fingers. Her doodled fantasies of marrying Kara calmed her down. While she waited for Stef to respond, she pulled up Kara’s chat window and sent her a message, too.

_ Sappy bastard _ , she thought, shaking her head as she typed out the words.

_ I miss you _ .

Slumping down in her chair, she hid her phone under the desk as she spotted Lord coming out of his hallway-like cave, like the mountain troll he was. For a second, she wished she was a proper mountain woman, so she could clobber him down with an axe.

Her phone vibrated again.

> [Mama Bear Cop]: We miss you, please come visit soon.  _ Sent 3:33pm _ .
> 
> [Mama Bear Cop]: Lena and the kids would like you to know that they’ll come to National City, if you won’t come to us. Your mom told us where you live.  _ Sent 3:33pm _ .

Trying to hide her smile, she masked her emotions with a faux-friendly look at Lord, who forced a fake smile onto his face before he vanished through a door at the other end of the bullpen. She had a feeling if she went looking, she’d find him entertaining ‘guests’ at  _ Tribune Tea _ .

Dropping the act as soon as he was gone, she pulled her phone back out and reread Stef’s last two messages. Maybe it was time to revitalize the group chat Alex had removed herself from before she’d left the country. She didn’t feel quite ready for the barrage of questions yet, but maybe in a few weeks, after a few more therapy sessions, after a bit more time.

Feeling warm and happy inside, Alex continued texting, even more pleased when Kara messaged her back as well. She was glad things hadn’t become weird and awkward between them after her little orgasm mishap. It hit her by surprise as much as Kara, and she’d been worried that it had crossed a boundary Kara wasn’t ready for.

However, considering the fantastic and awkwardness-free Sunday morning and afternoon they’d spent together, Alex was pretty damn sure that everything was fine and that Kara didn’t begrudge her her orgasm, no matter how premature it might have been.

Kara was just too goddamn great.

With this thought in mind, Alex started telling Stef all about what she’d been up to since moving to National City. And if she spent a little too much time gushing about Kara? Her surrogate family would just have to deal with it.

-

> [Siobhan SMITES]: Incoming.  _ Sent 7:21am _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: What?  _ Sent 7:21am _ .
> 
> [Siobhan SMITES]: You’ll see xoxo.  _ Sent 7:22am _ .

-

“I just don’t know if I should be scared or not,” Kara said, her voice sounding more amused than her statement should’ve suggested.

It was Wednesday now, and this morning the first thing Alex had done was to dig up her Bluetooth headset, the very same one she was currently using to talk to Kara on the phone while she rode into work. Kara was still at home, getting ready for her morning shift. They hadn’t seen much of each other this week, but Alex was hoping for another movie night on Friday.

“And she didn’t specify at all what she meant?” Alex asked, taking a left turn and slowing down a little as a red light came into view. “That  _ does _ sound ominous. Has she ever pranked you before?” The motorcycle helmet pressed uncomfortably against the headset, but Alex was willing to take that little annoyance in favor of talking to Kara.

A hum and a rustling noise reached Alex’s ear and she had a feeling Kara was just getting dressed.

“No, Siobhan isn’t one for pranks, that’s what worries me. She likes to tease people, but she isn’t into setting up anything more elaborate,” Kara said, voice momentarily muffled, most likely by a sweater or a t-shirt or something else of the sort.

“Maybe she’s working with Lucy,” Alex supplied, kicking her bike back into gear and driving off when the light turned green. She was almost at work, and the thought of having to hang up on Kara made her more than a little disgruntled.

“Yeah, I don’t know, I hope it’s nothing too crazy; I don’t want Ms. Grant to have a fit, if Siobhan decides to pull something at work.” She sounded more worried for her boss’s well-being than for what might happen to herself, and the concern in her voice made Alex smile. She had the best, most caring girlfriend in the entire world.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Alex said, pulling into the station and parking her monster somewhere off to the side. “Siobhan wouldn’t do anything that would damage you too badly, physically or otherwise. She needs you too much to be her cash cow, now that Catwoman stole from you and made  _ The Silver Banshee  _ a household name.”

“Ugh, I hope so,” Kara said, just as Alex took off her helmet and stowed it inside her bike. “Are you at the precinct? I can’t hear the road anymore.” Her words made Alex smile a little as she made her way into the building, barely taking note of the fact that many of her colleagues were staring at her. At least Kara seemed just as bummed about ending the call.

“Yeah, I just walked inside, so I’m afraid our correspondence must come to an end, Ms. Kent,” Alex said cheekily, just as a colleague of hers, a huge white man with a head of blonde hair, came up to her and held up his hand for a high five.

“Up top, Danvers! Great job!” He said, leering at her and clapping her on the shoulder after she’d high-fived him, a bewildered look on her face. She was pretty sure she’d never even talked to the guy before; she didn’t even know his  _ name _ .

“Alex?” Kara asked, shaking Alex out of her stupor and making her look away from the guy’s broad back as he stalked away from her again.

“Sorry,” Alex said, beginning to walk again and startling when another one of her colleagues curled his arm around her shoulder and shook her in congratulations. As soon as he was gone, Alex furrowed her brows. “Something weird is going on at the precinct. Everyone’s acting like I won a gold medal or something.”

A third handshake, a fourth, all from men on the force, some of which she’d never even seen.

“Did you do anything heroic since yesterday? Wouldn’t be the first time, I’m sure,” Kara teased, sounding absolutely unconcerned about Alex’s weird predicament. “Maybe your colleagues are finally realizing how amazing you are.”

Snorting, Alex shook her head to herself.

“You’re cute,” she said, trying to ignore the whispers that had picked up around her, “but I doubt anyone would be very impressed with me playing trashcan basketball all day, in between bouts of filing, security tape watching, and totally not safe for work fanfiction reading.”

Kara chuckled, and Alex smiled at the sound.

“I’d give you a medal for it,” Kara said warmly, making Alex’s heart skip a few happy beats. Maybe she should ask Kara to talk to her every morning. This entire conversation was doing wonders for her exhaustion and general bad mood about desk duty.

“You have to say that, you’re my girlfriend,” she said, chest puffing up a little at her own words. Five days later and she was still ridiculously excited and pleased that Kara wanted to date her exclusively. For real.  _ Her _ .

When she saw Vasquez’s stony expression, she frowned.

“Hey, babe, I’ve got to go,” she said absentmindedly, bringing her hand to her headset, Vasquez crossing their arms over their chest and giving her one impressive stink-eye. The term of endearment had slipped out without her consent, and she cringed a little, worried how Kara might take it. “Vasquez looks pissed.”

Thankfully, Kara didn’t seem to have minded.

“Guess whatever you did, they’re not jumping for joy about it,” she said fondly, a rattle of keys reaching Alex’s ear. “I need to go to work, anyway. Maybe we can have a repeat of this early morning phone call thing?”

Despite her friend’s obviously bad attitude, Alex felt a flutter in her chest.

“I’d like that; I’ll call you tomorrow morning. We can talk about it later,” she said, wondering why Vasquez looked about ready to  _ gut _ her. They’d parted on good terms last night after Alex had spent her evening at their place eating pizza and taking turns fucking shit up on one of the old  _ Assassin’s Creed _ games. “See you around at lunch.”

“Bye, Alex,” Kara replied warmly, before ending the call, after which Alex hit the off button on her headset and pulled it out of her left ear, stuffing it into the inside pocket of her jacket.

“What’s up?” She asked Vasquez, raising her eyebrows and giving them a dubious look as they clenched their jaw. “You look like I killed your favorite stuffed animal or something. Everything okay?”

Shaking their head, Vasquez grabbed Alex’s right bicep and pulled her after them, through the throng of people clustered around the door having coffee, many of which waved at Alex as the two of them passed.

“Do you know why everyone’s so happy to see me today? Think my winning personality is finally taking over?” She was trying to lighten the mood, but Vasquez didn’t say anything, just pulled her further along.

When they rounded a particularly big man, who held up his hand for yet  _ another _ high-five, something caught Alex’s attention. She hadn’t been able to see it before, but now her eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

“What the hell,” she murmured, stepping forward and staring at the gigantic fruit basket on her desk. The basket was so huge, it held multiple pineapples. “The fuck, do you know who sent this to me?” Walking forward gingerly, she eyed the bottle of clearly expensive wine sitting in the very middle of the basket, surrounded by every fruit imaginable.

“Shouldn’t you know?” Vasquez grumped, pointing at a card sticking out from under the wine bottle.

Giving Vasquez another weird look, Alex picked it up and opened it, before immediately closing it again without even so much as reading the text. Her eyes closed and she sent a quick prayer up to that non-existent entity in the sky, hoping and wishing that no one but her had seen this, at once knowing it was a foolish hope.

The card was black and tastefully designed with a golden rim. As she flipped it open again, she sighed and looked down at the picture in front of her. It made sense in a twisted, sick kind of way that she’d received the basket here, rather than at home.

And of course, it had gone through their mail system, where every package was scanned for bombs. The people down there weren’t all nosy fucks, but some of them were, and Alex had a feeling her  _ present _ had gone through one of the less discreet ones.

“Son of a mother who has done absolutely nothing wrong to have spawned such a bastard,” she grumbled to herself, as her eyes raked over the card with a sense of dread building in her stomach.

The card had two sides, as cards often did.

One half was taken up by a clear, high definition photograph, the other held a very short but poignant message, which succinctly brought its intention across.

_ Thanks for the sex _ , it read, making Alex’s insides turn into snakes as she imagined the implications such a small block of text could have for her reputation at the NCPD. The picture was a selfie that Selina and Siobhan had taken in a post-coital state, their no doubt very naked bodies covered by a thin sheet.

She sighed again, the temperature of her blood rising close its boiling point.

_ Incoming _ , she thought.

Of course.

The text message had never been about Kara and what would happen to her, it had been a warning for  _ Alex _ . Since Siobhan neither had her number nor her home address and she’d likely wanted it to be a surprise, she’d sent the basket to the only place she knew Alex frequented. Her work.

“Goddamn it,” she whispered to herself, closing the card and sticking it back into the basket, wondering how the fuck she was going to fix this mess. The postal worker downstairs must have seen the picture and assumed Siobhan was thanking Alex for having sex with both her and Selina. The message was certainly phrased ambiguously enough.

That explained why so many men at work suddenly wanted to be all buddy buddy with her. To them, scoring a threesome with two extremely gorgeous women like Selina and Siobhan most likely seemed like an impressive feat.

She was never going to live this down, not with the rumor mill already having escalated this far. Grimacing, she picked up one of the pears and bit into it, figuring she may as well raid the damn basket, if it was so hell-bent on giving her trouble.

This situation was like Gotham all over again, and Alex was not happy that history was repeating itself like this. The last time, it had been Selina’s fault, too, though both times she hadn’t actually meant to cause Alex so much unnecessary grief.

Siobhan likely hadn’t been shooting for this to be a malicious gesture at all. There was no way she could’ve known that their postal workers weren’t always respectful of other people’s mail before she decided to thank Alex. No matter how weird it was, Alex had a feeling the woman was being sincere in her efforts.

According to Selina, the sex, and most importantly the  _ company _ , had been amazing, and Alex didn’t begrudge them their happy little tryst. She just wished, in this moment, they would’ve kept her out of it entirely.

“What the fuck, Danvers?” Vasquez said, rounding on Alex and pointing at the fruit basket with a fervor Alex hadn’t expected from her young friend. “I thought you were with Kara, and now you go around fucking other women, what the hell?” To their credit, they were keeping their voice low, and Alex appreciated it, even though Vasquez was totally wrong on every count.

“I’m not sleeping with other women,” she said, rubbing her face with her free hand, “I love Kara.” She kept the pear loosely hanging at her side, unwilling to eat while Vasquez was chewing her out, especially not when she needed to verbally defend herself.

Snatching up the card Siobhan had sent, Vasquez flipped it open and pointed angrily at the picture, obviously not convinced.

“The hell am I supposed to think with a picture like this, Danvers?” They asked, snapping the card shut again. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to someone as sweet as Kara. I’ve never properly met her in a personal setting, but I know how much it hurts when someone cheats on you. It’s not fun, and if you’re doing anything with these two behind her back, I swear on my Batman collection, I’ll rip you a new one.”

Alex plucked the card from their hand and stuffed it back into the basket.

“I am not cheating on Kara,” she said, wondering who had been foolish enough to cheat on someone as sweet and good as Vasquez. The thought alone made her want to break the person responsible. “Come on, Vas, you know me, do I strike you as the type of person who would do something like that?”

Grumbling, Vasquez crossed their arms over their chest again.

“I don’t know, dude, you could be a totally different person when you’re not with me or your other friends,” they said, though they sounded much less convinced than they had before, which Alex noted with a touch of relief. “I thought maybe that’s why Selina came to lunch. She was hanging all over you…”

“Yeah, because that’s what she does! She was hanging all over you, too, does that mean  _ you’re _ sleeping with her?” Alex countered, shaking her head. This was quickly shaping up to be much more complicated than she’d originally anticipated. Adding to that, she had a feeling Vasquez wouldn’t have had such an intense reaction, if they hadn’t also been cheated on.

“Well, no, but…” Vasquez said, trailing off, looking a little sheepish.

“But what?” Alex asked, setting down the pear on her desk and crossing her arms to mimic Vasquez’s defiant pose.

They hesitated at Alex’s direct question, the corners of their mouth moving down. When Alex raised her eyebrows, waiting for a response, Vasquez blushed terribly, and confusion settled in Alex’s chest. Vasquez had never blushed around her before, not during a direct conversation, not like this.

It was  _ weird _ .

“But I’m not a super attractive, super cool, super confident badass with a list of achievements and commendations longer than all seven of the  _ Harry Potter _ books combined,” they stammered, looking away in embarrassment. “Who happens to have a personal relationship with Batman and who has absolutely no problem whatsoever talking to women, or chatting them up, or going out with them.”

Being confronted with how Vasquez felt about her as a friend was touching, and Alex had to fight down the urge to hug them.

First of all, she didn’t want anyone,  _ ever _ , to assume that she and Vasquez were more than friends, and with the rumor mill going crazy about her right now, she didn’t want to add any fuel to the fire. And secondly, she had a feeling it had taken a lot of guts for Vasquez to admit that they admired her, and Alex wasn’t about to do anything that would make them feel weird about it.

“Well…” She said instead, unlocking her arms and placing her hands on her waist. “Now that I know you’re in love with me, I can totally see why thinking that I’m cheating on my girlfriend, whom I love very, very much, would tarnish your view of me.” Better stick with humor.

Vasquez kicked her. Hard.

She probably deserved that.

“Asshole,” they said, the blush gone from their cheeks.

“I’m kidding, that would be weird.” They both shuddered, equally turned off by the idea. “But I promise, I am not cheating on Kara. I swear, all I did was introduce Siobhan and Selina to one another, they did the rest all by themselves.”

Multiple times.

“Okay,” Vasquez acquiesced, grabbing a vine of grapes and stuffing some of them into their mouth. “Sorry I accused you… I can’t stand cheaters.” They threw one of the grapes into the air and caught it deftly with their mouth.

“It’s fine, the whole thing does seem pretty cut and dry, if you don’t know what really happened,” she said, biting into her pear, juice running down the side of her face. She barely caught it before it dripped all over her shirt. So much for super cool badass.

Vasquez nodded, still looking guilty, and Alex thought about what they’d said, how they’d described her, how they saw her. And, more importantly, how they saw themself. The thought of Vasquez not seeing how valuable and wonderful they were made her feel sick inside.

“By the way,” she said, clapping her hand onto their shoulder after wiping it off, “I don’t ever want to hear you saying all of those things again, alright? You are cool, and you are attractive, and we can work on the whole confidence thing.”

Clearly embarrassed, Vasquez screwed up their face.

“Danvers…” They said, drawing out the word as though Alex’s kindness was causing them some form of physical pain. Most of the time their friendship consisted of banter and jokes, but Alex wouldn’t stand for this negative self-talk. No way.

“Shut up,” she said, letting go of Vasquez and handing them a pineapple instead. “If you weren’t awesome, we wouldn’t be friends, so go eat this pineapple. Take one of the bananas, too, you need your potassium.”

She knew her words wouldn’t be enough to talk Vasquez out of what they saw when they looked at themself, and that was fine, she wasn’t here to fix her friends, but she at least had to let Vasquez know what  _ she _ saw when she looked at them.

Vasquez accepted the items without complaint, smiling slightly.

“Guess you’ll have a reputation as a total player now,” Vasquez said, finishing the grapes, the pineapple held in the crook of their arm like a newborn baby. “The Guys™ are going to think you’re one of them now.”

“Ugh, been there, done that,” she said, pushing the basket to the side of her desk and letting herself fall on her chair, finishing the pear and throwing the core into the trash. All of that trashcan basketball training was paying off now. When Vasquez raised one eyebrow, Alex sighed. “In Gotham, I slugged one of them in the face for talking gross crap about a friend.”

Their eyes shone.

“Very cool badass,” they said, grinning, holding out their first for a bump.

Alex complied.

-

Kara’s feet were touching Alex’s thighs, and she wiggled her toes from time to time to make Alex pay attention to her. Alex would look up, wondering if there was something Kara wanted, and then she’d smile, and Kara would feel happy and content and like nothing in the world could ever possibly cause either one of them harm.

They were hanging out in Kara’s apartment, enjoying a quiet evening in on a Friday night. The TV was off, Alex was browsing the internet, and Kara had her sketchpad open against her knees, sketching her girlfriend’s gorgeous profile.

Soft music was playing from the speakers of Kara’s stereo, and a new pitcher of iced tea sat sweating on the coffee table, already half-empty. They’d ordered pizza this time, and the cartons sat open in the kitchen, pizza long-since demolished.

“How are things at work?” Kara asked, drawing her pencil gently over the paper, trying to capture that expression of adorable concentration on Alex’s beautiful face. The smallest furrow to her brows made Kara want to fill entire sketchbooks with drawings. “Do your colleagues still think you’re a player?”

The thought amused her now, knowing all the things she’d learned about Alex over the last few months. While Kara had gleaned from her words that Alex had had many sexual relationships, she wouldn’t exactly call her a  _ player _ .

Not in this lifetime.

When Alex had told her about the incident with the fruit basket at work, she’d laughed so hard, she’d cried, unable to stop herself. Ms. Grant, who’d been standing in front of the door to the hallway leading to her office, had startled and given Kara a disapproving look. Not even that had been enough to stop the flow of laughter. Besides, she knew deep down her boss was pleased for her, for the fact that Kara had found someone to love.

Many of the fruits from Siobhan’s basket had somehow made their way into Kara’s kitchen, and so now Kara had three pineapples, five bananas, and a small bucket’s worth of grapes on her counter. So far, Kara hadn’t been able to convince Alex to take them back home again, since she obviously needed the nutrients and vitamins much more than Kara, who could live on frosted flakes if she so desired and would never feel a single adverse effect.

“The high-fives have slowed down, but only after I told Rawlings to go fuck himself when he asked me if he could watch the next time me and  _ my girls _ were doing it,” Alex said, mouth screwed up into a scowl. “You’d think the police would be better than shit like that, but nope. Sadly, we’re still people, and some of us suck.”

Chest choked with empathy for her girlfriend’s predicament, Kara put down her sketchbook and shuffled over to her side, noting absentmindedly that Alex was browsing through Tumblr. Smoothing her fingers through Alex’s hair, she pressed a lingering kiss against her temple, then her eyebrow, then her cheekbone.

Eyes closed, Alex turned her face into the warm caresses after placing her laptop down on the coffee table.

“They’ll get over it,” Kara whispered, right hand curling around Alex’s cheek and neck, leaving behind grey smudges, the pencil lead having transferred to her skin again during sketching. “It’ll be news for the next week, and then things will go back to normal.” Her lips moved along Alex’s cheek and over the back of her nose. “My ex-girlfriend once came to the shop in Metropolis and demanded to speak to me, even though I wasn’t there that day. People were gossiping about it for a little while, but then something else happened and it got boring.”

Finally, their lips met, the kiss slow and gentle, Alex lifting her chin and curling her fingers around Kara’s wrist, holding strong and steady.

“Besides,” Kara husked, lips skimming across Alex’s, before she recaptured them in a rougher kiss, “we both know the only girl you’re playing right now is me.” She giggled, and Alex rolled her eyes, curling both arms around Kara’s waist and hugging her close while they kissed. “That’s all that matters. We both know the truth, and your colleagues will just have to get used to the fact that their new hero is in a monogamous relationship.”

Chuckling, Alex’s arms tightened their grip, her muscles squeezing Kara deliciously.

“Oh wait, when you said we should be totally exclusive girlfriends, you were talking about monogamy?” She joked, and it showed how far they’d come that Kara didn’t immediately start getting insecure again. Instead, she gently punched Alex in the shoulder and bit Alex’s bottom lip, soothing the sting with her tongue. “I’m kidding, you’re the only one I want.”

Grinning brightly, Kara pushed Alex down and onto the sofa.

“Sap,” she murmured, looking down at Alex with a soft expression. She was just about to lean down and commence with their make-out session, when she spotted movement at her window.

Looking up, Kara’s breath froze in her lungs, and it took every ounce of strength she had to keep her features neutral while Alex leaned up to press her lips against Kara’s neck, hands running up and down her back.

Her aunt,  _ General Astra In-Ze _ , was standing on her balcony.

Kara hadn’t spoken to her aunt in well over a year, and then it had been only to stop her from robbing a factory producing a certain kind of chemical. The fact that she’d shown up now wasn’t a good sign, and Kara felt desperately scared for Alex’s well-being. Her aunt despised humans, and seeing one touch her niece so intimately was sure to make her angry.

She needed to get Alex out of the room,  _ now _ , before she noticed Astra and started asking questions Kara wasn’t ready to answer.

Sending her aunt a  _ look _ , Kara lowered her eyes back down to Alex, wondering where she should put her. At once, an idea struck her, and she grabbed the front of Alex’s shirt, pushing her down onto the couch, perhaps a little rougher in her worry than she had intended, but Alex didn’t seem to mind. In fact, her cheeks darkened ever so slightly and her heart rate sped up, a fact Kara would have to file away for later.

“I have a surprise for you,” Kara husked, heart pumping in her chest like crazy from the anxiety. Getting up on her knees, she kept a firm grip on Alex’s shirt and pulled her up with her, before getting off the couch, dragging Alex along, who was more than willing to follow.

When it seemed as though Alex would look towards the huge windows at the far side of the apartment, Kara pulled her up into a hard kiss, which left Alex’s steps a little unsteady as she pulled her further away and towards her bedroom door.

“Kara… are you sure you’re ready for this?” Alex asked tentatively, stopping them just before they’d walked through the bedroom door, making Kara’s anxiety ratchet up another three notches. “It’s only been a week; I’m not going to leave, just because you need more time. I’m not with you for the sex factor.”

Alex’s concern was sweet and exactly what Kara would have wanted to hear in  _ any other situation _ , but right now, her very survival depended on Kara maneuvering her into her bathroom, and Kara would not be deterred by Alex’s lovely words.

“Come on,” she said, trying to pull Alex with her, but unable to without using her powers. Alex seemed determined to hash this out  _ now _ .

“No, Kara, I mean it, I do not want you to do something you don’t really want to do,” she said, lifting her hands and curling them around Kara’s wrists. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Eyes softening, Kara swallowed down her feelings.

“I know,” she said, lifting one hand to caress Alex’s cheek, “but I’m not trying to have sex with you.” She was prepared for an awkward reaction, but Alex only blinked and let out a small  _ oh _ and a nod. “Yeah, I just need you to wait in the bathroom while I get everything together. Promise me you won’t come out until I say it’s okay?”

Cheeks a little bit red, Alex didn’t fight Kara this time when she tried to pull her into the bedroom. In fact, she went willingly, her thumbs caressing Kara’s wrists.

When she’d pushed Alex into the bathroom, with a smile and a kiss, she closed the door and let out a small breath. Then, to make absolutely sure nothing would happen to Alex and she didn’t try to come out too soon, Kara picked up her huge, wooden dresser with ease and placed it in front of the door. Using her x-ray vision, she confirmed that Alex had sat down on the edge of the bathtub and had gotten her phone from her pocket to distract herself.

With Alex safe, she could face her aunt.

Leaving the bedroom, Kara was unsurprised to see Astra standing in her living room, no doubt having broken Kara’s lock with her strength. She was tall, with long, brunette hair and a single strand of white running along the side of her face. As always, she was clothed in a leotard, which all the Kryptonians under her watch wore, completely black, safe for the small crest on her left breast. The House of In-Ze.

“Little one,” she said, speaking perfect Kryptonese, arms crossed behind her back, a strange expression on her face. “I see you are still wasting your heritage on worthless humans.” Her eyes moved to a spot behind Kara, no doubt using her x-ray vision to seek out Alex in the bathroom. “She is not worthy of your blood.”

Clenching her teeth, Kara slipped off her glasses and threw them on the couch, crossing her arms over her chest and giving Astra an intense glare. She still loved her aunt, loved her more fiercely than she thought was possible after her deeds, but she hated how Astra talked about humans. After all the years her aunt had spent on Earth, she still understood so little of its culture and its people.

“Who I can and can’t see or talk to is none of your concern, Aunt Astra,” she said, wondering why on earth her aunt had decided to seek her out. Regardless, it was nice to hear and speak her own language again. “What do you want? I thought you were busy planning Earth’s annihilation.”

Looking stricken, Astra sighed.

“I do not wish to fight,” she said, sounding wearier than Kara had heard from her in a long time, like she’d suffered a horrific loss. Seeing her so unhappy and disturbed made Kara want to reach out. Hug her. Make it all better.

“Then why are you here?” Kara asked, fighting hard against the urge to walk forward and envelop her obviously hurting aunt in her arms.

“I am here to warn you,” Astra said, taking a step forward and holding up her hands in a peaceful gesture. “I don’t wish for any harm to come to you. Ever.” She took another step, obviously trying to seem as non-threatening as possible.

“What’s going on?” Kara felt cold. Seeing Astra so distraught was a terrible sign.

“One of my soldiers was killed yesterday,” Astra said calmly, the pain clear as day in her tortured gaze. It made sense, Astra’s army was like her family, especially after Kara’s mother had cast her out for allowing Non, Astra’s husband, to kill a guard on Krypton. Ever since the two of them had gone to prison for their crimes, Kara had been the only relative Astra truly considered family.

“I’m sorry, Aunt Astra,” Kara said, giving in to her urges and walking forward to wrap her aunt up in a hug. It didn’t matter how misguided she was, Kara couldn’t stand seeing her in so much pain. “Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to attend their send-off?”

The send-off was an old Kryptonian tradition in which the body of the decedent was sent away and into Rao’s light while a prayer was spoken. Kara only wished she’d never have to hold such a send-off for her aunt.

“Thank you, Kara, but my grief is not the reason I am here,” Astra said, holding Kara tightly, fiercely reciprocating the hug. One hand reached up to hold the back of Kara’s neck, and she pressed her cheek against Kara’s hair. For a second, neither one of them said anything, well aware that their small truce could not and would not last.

With a shuddering sigh, Astra pulled away, hands lingering on Kara’s cheeks.

“The humans have altered an ancient Manhunter weapon. They have forged it into something that can kill us, little one. I don’t know how they did it, but they came to us, offering a deal,” Astra said, lifting her hand and cupping Kara’s cheek, as though she’d forgotten what Kara looked like during their time apart.

“What kind of deal?” Kara asked, worry seeping into her chest. This was the weapon Hank had told her about, the one that had killed all of those humans, the kryptonite weapon. Whoever had repurposed it must have used it to kill one of Astra’s soldiers, which meant it was finished. And  _ dangerous _ . “Did they try to kill all of you?”

“No, Ty-Zor was killed as he tried to apprehend the intruders outside of Fort Rozz,” Astra said, her thumb stroking Kara’s cheek. “His spouse had just born his second child…” She shook her head.

Fort Rozz was the prison Astra had been sent to for her crime. For years after Krypton’s destruction, it had been suspended inside of the Phantom Zone, after which it had crash landed on Earth fourteen years ago, at the same time as Kara.

Sometimes, Kara wondered how different her life would have been if Astra had been the one to find her instead of Clark, if she’d taken her to live with the Fort Rozz prisoners. Would she have agreed with her aunt’s perspective on humans, if she’d grown up among her kind, far removed from human civilization? Would she have worked to make Myriad a reality?

Kara liked to believe that she would have been able to convince her aunt not to go through with her plan. She desperately wished Astra would see eye to eye with her, that she would give up on starting Myriad, a forbidden signal devised to turn the entire human race into mindless worker drones.

Straightening up her back once more, Astra dropped her hands from Kara’s face and took a step back.

“The humans offered us an exchange,” she started, her words strong and decisive, as though she needed to hold on to her military training to make it through the rest of this conversation. “Your identity for our safety.”

Suddenly, it was as though time had slowed down to a stop.

She could feel the blood pumping in her ears, her heart going into overdrive. Her identity for the safety of her people? Or what was left of them, at least? Completely shaken, she stared at Astra, disbelief taking root in her chest.

“Is that why you’re here? To warn me that you’re going to give them what they want?” She asked, taking a step back from Astra, hurt and betrayal sinking into her stomach like heavy stones. Had she been so wrong about her aunt’s loyalties?

Astra looked as though she’d been slapped.

“I would never betray a member of my own family. I am not my sister, after all,” she said, anger underlying her words, and Kara rubbed her face. Her mother had been a complicated woman, but Kara knew she’d been bound by their laws to charge and convict Astra, even though it had pained her. “I am here to tell you that the humans want to wipe you from this planet.”

She looked around at Kara’s apartment, an expression of disgust clear as day on her face. Her eyes turned in the direction of the bathroom again, where Alex was still waiting for a surprise Kara hadn’t yet come up with.

“These  _ primitives _ , they will never understand. This is why we need to destroy them, little one - they fear and hate us. They wish to do you harm, when you have done nothing but protect them.” She spat out the words as though they were causing her physical pain. “Ty-Zor is dead - I do not wish for you to suffer the same fate.”

Walking back out onto the balcony, Astra looked back one last time, the love she had for Kara plain as day.

“Be careful. They will come for you. We might not have given them your name, but there are other ways for them to find you,” she said, holding onto the glass door and clenching her jaw. “Goodbye, Kara.”

“Goodbye,” Kara whispered as she watched her aunt zoom away into the darkened night sky, her shape becoming smaller and smaller, until Kara couldn’t see her anymore, even with her heightened senses. “I love you.”

Closing her eyes, Kara leaned her head against the doorjamb and sighed, feeling exceptionally drained. All she wanted was to go back to the couch and cuddle her girlfriend…

Kara’s heart skipped a beat.

Her  _ girlfriend _ , who was still  _ locked _ in the bathroom waiting for Kara to come back!

Using her x-ray vision, Kara saw Alex had moved to the floor, stretched out on her back with her eyes closed. She appeared to be…  _ sleeping _ …?

Her heart melting, Kara smiled, grabbed her glasses, and walked out onto the balcony, wondering what kind of a surprise would be good, now that she’d left Alex in the bathroom for upwards of ten minutes after kissing her so roughly.

As she fiddled with her glasses, she contemplated her next move. Then, she was off, super speeding through the streets of National City, forgoing her Supergirl suit. She didn’t need it for something this minor.

-

“Alex,” someone said, voice muffled. “Alex, wake up.”

She groaned, rolling her head away from the disturbance. Why was this person so insistent about annoying her?

“Alex, I have your surprise…” The other person said, before warm lips caressed her cheek and forehead, placating her enough to roll her head back into its original position. “I promise it’s a nice surprise.”

She grunted, eyelids fluttering.

“Kara…?” She asked, opening her eyes a little and trying to keep herself from yawning directly into Kara’s face. “Shit, did I fall asleep? How long were you gone for?” Feeling beyond groggy, Alex pushed herself up onto her elbows and looked up at her kneeling girlfriend.

She grumbled.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Alex said, sitting up and leaning herself against Kara’s body while she woke herself up. Working again was tiring her out more than she appreciated.

“Like what?” Kara asked, wrapping her arms around Alex and holding her close.

“Like I’m  _ adorable _ or something,” Alex yawned, nudging her nose into Kara’s neck and closing her eyes again. Granted, the way she was behaving right now wasn’t exactly conducive to her image of being tough, but she was tired and Kara was  _ soft _ . Soft, and beautiful, and kind.

When Kara started moving her own shoulder a little, Alex had to concede that maybe Kara had a mean streak, too.

“Stay with me, detective, I want to show you what I got for you,” she said, curling her arms under Alex’s arms and pulling them both easily into a standing position, which Alex barely protested about. “I think you’re going to be very excited.”

“You think so, do you?” Alex said, turning in Kara’s arms and slumping against her, feeling particularly petulant. She wondered if Selina had warned Kara about how much of a nuisance Alex could be when she was tired. “I think we should stay right here and cuddle.”

Chuckling, Kara hugged Alex tightly for a second, very clearly soaking in their connection, before she turned around and started walking backwards, dragging Alex with her. Once again, Alex wondered if Kara worked out, or if she had some sort of super strength that she had been born with, since she didn’t make a single noise of exhaustion or protest at having to carry Alex along with her.

“If you sit on the bed, can you promise you won’t fall asleep on me?” Kara asked, sounding highly amused at Alex’s antics.

Uttering a long-suffering sigh, Alex pushed herself firmly onto her socked feet and disentangled her arms from around Kara’s back, sitting down on the bed with a flourish. To show that she’d been kidding about her protests, she leaned back on her hands and gave Kara a smile.

“I’m ready for my surprise,” she said cheekily, pushing out her leg to touch Kara’s shin with her foot. “I promise, I’ll be paying extra close attention.” She wiggled her eyebrows, and was rewarded with a nice blush from Kara, who rolled her eyes and fiddled with her glasses.

Smiling shyly, Kara walked over to her closet and pulled out three wrapped boxes. Seeing them brought clarity to something Alex had started to wonder about. She’d been in the bathroom for quite a while, even before she’d fallen asleep, and she’d been asking herself what could possibly be taking Kara so long to put together. Now it made sense, since Kara must have been wrapping these boxes.

“Kara… you shouldn’t have, I don’t even have anything for you,” Alex said, feeling entirely overwhelmed by Kara’s gesture, even though she had no idea what was in those presents.

“Which one do you want to open first?” Kara asked, unperturbed by the fact that Alex was sitting on the bed completely empty-handed. Instead, she simply smiled, grabbed the packages, and sat down next to Alex, giving her the smallest of kisses. “Personally, I’d say they’re all equally great.”

Feeling a little overwhelmed by her girlfriend’s kindness, Alex grabbed all three of the boxes, gently set them down on the bed and pulled Kara into a tender, slow, open-mouthed kiss, cupping her cheek and pulling her close.

“Thank you,” Alex whispered, stroking Kara’s cheekbone with her thumb, her throat choked up with emotions. It wasn’t even the fact that Kara had most likely bought her some earthly possessions, but that she’d cared enough to get whatever it was in the first place. That she’d thought of Alex.

“You haven’t even opened any of the packages,” Kara replied, looking a little dazed from the kiss.

“I know I’ll love whatever’s in them,” Alex said, picking up one of the presents, the largest one of the bunch. It was sheathed in beautiful, glossy blue wrapping paper, and she almost felt a little bad at the thought of removing it.

Taking her time, she flipped it over and peeled open the tape, gently opening it up while Kara scooted in closer to her, curling one arm around Alex’s waist and resting her head on Alex’s shoulder.

Inside was a blue t-shirt, and when Alex turned it over, she laughed.

“‘ _ My Girlfriend is Better than Supergirl’ _ ? Really?” She asked, fondly holding up the shirt and inspecting it. The letters were in Supergirl’s signature color scheme of yellow and red. “Not that you’ll catch me disagreeing with you.” She pressed a kiss against Kara’s forehead. “I’m sleeping in this tonight, for sure.”

Giggling, Kara handed Alex the second largest package.

This one was red.

“I’m noticing a distinct color palette,” Alex said, smiling as she opened the second box just as gingerly as the first one. When she saw what was inside, she burst out laughing. “Oh God, Catwoman is going to burn this, if she ever gets her hands on it.”

It was a pair of glossy boxer shorts littered with small Batman logos at the front. The backside read:  _ Lesbians for Batman _ .

“They had all kinds of sexual orientations, so I knew I had to get you one,” Kara said fondly, squeezing Alex’s waist and leaning up to kiss Alex’s cheek. “You can send him a picture; I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you being so inclusive.” The sass in her words made Alex laugh all over again. “They had some for Wonder Woman, too, but I wanted to see your reaction to this one.”

“Alright,” Alex said, pecking Kara’s lips and grabbing the third, yellow package, “let’s see how hard you’ve burned me with this one.”

She almost missed the soft look in Kara’s eyes as she fumbled open the third box, revealing a… sketchbook? Gingerly lifting it out of the box Kara had placed it in, Alex looked questioningly at Kara, silently asking for permission to open it.

Reaching over, Kara set down the empty box and smoothed her fingers over the front cover.

“I filled this up with sketches during the weeks we weren’t talking,” she said quietly, pressing a kiss against Alex’s shoulder. “I want you to have it.” While Alex remained frozen, heart pounding fast, Kara reached over to flip it open, revealing the meticulous notes she had made on the first page, including the time frame in which she’d used the book and the places she’d visited.

As they flipped through the pages together, Alex felt the love she had for Kara build up in her chest. There were sketches upon sketches of Alex. Smiling, frowning thoughtfully, biting her lip. There were sketches of Alex’s hands, and Alex as she walked up to Kara with her hand raised in greeting.

Of course, there were sketches of other things, too, and of other people, but they were nothing in comparison to the number of times Kara had captured Alex’s essence.

Swallowing hard, Alex closed the sketchbook and turned her head, realizing to her own shock that there were tears in her eyes.

“Kara…” She said, voice barely audible.

“I told you I missed you,” Kara said, shrugging with one shoulder and looking away, obviously a little embarrassed now that she’d shared this part of herself. “I never stopped thinking about you, and wondering about how you were doing.” The hand on Alex’s waist tightened a little. “I just… wanted you to know that.”

Carefully setting the sketchbook down on Kara’s nightstand, Alex turned back around and pulled Kara into the tightest hug she could manage, trying to convey how much this gift meant to her. She’d have to buy a proper glass case for it, so she could put it into her study. Somewhere she knew it’d be safe.

Kara hugged her back just as fiercely, her emotions clearly rubbed raw just as much as Alex’s.

The words, the  _ I love you _ , rested just on the tip of Alex’s tongue, but she swallowed it down. It was still too soon, and just because she felt it right now didn’t mean that Kara did as well. Besides, they had time now, and she didn’t want to rush them into anything.

“Thank you for telling me about that, and for giving me your sketchbook. I promise I’ll take good care of it,” she said, pulling back from the hug and giving Kara a big kiss. They both smiled. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a new t-shirt and a pair of boxers I need to put on. My girlfriend gave those to me.” She still loved saying it.

_ My girlfriend _ .

With a grin and another kiss, Kara let her go.

-

In the two weeks following Astra’s visit to Kara’s home, nothing much changed. No hero haters suddenly burst out of the woodwork to kill Kara with whatever weapon they’d been working on, and no other Kryptonians sought her out to exact some sort of attack in a misguided attempt to avenge Ty-Zor.

She’d asked Chloe to send Hank a message, since they technically still weren’t supposed to be communicating, to let him know about Astra and what their adversaries were getting up to. In return, Chloe had given her a message from Hank, telling her to be careful about which crime scenes she responded to as Supergirl.

Kara felt inclined to agree.

“How does this happen every time?” Alex grumbled, pulling Kara out of her thoughts and back into the coffee shop they were currently hanging out at.  _ Noonan’s _ was packed, but Alex and Kara had managed to snag a nice table in the back. “I swear, it’s like there’s a very persistent ghost that does nothing but shove me every time I try to eat something.”

Somehow, Alex had managed to spill some of the vanilla sauce from her pie onto her jeans, making her look like an adorable five-year-old as she frantically tried to wipe it away. The sight brought a loving smile to Kara’s lips, especially when she looked at the  _ My Girlfriend is Better than Supergirl _ t-shirt she’d given to Alex. It looked gorgeous on her, and provided Kara with a constant source of amusement.

“Maybe we should get you a bib, to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again,” Kara teased her, grinning and eating a forkful of her own pie. “I would hate to see you spill anything on that designer t-shirt you’re wearing. I’m not sure I could possibly find you another one.”

The shirt had been an excellent spur of the moment decision.

Desperate for surprise ideas, she’d super sped over to one of the twenty-four-hour merchandising stores in the city, certain that she’d feel inspired as soon as she made her way inside. She’d been more than correct. Frankly, Kara could have likely spent a lot more money there than she had.

“You think you’re so clever, but you’re not,” Alex said, finally putting her napkin back onto the table and eyeing her pie, no doubt wondering if she should try another bite. “I can’t believe you’d sass your own girlfriend like that. If you keep being this mean to me, I’m not going to give you that  _ supergirlismyhero121 _ Tumblr URL you so desperately want.”

Raising one eyebrow, Kara reached over the table and wiped away the vanilla sauce clinging to Alex’s chin.

“You didn’t actually save that, did you?” She asked, pulling back her finger and wiping it on her napkin.

“Of course I did. Do you know how bored I get at work, when I can’t leave the precinct? I have to find my own entertainment sometimes,” Alex said, carefully loading up her fork with pie. “Vasquez is always on patrol, and Hank gets called away all the time, and that just leaves me.”

Kara stopped moving, her fork suspended in mid-air.

“Hank?” She asked, her brain stuttering to a complete halt. No, there was no way J’onn,  _ Hank _ , was working with Alex. He’d have said something about it. Besides, he’d told her months ago that his new partner avoided Supergirl like the plague, and just because Kara had never seen Alex while she was out on patrol didn’t mean Alex hated her. They’d talked about Supergirl plenty of times, and Alex had only ever had good things to say about her.

No, it was more likely that Alex had made a different friend with the name Hank, and that J’onn had absolutely nothing to do with her.

Alex’s next words completely shattered Kara’s quiet reassurances for herself.

“Yeah, my partner Hank Henshaw,” she said, grinning brightly, making Kara feel as though a massive boulder had just been dropped into her stomach. “That’s so weird, have I never mentioned his name to you? I could’ve sworn I had.” Alex shook her head, while Kara tried to make sense of the fact that Alex apparently hated Supergirl enough to avoid her. Hated a huge part of Kara’s identity. “He’s a really awesome dude.”

Dropping her fork down onto her plate, Kara brought her hands to her lap to hide the fact that she was clenching them into fists.

“He sometimes reminds me of Batman,” Alex continued, only driving the stake in further, while Kara tried not to let her disappointment and sorrow show through her expression. “Hank doesn’t have any children, as far as I know, but he loves to parent me and Vasquez.”

Alex had no problem whatsoever working with Batman, and her best friends were three evil villainesses, so why was she so adamant about keeping her distance from Supergirl? Once, J’onn had told her his new partner had literally ran from her to avoid contact.  _ Ran _ . All so she didn’t have to see Kara.

“Although it does feel less weird when Hank calls me, to be honest. Like, I care about Batman, and we’ve known each other for a long time, but the first few seconds, it’s always weird to listen to his voice scrambler,” Alex rambled on, dripping yet more vanilla sauce onto her jeans, this time on the other leg. She cursed, and slammed down her fork, which had the added effect of spraying even more of the food into her lap. “Crap, ugh, I’m never ordering this dish again.”

While Alex cursed, Kara was trying to get herself back under control.  _ Supergirl would call you, too, if you would let her _ , she thought grumpily, sulking into her hot chocolate.

Suddenly, the t-shirt didn’t seem quite as funny anymore.

-

Alex noticed that something was up with Kara when she spotted the little pout on her lips hidden behind her cup, and the slight hunch to her shoulders. Though she couldn’t figure out for the life of her what Kara was suddenly feeling so upset about. She couldn’t recall saying anything that could be considered hurtful… she’d just talked about her partner Hank and then she’d spilled yet more food onto herself.

Maybe Kara was getting bored of her.

Worried, she stopped wiping herself and furrowed her brows.

“Are you okay? Did I say something?” She asked, rolling her napkin in between her fingers, anxiety choking her. What if now, after a little over a month, Kara was realizing she didn’t want to be with Alex anymore? What if she’d finally realized how much of a screw-up Alex was. How emotionally unavailable in some respects.

The smallest expression of guilt flit over Kara’s face, before it was wiped away again, and Kara straightened out her shoulders. It looked mildly as though she were readying herself for an attack, and Alex started ripping her napkin from the stress.

If Kara was going to break up with her, Alex wasn’t sure how she’d react.

She’d probably start to cry right then and there.

“Are you planning on working with Supergirl at all?” She finally asked, making Alex come up short. Why was Kara asking her this now? And what had brought on that offended facial expression? “I mean, she must know you worked with  _ Batman _ , I bet she’d be thrilled to work with you.” There was a hint of bitterness in her tone, and Alex thought this show of, what, loyalty to Supergirl? It was going a little far.

Besides, Kara knew how complicated her relationship with Harley, Ivy, and Catwoman had turned out, even if she didn’t know Catwoman was Selina, yet. And now Kara wanted her to get involved with even more super powered people? Sure, Supergirl would probably never go off the deep end like the Sirens had, but she was still a magnet of danger. Alex was already way too involved with her, without ever having met the woman.

Before she could say a word, Kara set down her hot chocolate and crossed her arms over her chest, a look of hurt clearly etched into her features, as though Alex had wronged her personally somehow.

“Do you have something against Supergirl?” She asked, her voice sharp.

“What? No, of course not, I’m sure she’s great,” Alex defended herself, wondering why Kara was suddenly so hostile towards her. All of Alex’s teasing jabs about Kara being a superfangirl had been jokes, she’d never actually expected Kara to get so offended. What exactly she was so angry about, Alex didn’t know.

“Do you think she can’t live up to Batman? Because she’s—she’s a really good superhero,” Kara said, nails visibly digging into the skin of her arm. The sight made Alex want to reach out and ask what was wrong. Why was Kara so  _ angry _ ?

“I know she is, she’s doing a really good job here in National City, I’m just—” She tried again, only to be interrupted.

“You just don’t like her,” Kara quipped, raising her voice a little.

“No!” Alex said, ripping her napkin clean in half.

“Then why does it seem like you’re avoiding her? Especially when your partner and Supergirl are actively working together?” Kara said, voice back to normal again, though no less angry for it. In fact, it was like she was spitting the words out of her mouths, so hurt and betrayed she could barely keep them contained.

Only… how would Kara know that Hank and Supergirl worked with each other? Alex had asked Hank about how far his involvement with her had reached beyond the walls of the precinct, and he’d mentioned that there had never even been a single article about their partnership. So how could Kara know about it, if she wasn’t…

If she…

“How do you know about that?” Alex asked, placing the napkin on the table and watching as the color drained from Kara’s face. “Kara, how do you know Hank works with Supergirl?” Her voice was deadly silent, her mind trying to piece together all of the little clues she’d dismissed over the last few weeks.

Kara’s little slip-ups that revealed her alien nature. The frequent references to using planes when talking about flying. The strange disappearances during their movie nights. The fact that Kara had gotten so upset the first time Alex had seemingly disregarded most of Supergirl’s powers in favor of her indestructible skin. How Kara had been so understanding about Alex keeping Catwoman’s identity to herself.

Jumping up from her chair, Kara slipped her purse from her handbag and threw a twenty on the table. Quickly, Alex got to her feet as well, unwilling to let Kara go.

Let  _ Supergirl _ go.

“I’m sorry, I—I just remembered—Lucy asked me to help out at the gallery, I need to go,” Kara stuttered, already walking away when Alex caught her wrist.

“Kara, wait,” she said, but then, in a feat of true super strength, Kara pulled her hand free and practically  _ ran _ from  _ Noonan’s _ , Alex staring after her in bewildered confusion.

“What happened?” Lupita asked, walking up with an empty tray.

“I don’t know,” Alex said, feeling like her chest was too small to contain all of the emotions suddenly bubbling up inside of her. How did it take her so long to figure it out? How had she not seen the signs before?

Kara, the woman she loved.

Kara, the hero of the city.

Kara, Supergirl, Kara.

Kara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so many things happened this chapter! Astra! Supergirl reveal! Fruitbasket! Selina teasing Alex about being a three stroke joke (thanks for teaching me that one)
> 
> I love ch17. hope you had a good time as well!
> 
> as always, this was beta-d by the lovely Coara! 
> 
> If you want to chat to me, find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr


	18. Dating Supergirl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex tries to fix things. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE you get an extra chapter this Friday, because it's my birthday! enjoyyy

Supergirl.

She was dating  _ Supergirl _ .

Alex couldn't believe it had taken her so ridiculously long to figure out that her goddamn  _ girlfriend _ was National City’s superhero. A protector who was prized and dearly beloved by anyone with even a shred of common sense, who was more powerful than Alex could imagine.

As she laid on her couch, staring at the ceiling, she wondered why Kara had become so defensive during their conversation. It had happened seemingly out of nowhere. If Kara had acted a little less aggressively, Alex most likely  _ still _ wouldn't know about her secret identity. After all, Alex’s first thought hadn't been that Kara was Supergirl, but that Kara was simply a fan with a few too many attachment issues.

It must have been her mention of Hank, Alex thought to herself, and the fact that she worked with him. She just couldn't say definitively why that tidbit of information had driven Kara into such intense feelings of rage. Alex had never seen her so angry and upset, not even when Selina and Alex had kissed in front of CatCo’s. This was an entirely different subset of emotions.

Rubbing her hands over her eyes, she let out a slow breath, wondering how the fuck she was supposed to fix this situation.

She figured there was always the possibility that she was wrong, even though she really didn’t think that she was.

No mere fan would get this incensed over someone they didn’t even know.

Sitting up, she stared down at her phone, clenching her teeth as she unlocked the screen. No messages from Kara since yesterday. Alex had tried to text and call, and if she didn’t hear anything from Kara at all today, she was going to visit CatCo tomorrow to talk to her. And if  _ that _ didn’t work, Alex was going to camp out in front of Kara’s apartment until they’d talked this out.

There were times when Alex was more than willing to give Kara the space she needed, but not in this situation. Not when the reason they weren’t talking was very likely based on a misunderstanding.

Fine, so maybe Kara hadn’t wanted her to know about the whole being Supergirl thing yet, Alex understood that better than perhaps anyone else, considering who her friends were. But now that the cat was out of the bag, Alex wasn’t going to let Kara go just because something had made her upset with Alex in regards to her secret identity.

Perhaps Hank had blabbed about the fact that Alex tended to run away from Supergirl, completely unaware that his new partner was more intimately linked to her than he could have possibly realized. If that was the case, Alex was prepared. If Kara thought Alex hated her super persona, Alex would tell her everything.

About Batman, about her dad, about… about  _ him _ .

Kara wouldn’t judge her for her choices, her mistakes. She’d understand. There was no doubt in Alex’s mind that Kara would see why Alex had chosen not to reenter the superhero business, not even for someone as sweet and kind as Supergirl.

Throwing her phone onto the coffee table, Alex let out a frustrated grunt and got to her feet, stalking into the kitchen to grab her orange juice. She needed to busy her hands with something,  _ anything _ . This situation was reminding her all too painfully of those weeks her and Kara hadn’t been talking because of something she’d done.

Hitting the On switch on the small radio she kept in her kitchen, Alex stayed on her feet, walking around the table while she contemplated her next move and drank her juice. The acid of the orange liquid couldn’t replace the sting of her scotch, but she couldn’t start drinking again if she wanted to keep her head clear. She’d been doing such a good job, she couldn’t let herself and the people around her down now, not after everything that had happened.

She needed to stay focused.

Only vaguely listening to her radio’s incessant chatter, her ears perked up when she heard the words  _ major incident _ and  _ fire _ .

A fire in National City wasn’t a rarity. Due to the extreme heatwaves the city sometimes underwent, a fire was always just around the corner, especially during the summer months. And where there was fire, especially on a larger scale, there was…

Setting down her juice and running for the front door, Alex grabbed her cellphone and her jacket, and slammed the door shut behind her, locking it down before running for the stairs. She didn’t have time to wait for the elevator, not when she needed to get there right this second.

She jumped the last few stairs, landing ungracefully and waving to Mrs. Robershire, who stared at her with undisguised disapproval. Her neighbor from across the hall did not approve of the number of women that regularly frequented Alex’s apartment.

Pam, Selina, Kara.

Mrs. Robershire had seen them all.

Speeding past her, Alex ran out of the foyer and veered sharply to the left, cursing the fact that she’d been slacking on her cardio since getting shot. Breathing heavily, she stared at her motorcycle for a second, before making a quick decision.

Getting down on her knees, she stuck her hand under her bike and grabbed for the tracker she knew was there, pulling it free with a mighty yank that had her slam her hand into the rough concrete of the garage. She didn’t stop to check for damage, simply dropping the tracker onto the ground and leaving it there as she unlocked her bike and quickly moved it outside.

She could feel the warm trickle of blood on her hand, but her mind didn’t linger on it. Kara could be in danger any time she went out as Supergirl, especially on such a high prominence occasion as a burning building. Who knew if someone hadn’t secretly set the fire to lure Kara out?

It was this thought that made Alex peel out of her driveway, rumbling through the streets and towards the address the voice on the radio had told everyone to steer clear of.

If Kara didn’t want to come to Alex, Alex would come to her.

-

Zooming through the air, Kara tried to concentrate on the task at hand. There was a problem, and the police and fire department needed her help with it. She couldn’t think about Alex and the rest of that disaster, not when she’d been dumb enough to reveal herself to her the day before. She couldn’t believe her own recklessness.

After leaving Alex behind at  _ Noonan’s _ , Kara hadn’t bothered going home. She’d super sped all the way to Lucy’s apartment, where she’d sat crying, eating ice cream, and telling Lucy the whole horrific story.

This wasn’t what she had been planning at all for the big reveal. Considering how close they were, Kara had been shooting for a grand gesture, where she would have swept into Alex’s apartment as Supergirl. Or something in which she would have dramatically ripped her shirt open to reveal the crest that lay beneath.

Something,  _ anything _ but this.

And then there was the whole business of Alex avoiding Supergirl like she was the plague that Hank had told her about. That little fact didn’t make Kara feel more confident about what they had. She simply couldn’t reconcile the Alex that wanted to protect Supergirl with her life, and the Alex that ran from Supergirl so she wouldn’t have to see her.

At this point, the only thing that would give her clarity was talking to Alex, something which Kara didn’t feel too confident about at the moment. The fear was back, the fear that kept her from picking up the phone or answering a simple text. It made her feel terrible, especially considering the sheer amount of times Alex had texted and called.

_ Please pick up the phone. _

_ Whatever I did wrong, please tell me. _

_ Please let me explain _ .

She’d spent the night in Lucy’s bed, cuddled up to her best friend, while Lucy held her. Her friend hadn’t been furious, but she also hadn’t been thrilled about the way Kara had reacted. Clearly, in this situation, Lucy wasn’t willing to let Kara get away with hiding herself, and Kara was almost grateful for it.

As she hurtled towards the flames of the burning building, she shook her head to get rid of the sight of Alex’s hurt and confused face. There was no doubt in her mind that Alex cared deeply for her, she just didn’t know how far that care extended, now that Kara had revealed her duality, her alienness. The worry was there, even after Alex had told her that she would always want her, no matter which solar system she hailed from.

She could already hear the cries of the people trapped inside the building, and she shot inside like an arrow, following her instincts and going into full-on Kryptonian Supergirl mode.

Gone were her insecurities, her worries, her clumsiness and shyness. She was in her element now, and as she flew in and out of the building, carrying civilians, she felt truly free. This was what she had been made for, what she had worked towards her entire life. Helping people, saving them, protecting their lives.

Alex wasn’t gone from her mind, she hardly ever was these days, but thinking of her didn’t hurt while she did this.

When she’d saved the last few people in the building, Kara flew into the air one last time, took a deep breath and blew out her Arctic Breath, slowly circling, so she wouldn’t miss any spots. Steadily, gradually, the fire died down, before it was completely gone, leaving behind black soot, stone, and icy frost.

The people watching from down below cheered as Kara waved to them and set down on the ground softly. She knew ambulances were on their way, but some of the people she’d saved needed immediate medical attention, and Kara’s arms were the fastest way for them to travel.

“Don’t worry, I’ll fly you to the nearest hospital,” she told one man who was badly burned, shivering on the ground with pain. He nodded to her, clearly grateful, and Kara’s chest ached for him. If only she’d been faster…

Before she could kneel to grab the man, the sound of a commotion reached Kara’s ears, and she turned her head to look for the source, when her heart stopped in her chest.

“Alex…” She whispered, watching in horror as her girlfriend’s  _ fist _ connected with a man’s face. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion for Kara as Alex grabbed the man’s gun arm and twisted, making him cry out in pain as he dropped his weapon, before Alex’s knee slammed expertly into his stomach. As he fell to the floor, he laughed maniacally, blood gurgling from his broken mouth, damaged from Alex’s earlier punch.

“You see that, Supergirl? You see? We’re everywhere!” He called out to her, only shutting up when Alex grabbed his collar and started beating his face with her fist, white-hot rage coloring her every movement. “You are never safe!”

He continued to laugh even when two bulky firemen pulled Alex from him and an officer turned him onto his front to slap cuffs on his wrists.

Her heart ached for Alex, for the enraged look in her eyes, for her bloody fists and the way she continued to struggle against the firemen, who were having trouble holding her back now, but Kara knew she couldn’t stay. There were burn victims who needed her help, more than Kara needed Alex.

With a heavy heart, Kara turned towards the man she’d spoken to before, hefted him into her arms, and flew away, Alex’s eyes following after her.

-

When Alex walked into her apartment, Hank and Selina were already there, sitting at the kitchen table with somber looks on their faces. She’d called them immediately after the two firemen had let her go, and she’d managed to smuggle the culprit’s bullets into her pocket. It had been difficult, but Alex hadn’t been friends with Catwoman for nearly six years without picking up a thing or two. She’d given her statement and then she’d been off, without letting the paramedics fix up her hand. She’d wanted to go home as quickly as possible.

The perp’s bullets  _ looked _ perfectly normal, but Alex had a feeling if she sent them to Pam, she’d get a much different result. She didn't even care that she’d tampered with the evidence. Supergirl’s –  _ Kara’s _ – well-being was more important than any case.

“Show me your hand,” Selina said, getting up from her kitchen chair and grabbing Alex’s left arm, pulling her forward. The first aid kit had already been brought out of Alex’s bathroom, laying open on the kitchen table. Selina gasped in anguish as she saw Alex’s bruised and bloody knuckles.

“It’s fine, it doesn’t even hurt that much,” Alex lied, letting herself get pushed into the same chair Selina had just occupied. When Selina didn’t respond, Alex chanced a glance at her face, feeling a little guilty for putting her friend through this again. “You can’t be mad at me for this, that guy would have shot Supergirl.”

Looking as though she would explode if Alex spoke even  _ one more word _ , Selina held up the pointer finger of her left hand, unmistakably telling Alex to stop talking.

With a small pout, Alex snapped her mouth shut and dumped the bullets she’d liberated onto the table, shoving them over to Hank so he could have a look at them, too. He seemed to know a lot more about Supergirl than Alex, though she wondered if he also knew her secret identity. If he did… maybe he’d known all along what a foolish game she’d been playing, running away from Kara. She’d told him Kara’s name after she’d been shot, and then there had been the pictures from the vernissage… Once she and Kara were talking again, she’d have to ask her how much Hank knew.

Pain flared through Alex’s body when Selina brought a wet washcloth to her bloody knuckles. There had been that scratch from the garage and then she’d cut herself on that bastard’s teeth, too. Thankfully, she didn’t think the hand was broken, only a little bruised. In her year overseas, she hadn’t forgotten how to throw a few good punches.

“It’s like you love pissing me off,” Selina grumbled, her eyes wet and her nose a little red. It was obvious she was trying not to cry, making even more guilt seep into Alex’s soul. Maybe Selina had been more shaken up by the whole getting shot thing than Alex had realized.

“He never saw me coming,” she reassured her friend, letting her feet wrap around Selina’s leg, before turning to Hank. “Which actually brings me to something I want to talk to you guys about. I don’t think this whole attack was planned.” The pain in her hand made her wince when Selina applied antiseptic to it. “Why would they be devising some sort of alien weapon, if they’re just going to gun Supergirl down in the streets? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Nodding, Hank crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a long look. He seemed just as concerned as Selina, though he was hiding his feelings a lot better than her. The only indication that he was worried was the stiff posture of his shoulders and the stony expression on his face.

“I figure they’re trying to make it look like alien on alien violence,” Alex continued, clenching her teeth when Selina started wrapping her hand. “When they finally try to kill Supergirl, they probably want to use that as propaganda against the movement that wants to accept people from outer space.”

“So this perp today…” Hank supplied, handing Selina a piece of tape to secure Alex’s new bandage, for which Selina gave him a warm, friendly smile. “He most likely went rogue.” He shook his head. “It makes sense, on a certain level. You put so many raging, hate-filled people together, one is bound to do something unwise.”

“Exactly,” Alex said, staring down at her bandaged, right hand. A second later, Selina handed her the peas she’d already gotten from the fridge so Alex could keep down the swelling. “Even the sniper who tried to shoot at you and Supergirl fits into this theory. He was supposed to clue her into the fact that she could never feel safe again when out on patrol, but he only acted while the two of you were by yourselves, because they don’t want the general public to know. Harder to spin, if there are humans involved.”

Humming and nodding, Hank uncrossed his arms and grabbed one of the Oreo cookies Selina had no doubt liberated from Alex’s kitchen cabinet. It was fine, Alex had bought them for Hank anyway, just in case he ever came to her apartment for important Supergirl or work-related incidents.

Selina sighed, slumping back in her chair.

“This is too much clunky exposition for me, you guys,” she said, picking up her tea and taking a sip. When she put down the cup, there was a small smudge of blood on the handle, prompting her to look down at her fingers, only just now realizing she had gotten some of Alex’s blood on her own skin. Her face paled considerably. “Excuse me for a second.”

Hank and Alex watched her go, Alex’s chest full of worry and guilt and stress.

She hadn’t allowed herself even a moment to contemplate what would have happened if she hadn’t left the apartment to chase after a hunch that Kara might be at this fire. Would the gunman have tried to shoot Kara in the head? Kara would have heard the shot? Would she have been able to stop the bullet? Alex didn’t know how harmful this kryptonite stuff could be. Would Kara have been able to move out of the way? Would she even have  _ tried _ , knowing she could stop any other bullet?

“Thank you,” Hank suddenly said, reaching out and patting Alex’s left arm. The gesture would have seemed small had it come from anybody else, but for Hank to reach out like this made Alex’s chest fill with pride. “Thank you for protecting her.”

Nodding, Alex smiled a little through the worry.

“Of course,” she said, experimentally wiggling her fingers under the cold peas. They hurt like hell, but she’d live. She always did. “We need to find out who’s behind this, Hank. They could strike at any time and we can’t always be around to keep those bastards from trying to kill her.”

“I know,” he said, pulling back his hand and eating another cookie. He looked just as stressed as her now, and the sight only made her feel extra worried. Hank was a  _ rock _ , nothing ever shook him. “For now, I am just grateful that neither one of you was too badly hurt.” He gave her a sharp look, and the stress was perfectly masked again. “But I think you should go and comfort your friend.”

“Yeah. Are you going to be alright out here by yourself?” Alex asked, trying for a bit of humor in this terrible situation.

Hank smiled, looking over to the couch, where Trish and Herb were sitting, Herb’s vines softly stroking Trish’s fur to calm her down. Only now did Alex realize how worried her pets most likely were, especially with Selina looking and smelling so distressed. She’d have to break out the extra special cat food and plastic trash later.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, getting up from the kitchen chair, leaving the peas behind. She had a feeling when she came back, she was going to find Hank cuddling her pets. Walking over quickly to the couch, she pressed kisses to their foreheads (or where Herbert’s forehead would have been if he’d had one). “Play nice, guys. No hitting or biting Hank.”

In answer, Herbert touched her face with his vine, while Trish mewled unhappily at the kiss.

“Drama queen,” she murmured, kissing her cat one more time before quickly moving her face out of scratching distance. Hank chuckled behind her as she made her way into her bedroom and the adjoining bathroom, where Selina was forcefully scrubbing her hands.

Striding forward, Alex saw how red Selina’s fingers looked from the insistent cleaning, and the sight made her walk faster.

“Hey, hey, they’re clean,” she said, turning off the water and grabbing a towel, gently enfolding Selina’s hands and patting them dry. It was obvious Selina hadn’t quite been able to stop the flow of tears, and as Alex gently stroked her hands with the towel, a single tear slid down Selina’s right cheek.

“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling her hands free, staring down at them angrily. “I was never this worried when you worked in Gotham, fuck.” She clenched her hands into fists. “We fucking  _ joked _ about you having an extra pocket when you got stabbed, but, shit.” She wiped at her face. “That was  _ before _ , you know?”

“Yeah,” Alex said, putting the towel back on the rack and stepping forward to pull Selina into a tight hug, “I know. I know. I’m sorry I left you alone for a year. I’m sorry.” Alex didn’t think she’d ever been hugged this hard or this tenderly. “But I’m not going away again, I’ll never leave you, I promise. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”

Sniffling, Selina pressed her forehead against Alex’s shoulder and breathed in her scent, her body shuddering with Alex’s words.

“I hope Kara kicks your ass for this,” she said, leaning away and pressing a long and loving kiss against Alex’s forehead. “Goddamn it. I was so scared when you called to tell me you’d punched an armed gunman.” She pressed another kiss against Alex’s temple. “I’m fucking proud of you, of everything you do, but I’m also so angry.”

Grinning, while trying not to think about the fact that Kara could have died today if Alex or someone else hadn’t intervened, Alex pulled out of the embrace and took Selina’s with her own, the one that wasn’t in a world of pain. Time to kick back some painkillers.

“Come on, let’s go back to the kitchen, before Hank steals Trish for himself,” Alex said, reassuringly squeezing her friend’s fingers.

She’d already turned around to leave, when she was held back.

“I love you,” Selina said, holding on tightly to Alex’s fingers. “I don’t say it enough.”

Chest feeling warm and full, Alex turned back and smiled gently. Selina could be rash, impulsive, dangerous, and she was rough around the edges, but she was one of Alex’s favorite people, and she would always, always be Alex’s best friend.

“I love you, too, and I  _ never _ say it, so you better soak this in,” Alex joked, pulling Selina after her, feeling almost hopeful for the first time since yesterday afternoon. There was no way Kara and her wouldn’t find their way back to one another, not after everything they’d been through, not with how strongly they felt about one another.

When she and Selina entered the living room, a wide, shit-eating grin spread across Alex’s face.

Hank was sitting on the sofa, with a purring kitten on his broad lap, and a small, potted plant resting his head against Hank’s chest.

Before anyone could say anything, a flash went off behind Alex.

“Send that to me,” Alex whispered out of the corner of her mouth, which made Selina giggle and Hank glare.

Sure, things were crappy right now with the hero menace movement trying to kill off Kara, Alex’s  _ girlfriend _ , but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the small moments in life. Especially after beating a racist in the face with her fist over and over and over again.

-

Sipping on a half-empty glass of orange juice, Alex took notes on what had occurred today. She’d started a new notebook for the case after Hank had told her about Supergirl’s weakness. As always, when she was working on something highly dangerous, she was using code language, just in case her notebook ever fell into the wrong hands.

Jotting down the theories they’d come up with today, Alex leaned back in her chair, ignoring the annoying sting in her right hand. Writing with the bandage was more than a little uncomfortable, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that. Not if she wanted to collect her thoughts. Having everything down on paper always helped her out with that.

Hank had left shortly after Alex and Selina had emerged from the bathroom, after he’d managed to disentangle himself from Trish and Herbert, who had taken an instant liking to him. He’d taken some of the bullets with him, too, while Alex had promised to mail the rest of them to Pam on Monday during her lunch break.

With a kiss and a hug, Selina had left as well, citing that she was close to identifying Desaad, if she just turned over a few more rocks and checked the appropriate worms and maggots underneath. Alex had a feeling Selina had fled to clear her head, to reconcile herself with the fact that Alex would never stop involving herself in dangerous situations, and that Selina would need to learn how to live with that again, the way she had in Gotham.

Alex had let them both go.

After today, and with the notification of zero new calls and zero new text messages (at least from Kara), all she wanted was to curl herself around her stuffed animal beaver and go to sleep. She already knew today’s events would join her regular gallery of nightmares. Could already see herself dreaming about not being able to save Kara. Seeing her die.

Putting down her ballpoint pen, she rubbed her hands over her face and took a deep breath. Annoyed at her own inability to function, she ran both hands through her hair and winced as her bruised knuckles protested the continued punishment she was inflicting on them. She should probably stop pushing the whole hand being busted thing and actually put the ice back on it.

She’d just stood up from her chair to reach for her freezer, when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, instinctively reaching for her gun.

Before she’d pulled it free, before she’d even fully closed her hand around the hilt, Alex recognized the color scheme of red, yellow, and blue.

“Kara…” She whispered, dropping her hand and walking from her open kitchen into the living room, staring at Kara, at  _ Supergirl _ , who was floating outside of her windows. She hadn’t touched down on the fire escape, and Alex wondered if that meant she was ready to bolt if their meeting somehow went sideways.

For a second, neither moved, their eyes locked.

Kara looked tired, her face slumped with emotional fatigue, her blue eyes as gorgeous and expressive as always. She wasn’t wearing her glasses, and her silky blonde hair fell in waves around her face. Unsurprisingly, she looked hugely different from her civilian persona, but she was still unmistakably  _ Kara _ , and Alex would have recognized her even if she hadn’t known about her secret identity ahead of time.

Swallowing hard, Alex stalked towards the nearest window, pushed the caladium plants aside, and pulled it open forcefully. She didn’t want Kara to leave, not now that she was here, after Alex had waited a full day to hear from her. It didn’t matter now what she’d been afraid of before, of things ending up like they had in Gotham. She was in too deep, wanted to be around Kara too much. The same way she couldn’t cut ties with Selina, Pam, and Harley, she didn’t want to give up Kara.

“Come in,” she said, stepping back from the window and taking mental stock of her apartment. Selina likely wouldn’t be back for a few more hours, she’d swept the place for bugs, and all of her electronics had been protected up to the teeth. Trish was asleep on the kitchen table next to Alex’s notebook, and Herb was munching on some prime trash in her bedroom. “Please, before someone sees you.”

It was more than likely that cameras had been erected somewhere close to her apartment, or that they would be, now that she’d publicly punched a hero menace movement pawn in the face to stop him from shooting Supergirl. Alex would have to be doubly careful now, especially with Kara literally  _ being _ Supergirl.

Looking around, Kara obliged, tipping forward so she wouldn’t hit her head on the windowsill, her cape fluttering after her as she flew inside.  _ Flew _ . On some level, Alex had digested that her girlfriend could fly, shoot fire from her eyes, and lift three gigantic buses without batting an eyelash, but another part of her, the one looking at Kara right now, was filled to the brim with awe.

_ Guess now I know why Kara was so insistent that we take a plane all the time _ , Alex thought to herself as Kara expertly set down on the floor, crossing her arms over her chest after brushing a lock of perfect hair out of her face. She looked gorgeous, and Alex barely managed to pull the curtains closed, so no one would be able to see inside and spy on them.  _ She probably didn’t want to imply that she’d be flying herself _ .

Despite today’s events, Kara’s suit was immaculate, and Alex wondered if it had been woven from some sort of advanced Kryptonian polymer that humans had yet to discover.

Now that the curtains were drawn and Kara had come inside, Alex had no idea what to do or say next. How did you ask your alien girlfriend why she got pissed off at you during your coffee date about something related to her superhero persona? Especially after you beat up some guy with a gun who had been planning on  _ shooting _ your alien girlfriend with special, deadly bullets?

They both opened their mouths at the same time.

“I’m sorry I made you think you couldn’t trust me,” Alex blurted.

“Why were you out there today?” Kara asked.

Biting her bottom lip, Alex rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. Holding up her left hand, she gestured to Kara, a blush taking root on her face. They both had plenty of questions, and it wouldn’t do them any good if they kept each other from saying what needed to be said.

“Okay, how about we take turns?” Alex suggested, lowering her right hand, not missing how Kara’s gaze flit to the bandage, and how concern filled her eyes. “You go first.” Answering the question of why she had been there seemed much less stressful than talking about why Kara had fled  _ Noonan’s _ . Alex was getting better at talking about her feelings, but if there was a chance to stall, she was going to take it.

Keeping her arms crossed over her chest, Kara brought her eyes back up to Alex’s face.

“Why were you at that fire today? And why did you punch that guy in the face?” An expression of undisguised confusion came over her features. “I mean, I know why, he was obviously a hero menace movement supporter or whatever, but--” She shook her head, nails visibly digging into her own arm. “You do know I’m bulletproof, right? That’s _my_ _whole deal_ , if you recall.”

At these words, Alex relaxed a bit. Kara was still Kara.

“Hank and I suspect he was carrying kryptonite bullets,” she said, wincing when Kara stiffened.

“How do you know about kryptonite?” She asked, looking scared, as though knowledge about her mortal weakness had just gone public. The sight made Alex want to reach out and pull her into a hug, but she knew the gesture wouldn't be appreciated, at least not right now.

“It’s okay,” she said, lifting her hands in a reassuring gesture, “Hank told me. He was just trying to protect you, same as me. I promise, he didn't tell me anything else.” She took a cautious step forward, relieved when Kara stayed where she was. “I’m sorry I didn't tell you any of this, but Hank made me promise not to, and I didn't want to put you in danger.”

Another step.

“I had no idea you were Supergirl, or I would have told you everything in a heartbeat.” Kara was within touching distance now. “Not that I blame you for not telling me; I completely understand.”

When they were standing directly in front of one another, Alex saw the tears in Kara’s eyes, and somehow Alex didn't think it had anything to do with the botched shooting from today.

“Hank said you  _ ran _ from me,” she whispered, visibly shivering with emotion. “He said you didn't want to work with me, that you made him promise he wouldn't push the issue.  _ Why _ ? I thought you of all people would understand and support what I do, and then today… I don't get it.”

Reaching out slowly, tentatively, Alex’s fingers made contact with Kara’s tightly wound forearm. The suit felt sturdy and soft all at the same time, and to Alex’s great relief, Kara didn’t pull away.

She didn’t really want to tell Kara what had happened, why she’d decided to steer clear of metahuman and alien business when she’d moved to National City. It was hard enough to talk to Dr. Zhou about  _ the incident _ , and she wasn’t ready to tell Kara everything, not yet. But she could tell her some of it. The bare bones.

Clenching her teeth, she came clean.

“My dad was killed, because of my involvement with Batman,” Alex said quickly, pushing out the words. Maybe if she talked quickly enough, her anxiety wouldn’t have time to catch up. “The— _ someone _ wanted to hurt Batman through me, and so they kidnapped my dad and…. yeah…”

She was trembling now, and Kara looked like she was on the verge of interrupting, clearly able to see her distress. But now that she’d started, Alex didn’t want to stop, she needed to get this out now, come clean to her girlfriend, tell her what was wrong with her, why she had such problems discussing her past.

“After he died, I took a year off, and I traveled across the States, Canada, and then across Europe. When I moved here, I promised myself I wouldn’t get caught up in hero business again.” Her hand was shaking on Kara’s forearm and she pulled it back, severing their connection. “That worked out really well for me.”

Running her left hand through her hair, her gaze stayed focused on Kara’s eyes.

“The fact that I ran from you… that wasn’t about you, I swear. You’re a great hero, you make so many people’s lives so much better.” She clenched her jaw and looked away. “And I figured you were just fine on your own, and you didn’t need Detective Alex Danvers to screw it all up for you.”

She wasn’t sure what she’d expected after her little monologue, but it certainly hadn’t been for Kara to pull her into a tight hug, almost tight enough to crack a few ribs. Her body was warm and comforting, and Alex curled her fingers into the heavy material of her gorgeous cape.

It was like Kara was trying to keep her together, keep her from shattering into a million tiny pieces.

It wouldn’t work, of course, the only one who could fix Alex was  _ Alex _ , but she appreciated the gesture and effort. Moreover, she felt the love they had for each other all over her body, vibrating in every pore.

“I’m sorry,” Kara husked, almost squeezing the breath from Alex’s lungs. “I’m sorry I got so angry, I’m sorry I yelled at you.” Alex only held her tighter. “I get so insecure sometimes, I should have trusted you.” In an unexpected move, she pulled back, cupping both of Alex’s cheeks. “I can’t believe I didn’t.”

Emotions clogging her throat, Alex leaned in and pressed their foreheads together.

“You couldn’t have known,” she whispered, moving her hands away from the cape and to Kara’s wrists, stroking them with her thumbs, once again ignoring the sting of her injury. “And now that I know who you really are, we can be totally honest with each other.”

“I’m sorry you found out this way…” Kara mumbled, blushing and looking away, as though embarrassed about how she’d exploded on Alex. “I had something really romantic and dramatic planned. I was going to take you to the fortress and everything.”

Raising one eyebrow, Alex leaned back her head, before wrapping both arms around Kara’s waist, holding her close.

“Stop apologizing. We had a misunderstanding and we talked it out like proper adults,” she said, grinning, tentatively leaning back in and pressing a small kiss against Kara’s lips. It was weird seeing Kara without her glasses. She couldn’t believe this disguise worked for her. “But you can still take me to your fortress, whatever that means.”

The anxious feeling was ebbing off again with every second spent in Kara’s presence.

“Superman and I have a really cool fortress in the Arctic,” Kara gloated, looking like she was fighting the urge to apologize for apologizing. “I guess it would remind you of the citadel I painted. It looks a lot like that. It’s meant to resemble Krypton’s architecture...”

She hesitated for a second.

“What’s wrong?” Alex asked, brushing a strand of hair out of Kara’s eyes.

“You said you came to National City to get away from hero stuff…” Kara bit her bottom lip, hands trembling on Alex’s shoulders. “But you… you still want to be with me? Even though I got caught up in that whole ‘ _ Let’s kill Supergirl _ ’ plot? I don’t think that’s going to be a one-time thing...”

Heart aching for her girlfriend, Alex kissed her again, lips moving together seamlessly, as exciting as the very first time.

“Kara… with the way I feel about you, I don’t think I’ll ever want to break up with you,” Alex whispered, fingers squeezing Kara’s waist through her suit. “I’m in this for the long haul, and I’m not going to let a few punks take what we have away from us.” She grinned roguishly. “If they mess with my alien, they mess with me.”

A second later, Kara was hugging her again, face pressed against Alex’s neck, shoulders shaking with her relieved sobs. Alex had a feeling those had been a long time coming. Keeping a secret like this from the people closest to her must require a level of strength Alex couldn’t even dream of.

It didn’t matter how the revelation of Kara’s real identity had come about. Now that Alex knew the truth, she would protect Kara’s secret with her life, the same way she protected her friends.

She was more than ready.

-

“My real name is Kara Zor-El,” Kara said, playing gently with the fingers of Alex’s left hand, turning them back and forth and pressing kisses against them from time to time. “I was born on Krypton, as you know.” They were in Alex’s bed, snuggled together under the blankets, sharing a pillow. “I was thirteen when my planet was destroyed.”

Sighing, Kara looked over to Alex, who pulled her hand free and curled herself around Kara’s side, kissing her cheek.

After their conversation in the living room, Kara had changed into a pair of Alex’s sweatpants and one of her Gotham PD t-shirts. The material was soft and smelled faintly of Alex, even after having been freshly washed. Kara wasn’t sure if she’d have been able to smell it if she’d been human, but her nose went wild with the familiar scent.

“I’m sorry,” Alex breathed, making Kara’s chest fill with warmth. “How come you look so much younger than your cousin? Or does that have something to do with your Kryptonian physiology? Have I secretly been dating a cougar all this time?”

Kara was aware that the small smile on her girlfriend’s face was designed to take her mind off the fact that her planet was long dead and gone, and she appreciated Alex’s attempt to make her feel better. Returning the smile, Kara turned onto her side as well and stroked Alex’s cheek, before delving into the grim details of her existence in the Phantom Zone, and why she’d finally been freed so many years later.

Eyes trained on Kara, Alex listened with rapt attention, seemingly soaking up Kara’s words. She asked questions throughout, her right hand resting on Kara’s waist, wrapped up in a bundle of crushed ice Kara refroze every half-hour.

“The Kents took me in when Clark found me,” Kara finished, fingers dancing through Alex’s hair, “and I’ve been here ever since.” She grew somber, mind jumping in and out of memories of Krypton, and being suspended in the Phantom Zone. Alternately being awake and not. “I’ve been on Earth for as long as I was on Krypton.”

The thought frightened her. In a few months, she would turn 27, and then the scale would finally tip. She didn’t know how she was going to live with the knowledge that she would be more human than Kryptonian then. Clark had never known a life outside of Earth, but Kara would never forget those lazy mornings in front of Krypton’s red sun, hugging her mother and father.

Alex hugged her more tightly.

“I know I can’t possibly imagine what it’s like to lose your people, but… thank you, for telling me,” she whispered, leaning in and kissing Kara tenderly. “It’s a moot point, but I wish I could undo it all, even if that meant we never would have met.” Kara had a feeling Alex was fully aware of how unhelpful platitudes truly were in this situation.

“Maybe we would have met regardless,” Kara mused, chest bursting with love. “Krypton had portals leading to different worlds. Some of them led to Earth.” Being able to talk to Alex about her true origins was everything she had hoped for. “I would have been older, though. In my forties, maybe.” She wondered what a mature Kryptonian version of herself would have looked and sounded like. More self-assured, more powerful.

“We would have made it work,” Alex said, grinning, right hand tightening on Kara’s waist, a small wince making her mouth twitch just a little. The knowledge that Alex had hurt herself to protect Kara had frightening implications. What else would Alex be willing to do? How far would she go?

Cupping Alex’s cheek, Kara established intense eye contact between them.

“I’m grateful that you intervened today, but you need to promise me something,” Kara started, desperately needing Alex to listen to her. Before she could say more, Alex rolled onto her back and let out an exasperated breath.

“Don't ask me not to protect you,” she said, sitting up and looking down at Kara with a small glare. “There are people out there who want to  _ kill _ you, and I’m not going to stand idly by and let them do it, not when there's something I can do to stop them.”

Kara knew Alex was loyal to a fault. It was one of her best and worst qualities.

“You already got shot protecting Hank, and now your hand is busted,” Kara tried again, sitting up as well and cradling Alex’s bandaged fingers. “You're human, and I don't want to lose you.” It was already terrifying enough that Alex was a detective for the police without adding any additional worries.

“A highly trained human with years of experience and a huge amount of resourcefulness,” Alex countered, grumbling a little. “Funny how no one ever says anything when Batman goes out to fight crime. He’s just as human as me.” From the bitter tone in her voice, Kara had a feeling this wasn't the first time Alex had had this very argument.

“Yes, well, Batman isn't my girlfriend,” Kara said, touching Alex’s neck. “I just want you to be careful. Going around punching dangerous xenophobes doesn't always end well.” She didn’t even want to imagine a world in which Alex got herself killed in order to protect Kara. Nothing could ever be more horrifying.

Shaking her head, Alex balled her injured hand into a fist.

“I would punch a hundred xenophobes, if it meant keeping you safe. I would take a bullet for you, for any of my friends.” She held up her hand, so Kara couldn’t say anything. “Trust me, I certainly don’t  _ want _ to, and I resent the world for making it necessary sometimes, but that doesn’t make it any less true.”

Gently, she stroked Kara’s cheek.

“I know you feel the same way, otherwise you wouldn’t be out there every day,” Alex continued, pulling back her hand and adjusting the small ice pack. “We may be made up of different cells, Kara, but inside, we’re the same. We just operate with different skill sets.”

Kara knew she was standing on very shaky ground with her argument, because Alex was right. They  _ were _ the same, and Alex was nearly as skilled as Batman, though admittedly with less money and gadgets. The fact that Kara put herself in danger constantly didn’t exactly make her claim sound any more credible either, especially since ‘ _ but I’m an indestructible Kryptonian _ ’ didn’t ring true, now that kryptonite was actively being used against her.

“Fine,” Kara relented, flopping back onto the bed, accidentally startling a sleeping Trish, who mewled angrily at them both for being so wound up. “But you do have to promise me that you won’t go and seek out any danger just because.” She looked at Alex intently. “And you always have to wait for backup and you never charge in anywhere alone.”

When Alex opened her mouth, Kara reached out with her hand to shut it for her.

“No, I know it worked out that one time you met Poison Ivy, but that was honestly a one-time thing. And that only happened because you’re so sinfully cute, even someone sort of evil couldn’t resist you,” Kara said, trying to fight her grin when she felt Alex smile against her hand, before she pulled it away again.

“Okay, fine, I promise, I’ll always wait for Hank to back me up,” Alex said, leaning down and over Kara to give her a small peck on the mouth. “I promise, I never try to get hurt. You shouldn’t be mad at me, you should be mad at the bad guys who keep pulling this shit.”

Rolling her eyes, Kara pushed Alex onto her back again.

“Stop putting strain on your hand, please,” she said, snuggling into Alex’s chest and closing her eyes, taking in the feeling of Alex’s warm body and the sound of her heart beat. “I don’t have healing powers, and I’m sure you want to get back the function in your hand as soon as possible.”

Alex snorted, then wrapped both arms around Kara’s body, holding her close.

“Who are you, my girlfriend? Are you so excited to see my hand working in action?” She joked, kissing the top of Kara’s head and drawing circles on Kara’s shoulder blade with her left hand. Then, as though her mind had wandered off, Alex looked over to the closet, where they’d temporarily stashed the super suit, just in case Selina came home earlier than expected. “I can’t believe I’m cuddling Supergirl, and I can’t believe I didn’t see this coming. I’m like a magnet.”

“My disguise is masterful,” Kara sassed, nosing the underside of Alex’s chin. “And what do you mean you’re a magnet? For what? Super powered people?”

A big laugh bubbled from Alex’s chest, making Kara’s head move up and down, bringing on a big grin. Nothing was better than the sound of Alex’s laughter.

“Okay, sure, your disguise is  _ great _ , Ms. I’m Totally Human,” Alex said, chest shaking with residual chuckles. “We seriously need to work on your subterfuge skills, because I had you pegged for a possible alien from our first date, when you spoke about this planet that’s definitely your home, definitely not that other planet you keep drawing.”

Her hand moved to Kara’s hair.

Kara didn’t even try to argue; Alex was more than right. She was simply dreadful at keeping her alienness a secret, especially when she spoke to people for long periods of time. The Supergirl persona was thankfully far removed from Kara Kent, so people never associated the two, but the whole not being from Earth thing? Yeah, that didn’t always work out so well.

“Then I guess I should count myself lucky that Detective Alex Danvers is a dirty alien lover,” Kara snarked, leaning up on her arms and looking down at her girlfriend, who had suffered at the hands of metahumans and aliens, and who still held so much compassion for them. It would have been easy for Alex to dismiss anyone who wasn’t like her, the way so many other people chose to do every day, but she hadn’t. She’d remained a good person, and Kara loved her for it.

“So dirty,” Alex said smoothly, wiggling her eyebrows and lifting herself up onto her elbows to pull Kara into a long and passionate kiss. The bandage scratched along Kara’s cheek as Alex brought up her hand, but neither one of them cared, too caught up in the feeling of their lips sliding against one another.

-

Monday morning found Alex strolling into the precinct in good spirits. She’d aced her physical on Friday, her left arm back up to shooting standards, and the swelling in her right knuckles had gone down significantly. There was still a band-aid on the back of it, but the scratch had been properly cleaned and dressed, and it didn’t give her any trouble when she drew her weapon; she’d checked everything this morning under Selina’s watchful and critical eye.

Considering all of these factors, Alex was pretty damn sure there would be a letter waiting on her desk, telling her she was fit for duty once more, especially since her sessions with Fred, their in-house psychologist, had gone very well, too. Fred was a cool dude, and he’d unofficially let her know that he’d be signing off on any papers reinstating her as fit for duty.

Alex was more than ready for it.

“Hey, guys,” Alex said as she joined Hank and Vasquez at her desk. Immediately, she started rifling through her mail, furrowing her brows when she didn’t find what she was looking for. “Do you know if the mail’s been handed out yet?” There was always the possibility that something had gone wrong on that front, right?

Frowning, Hank turned his swivel chair towards her.

“Yes, it got here shortly after I did,” he said, scanning the pile of letters on Alex’s desk. “Why? Is something missing?” He moved his chair closer while Vasquez sipped on their coffee, expression tight with worry.

“I was supposed to get the confirmation that I’m fit for duty today,” she said, flopping onto her chair. “And I didn’t get it. That makes no sense. I passed the physical with flying colors. My unnecessary cartilage and blood vessels and stuff have all grown back.” Shrugging off her leather jacket, she flexed her left bicep. The pain was almost completely gone now. “And Dr. Delancey said he’d give his OK.”

Sighing, Vasquez set down their coffee cup and placed a hand on Alex’s shoulder.

“You know what that means, Danvers,” they said, expression grave.

“No,” she replied, shaking her head.

Vasquez nodded.

“Talk to Christian Lord and get ready for fifty shades of bullshit.” They squeezed her shoulder, and Alex slumped in defeat.

It was true, if there was some sort of hiccup with her file, Lord would know about it, or at least have access to her file to check out what the problem was. She didn’t exactly want to seek him out, but she also didn’t want to spend another godforsaken day in this bullpen, playing  _ Pokémon Go _ and refreshing the pokéstop at their station every five minutes.

“Damn it,” she mumbled, getting to her feet, “I am  _ not _ Anastasia Steele in this scenario.”

“The fact that you even know who that is disturbs me, Danvers,” Vasquez said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and escorting her to Lord’s dark hallway. The hellmouth would have been less daunting. “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you read a lot of critical literature.”

Clapping Alex on the chest, they moved back over to Hank, who was giving Alex a strong and supportive nod. With a feeling of foreboding brewing in her chest, Alex nodded back, before walking over to Lord’s evil lair.

Yesterday, Alex hadn’t thought to ask Kara how much Hank knew about Supergirl, and if he was aware of who Kara really was, so Alex wasn’t going to be bringing it up. At least not yet. If it came out that Hank had known all along, she’d be ripping him a new one for having a laugh behind her back.

As always, Lord’s office door was closed, and she had to knock multiple times to get an answer. This whole waiting game he liked to play was annoying, and she had a feeling he’d had a camera installed outside his office so he could pick and choose who he’d leave to rot.

Fucker.

When she was finally invited in, his smarmy grin spanned his entire face, and she immediately knew something was up. He was on the phone, and as she sat down on one of the chairs in front of his desk, he said goodbye to his  _ dear _ friend, Gordon Godfrey, certified hero hater number one.

Alex hated them both.

Apparently, Lord hated her right back, since he told her the reason for her continued entrapment to desk duty was a negative assessment from Fred, which made absolutely zero sense. She just about managed to keep her anger in check as Lord’s words held a gloating undertone, like he was enjoying this turn of events immensely. Maybe it felt all too much like sweet victory to him, but Alex wouldn’t be messed with.

After excusing herself, the first place she visited was the kitchen in her bullpen, where she loaded up on a cup of coffee, silently fuming as she added milk and sugar to it. Storming into Fred’s office wouldn’t be a smart idea, especially not while she was so enraged by Lord’s smug words and the way he’d smirked at her.

One day, she was going to punch that bastard in his stupid, ugly face.

She was so angry, she couldn’t even talk to Hank and Vasquez, who were staring at her shaking form and giving her worried looks. When she shook her head, they backed off, talking quietly amongst themselves. Her friends couldn’t help her now; she would have to do this by herself.

Finishing the coffee and putting the cup into the dishwasher, Alex stalked out of the bullpen and into another corridor, this one leading to Dr. Delancey’s office, as well as the elevator to the morgue. At least if her head exploded from the rage, they wouldn’t have to carry her body very far.

As she shook out her shoulders and breathed in deeply, she knocked three times on the white door in front of her, which read  _ Frederick Delancey, Ph.D _ .

She was invited in immediately, and her steps reverberated loudly as she walked inside, shoulders stiff and broad with her annoyance. She couldn’t go back to sitting in her office all day. She needed to  _ work _ . The fact that she was being denied her life’s passion was excruciating, and if there was something she could do about it, she was going to take that chance.

Fred looked up from his desk, his smile faltering when he saw her.

Something was up.

“What the fuck, Fred?” She asked, wincing a little when she closed his door. This wasn’t how she’d planned on starting the conversation.

To her great regret, the man startled and dropped his pen, looking guilty as hell as he avoided eye contact. He was a small black man with a bit of pudge around the waist. His dark hair was cropped short and he was wearing a blue suit with a conservative tie.

“I’m sorry?” He asked, picking up his pen and continuing to write. “Are we scheduled for another session?” His voice was deep and rumbly and he flinched comically when Alex slammed her palms down on his desk, hard enough to catch his attention but not hard enough to make his many family pictures fall over.

“Cut the crap, Fred,” she said, staring him down intently. “Why didn't you sign off on me going back to active duty? You know that shooting wasn't even a blip on my radar, so what gives? I had to go into Lord’s office to ask him about it. That wasn't pleasant.”

They’d both made their dislike for their current leadership clear during her sessions with him, and she didn't know why the mention of Lord suddenly made him stiffen and reach for his non-existent glasses. He’d recently started wearing contacts.

Maybe Lord had put pressure on Fred to keep her shackled to the bullpen?

“I’m sorry, detective, but you assaulted someone,” he said, trying and failing to sound professional. They’d switched over to using first names during her very first session, when it had become clear that she was fine after the shooting, safe for her arm. The other mandatory sessions, they’d mostly chatted.

Her mind blanked completely at his sentence.

“What? Who did I assault?” She asked, honestly unable to recall anything like that taking place.

He reddened.

“Yesterday afternoon, you attacked Lawrence Dunwall,” he said, starting to shuffle some papers on his desk, trying to look busy. “He’s thinking about pressing charges, and many feel that you used excessive force.” Sweat was gathering at his temples, as she kept staring at him. “In fact, some feel that, maybe, the precinct should cut its losses altogether—“

Clenching the muscles in her jaw, Alex gave the man a fierce glare.

“I stopped that guy from shooting Supergirl,” she said, voice deadly silent. “He would have gunned her down like an  _ animal _ because she’s from a different planet.”

Looking highly uncomfortable, Fred’s face flushed with even more blood.

“Look, ah, detective, it’s not up to me,” he mumbled, placing his hands in front of him on the desk and gnarling his fingers together in an almost pleading gesture. “It’s just that  _ some people _ don’t think you’re emotionally ready to return to active duty.” He stalled, eyes shifting away from her. “Because of the, uh, excessive police violence.”

Gritting her teeth, she finally slumped into one of the two chairs in front of Fred’s desk, crossing her arms over her chest. So Fred  _ wasn’t _ behind the idea to block her. She should’ve known he’d never do her like that, not after they’d formed such a friendly relationship.

And if it hadn’t been him, she had a feeling she knew exactly who these  _ people _ were that he kept mentioning, which meant Lord probably didn’t have anything to do with it after all.

Bringing her eyes back to Fred, who seemed about as unhappy as Alex, she lifted her left pointer finger to her mouth to signal him to be quiet before pulling out the small bug detector Batman had sent to her. It was a black plastic box with a screen, shaped like her friend’s signature bat logo. She’d been carrying it with her at all times ever since he’d sent it to her. Just in case.

Fred furrowed his brows as he watched her walk around the room, checking for any detections. When she got to his desk, the screen flashed and she followed the signal to the back of one of his picture frames. The bug was almost too small to notice.

Grabbing one of his pieces of paper and a pen, she started writing.

_ They’re listening _ .

“I guess then there’s nothing I can do,” she said out loud, getting back to her chair and sitting down, writing furiously as Fred paled.

_ Who told you to keep me from working? _

She held up the piece of paper for him to read as she continued talking. She’d expected Lord to be behind the blocking scheme, but even though it undoubtedly made him happy, she couldn't believe he’d used such coercive tactics on Fred. If he had and it was somehow discovered, he’d run the risk of losing his job.

No, this seemed bigger than even Lord’s petty hatred for her.

“What do you suggest I do now? Do you think anger management classes would get  _ those people _ off my back?” Whoever had orchestrated this little spiel, they must have frightened Fred enough to change his assessment overnight. Maybe Lawrence Dunwall hadn’t gone rogue at all? Or maybe the people she was dealing with were much bigger opportunists than she’d realized. Someone on top must have been graced with at least a few functioning brain cells.

Fred stared at her for a second, before he started writing, too.

_ They came to my home and threatened my kids. They had guns, I didn’t know what to do _ .

“Yes, yes, I think anger management could be a step in the right direction, detective,” he stuttered, now pretty much sweating bullets. The blood in Alex’s veins boiled as she thought about the three little kids in Fred’s picture frames. He’d adopted the siblings after a particularly grueling case the precinct had worked a few years ago, and the thought of someone threatening them made Alex see more than a little red.

Whenever Fred spoke of his three sons, his voice and face shone with love and pride, and Alex would do whatever she could to ensure they wouldn’t be harmed.

This entire situation also gave her reason to pause. Seeing as she’d found a bug _inside_ _of the precinct_ , in a more than private room, Desaad, his cronies, and his bosses definitely had to have contacts inside the police department. Maybe, with everything going on, she should start looking a little closer to home. And she didn’t need to hear the guy’s name to know he was behind it somehow.

_ It’s alright, it’s not your fault, I’ll find them, and then I will end them _ .

She underlined the word  _ end _ three times.

“Thank you for being honest with me, Dr. Delancey, I’ll stay behind my desk and work on my issues,” she said, nodding at Fred’s distressed if grateful smile. She communicated to him that she wanted a description of the men who had threatened him, then she got up from her chair.

“Of course, detective, I hope you’ll be able to rejoin the force in full swing soon,” he said, holding out his hand and squeezing her own with both of his, gratitude and regret shining in his eyes. He hated the situation as much as she did, although currently there was much more at stake for him.

Alex would make sure nothing would happen to those kids.

-

When she walked back out into the bullpen, there was mayhem. Beat cops and detectives alike running around, yelling things to one another, Hank and Vasquez nowhere to be seen.

When Senior Criminalist Susie Chang hurried by her, Alex stopped her to ask what had happened.

“The brute from yesterday, the one you pummeled into the ground, he hung himself,” she said, before waving Alex along and towards the elevator, which would take them to the holding cells. Alex couldn't believe what she’d just been told.

“How? With what?” She asked, wondering if the officers in holding had been dumb enough not to take his belt or something else he could have used for a noose. “Why would he hang himself, if he’s looking to press charges against me?” But maybe that had been a lie made up by Desaad and his people to get Alex even more worried.

Susie shook her head, shuffling onto the elevator next to Alex, the whole thing full of people.

And while they were on the topic of how this could have happened, where was the person who was responsible for keeping watch over the prisoners? Hadn't they been paying attention? Was that cop one of Desaad’s people?

“It’s awful, even if he was a terrible person,” Susie mumbled to Alex, who nodded her assent. “I wanted to see that bastard rot in jail.”

“Me, too,” Alex said, frowning deeply.

She had a feeling no matter what had happened, Lord would somehow find a way to blame her for it. He’d been surprisingly cordial about the whole thing before, but now that the guy was dead, the fanatics would cry out in anger, claiming police brutality and sympathy for alien invaders were at fault. One radical might be off the streets, but the news would only spawn more.

Alex wasn't looking forward to that one bit.

-

Smiling at one of their regular customers, Kara waved as the small Indian woman made her way outside, giving Kara a grin and a thumbs up. Kara knew Melissa was off to a job interview, an anxiety bomb Kara felt intimately familiar with. The first time she’d asked for a job in Smallville, when she’d been seventeen, her heart had nearly jumped out of her chest.

And back then, she’d only asked the current owner of the  _ Talon _ , their local coffee shop, if she could wait tables a few times a week.

Next to her, Lucy sniggered.

“You need to stop making friends with the customers, or we’re going to have people moving in soon,” she said, replacing their almost empty sandwich platter with a new one Winn had just brought outside. “And at least five of those people are going to propose to you when that happens, and then there’ll be mayhem.”

Rolling her eyes, Kara skillfully kicked Lucy behind the counter, when a few new customers spilled into the shop, obviously a group of colleagues out for their lunch break. As it happened, Kara would be off soon, too. She’d clock out as soon as she spotted Alex, who was running late for their lunch date for some reason.

Kara hadn’t dared check her phone, since Ms. Grant was making her random check-ups again and she didn’t want to get busted and chewed out. She wouldn’t be fired, but she didn’t like it when Cat was disappointed or angry. Her boss valued hard work, and Kara respected that.

So even if Alex had sent her a message about why she was late, Kara wasn’t able to get her hands on it.

“Where’s your hubby?” Lucy asked, slicing and wrapping one of their more elaborate club sandwiches for an older Asian man with a pleasantly garish pink and purple button-up shirt. “Shouldn’t she be here by now?” She actually seemed worried, and the thought warmed Kara’s heart, despite the ridiculous new nickname.

“I’m sure she’s just being held up at work,” she said, “as opposed to being held up at gunpoint.” She laughed awkwardly, trying to shake the nervous feeling bubbling up in her stomach. Alex had promised that she wouldn’t get herself into unnecessarily dangerous situations, but she’d mentioned that she was supposed to get back into active duty today, and Kara had been worried for her safety all morning.

Alex had made herself a very public target with what she’d done the previous day.

Video material of her punching that guy who’d tried to kill Kara had unsurprisingly gone viral, and while some decried her actions, many more were impressed and grateful. After all, the people who hated Kara and others like her were very vocal and growing steadily, but they were still the minority. This, and some other things, gave weight to the theory that Lord had simply bought his way into office.

Her thoughts veering off, she startled a little when Lucy nudged her elbow.

“Dumbass incoming,” she said, nodding towards the windows, behind which Alex was walking, hands shoved into the pockets of her leather jacket, looking tired and worn out, like she’d aged a hundred years since Kara had last seen her the night before. “Guess I should start firing up the hot chocolate.”

Waving over Hayashi, who had been waiting for their shift switch, Kara met Alex at the door, slipping her arm around her waist and guiding her over to an empty table in the back, away from any of the other customers.

“Hey, is everything okay?” She asked, noticing the stiff posture and tightly coiled shoulders. “Did something happen at work? Are you hurt?” A quick x-ray revealed no broken bones, fractures or other deep injuries, thankfully. Though that meant Alex’s obvious pain was of a mental nature, which wasn’t any better.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Alex said, letting herself be pushed onto the bench, Kara sliding in beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Really? Because you don't look fine,” Kara soothed, kissing Alex’s temple and rubbing her shoulders before helping Alex take off her leather jacket. “Did someone get hurt on the job?” Maybe something bad had happened Alex’s first day back out there? Maybe someone had died…

Running her left hand through her hair, Alex placed her right one on the table and clenched it into a fist.

“The guy who tried to shoot you hung himself this morning,” Alex said, scowling deeply and clenching her jaw. “I’ve been in an interrogation room all day, because they found a suicide note and some other shit in his apartment.” She was pressing the words out through her teeth, her bruised knuckles whitening on the table while Kara watched.

Kara wanted to ask what the suicide note had to do with Alex being in an interrogation room, but she didn't want to do it here, not with the potential of someone else listening in on their conversation. Not when there could be enemies lurking behind every corner.

“Come on”, she said, taking Alex by the arm and pulling her into a standing position, making sure Ms. Grant was nowhere to be seen as she led Alex through the door to the back. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lucy signaling Kelly, but Kara didn't pause to see what her friend was up to. “Let’s go into the back and you can tell me exactly what happened.”

It was a testament to how exhausted Alex was that she didn’t protest as Kara gently manhandled her through the kitchen and into the changing room, where she deposited Alex on one of the benches. Too wired to stay still, Kara started walking back and forth in front of the bench, stiffening when the door opened and Lucy walked in with a tray of food and beverages.

When Lucy had closed the door, Kara turned back towards Alex.

“Why were you stuck in an interrogation room all day? They don’t think you had anything to do with some xenophobe hanging himself in his cell, do they?” She asked, snatching up one of the sandwiches from Lucy’s tray and biting into it.

Placing her elbows on her knees, Alex rubbed her hands over her face and sighed, shoulders hunched ever so slightly. The sight made Kara feel a little helpless. She’d hardly ever seen her strong detective look so defeated and resigned to her fate.

“Apparently, the guy hung himself,  _ or was hung _ , while the security cameras were malfunctioning,” Alex said, words lacking of any sort of emotions. “Which is bullshit, because our security cameras are state of the art. They don’t just stop working, which means someone tampered with them, only no one knows who did it.”

Sitting down next to Alex, Kara shot Lucy a worried look.

“And they think you messed with the cameras?” Kara asked, looking at Alex with an incredulous expression. Anyone who knew Alex even fleetingly could tell she wasn’t a murderer. “Why would you do that? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“When they searched his home,” Alex continued, picking up one of the cups of hot chocolate from the tray Lucy had set on the bench next to her, “they found pictures. A shrine, really, about me and about Supergirl. They say he’s been stalking the two of us, because he hated super powered people and cops like me, because we lower ourselves to your level.”

The cup trembled in her hands.

“Is that what his suicide note said?” Kara asked, hand sliding to Alex’s left thigh and squeezing, hoping to give her girlfriend at least a modicum of comfort. “And do they honestly think you killed him because of that? That  _ also _ makes no sense.”

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, sipping her hot chocolate. “Thing is, that’s not even the part that makes the  _ least _ sense, because that guy stalking the two of us would be believable at least on some level, but his suicide note said he wanted to end his life through death by cop, and that he wanted  _ me _ to shoot him.” She shook her head and put down the cup, looking from Lucy to Kara. “He couldn’t possibly have known I’d be there, so that entire thing means it’s a fake suicide note.”

She stood from the bench and started pacing, too, mimicking Kara’s earlier path.

“Fact is, me going to that fire and punching him in the face was a total coincidence. If I hadn’t turned on the radio, if you and I hadn’t been fighting, Kara, I wouldn’t have been there, but the colleagues that are working the case don’t seem to think it’s fake, which means they’re probably in on it,” she said, jaw clenched almost to the breaking point.

Hearing about corrupt cops made Kara wonder if Hank would consider using his powers to figure out who was doing this. If there really were police officials involved, they would have a solid lead.

If only using his powers didn’t draw in White Martians, making him very reluctant to read even one person’s mind. The sniper in Griffin Park had been an absolute one-time thing.

“And they were interrogating you about your involvement with him? What, do they think you knew him?” Kara asked, relieved when Lucy sat down next to her and took her hand, looking just as angry as Alex. They had their differences, but Kara knew deep down that Lucy actually liked Alex very much and didn’t want her to suffer. Not too much.

“They also asked me about you, and whether or not I’m working with you. Supergirl, obviously,” Alex said, looking like she wanted to punch a hole in the wall. “I told them it was a total coincidence that I was there to save you, but I don’t think they believed me.” Once again, she ran her hands through her hair.

“You’ve got to give it to the bad guys,” Lucy chimed in, before biting into her own sandwich, “they’re resourceful. They turned a shit situation into one that benefits them.” Getting up from the bench, she guided Alex back onto the bench and pressed a big club sandwich into Alex’s hands. “Are they going to do anything to you?”

“I can already taste the suspension,” Alex said, staring down at the sandwich with a hateful gaze. “If they plant evidence, they might even try to make me go to jail. If these things keep piling up, and if one of those assholes decides to leak anything to the press, that’s only going to work as propaganda for Lord’s hero menace proposal.”

She lowered the sandwich.

“He’s going to claim that I’ve been corrupted by alien influences,” Alex said, putting down the sandwich. “I’m not hungry.”

“Danvers, you need to eat something,” Lucy said, while Kara wrapped both arms around Alex and pulled her close, kissing her head. She couldn’t believe she’d caused her girlfriend so much unnecessary pain. If she’d just stayed away from Alex, nothing like this would have happened.

She felt nearly paralyzed with guilt, even though on some level she knew she couldn’t have kept Alex from this, even if they’d never met. Alex was too good of a person and too passionate in her defense of super powered people that she likely would have ended up in the exact same place.

“The thing that really pisses me off is that I can’t do anything about it. I’m not working the case, because I’m at the center of it, and if the guys in charge really do work for Desaad and really have manufactured all of this evidence, then I’m fighting a losing battle,” Alex mumbled into Kara’s neck, sounding defeated again.

Kara would simply  _ have _ to convince Hank to use his powers. Even if it meant finding and fighting a hundred angry White Martians, Kara would do it so that Alex wouldn’t have to suffer and they could finally get to the bottom of this. As it was, they were all in danger

“How close would you say is Catwoman to finding out who Desaad is?” Kara asked, pressing her forehead against Alex’s hair. At least now that the whole secret identity thing was over, they could both work the case together, without having to awkwardly maneuver around one another without realizing they were doing it. “Do you think she’s going to find him soon, because otherwise I, uh, know someone who can read minds.”

At that, Alex pulled away from Kara’s embrace to stare at her.

“Seriously? And why haven’t we asked them to help us yet?” She asked, staring at Kara and shaking her head.

“Well, because when they use their powers, it draws in evil creatures that want to destroy and devour the Earth,” Kara said bluntly, wanting to talk to Hank first before revealing anything about his true nature. That would have to be his decision, even though she was pretty sure she knew what his answer would be if she asked. He might want to reveal his true self to Alex in person, though, since he and Alex had grown so very close over the last few months.

“Oh, yeah, that’s a good reason, I guess,” Alex said, picking up the club sandwich again and taking a bite. “At least the evil creatures probably don't discriminate, though, right?”

A small smile flit over Kara’s face.

“If they throw you in jail, I’ll bust you out,” she promised, kissing Alex’s temple while she ate, pleasantly surprised when Lucy didn't make a comment about how gross the two of them were together. Maybe she knew how much Alex and Kara both needed this.

Snorting, Alex swallowed and gave Kara a disbelieving look.

“No, you won't,” Alex said firmly, leaning in and brushing a crumb-laden kiss on Kara’s lips. “We can't tarnish your reputation. If I get thrown in a cell, the Sirens will break me out, trust me. Whether I want them to or not.” With a grin, she leaned to the side to wink at Lucy. “If you ask them nicely, I’m sure they’ll let you tag along, Lane.”

Lucy smirked.

“Don't you start sweet talking me with your girlfriend right next to you, Danvers,” she countered, sipping from her own hot chocolate, this one without cinnamon.

To be honest, the thought of Alex actually being sent to jail on fake evidence was much less funny than their current conversation would have implied, but Kara smiled anyway. If they couldn't laugh about the hard things occasionally, then what was the point? Of going on, of trying to live their lives, even with something dire and potentially deadly hanging above their heads?

Kara wouldn't give up hope, and by the looks of it, neither would Alex.

-

Alex hadn't thought it possible, but being around Kara and Lucy had actually made her feel better about the Lawrence Dunwall problem.

The thought of her colleagues being xenophobic enough to want to murder other people made her furious, and she wanted nothing more than to slap some sense into each and every one of the whiny bastards.

Privileged pricks.

Alex, Kara, and Lucy finished their lunch in the changing room, talking about the sales boom at  _ The Silver Banshee _ , and about the adorable pictures of Trish on Alex’s phone. Anything to get their minds off of the fact that yet more terrible things were waiting in their future.

“I think it’s time to go back to work now,” Alex said, getting up from the bench and stretching out her back. “If they want to fuck with me, they’ll have to do it to my face.”

She wasn't looking forward to leaving this small haven behind, but she couldn't stay away forever, that would play right into their schemes.

“Do you want me to swing by later?” Kara asked, getting to her feet and curling her fingers around Alex’s cheeks. “Now that you know everything, I don't have to pretend that I’ll be walking.” With a smile, she pressed a small kiss against Alex’s lips. The soothing gesture was more than welcome.

“I’d love that,” Alex replied, leaning her forehead against Kara’s. “We can have dinner and watch Netflix with Selina. She called dibs on the remote tonight.”

Snorting softly, Kara pulled Alex into a deeper kiss, wrapping both arms around her neck, making Alex feel more than a little weak in the knees. She could barely express how glad she was that the whole Supergirl reveal hadn’t thrown too big of a wrench into their relationship again. She wouldn’t have been able to stand another few weeks with little to no contact.

Just as Alex wanted to slip her tongue into the mix, Lucy cleared her throat.

“I’m still here, you know,” she said, tapping Alex’s shoulder until she pulled away from Kara’s lips. “And I need to do something, so.” She gently pushed Kara until she unhanded Alex, Kara’s brows furrowing in confusion.

More than a little apprehensive, Alex prepared herself to fight off  _ whatever _ Lucy had in store for her.

“I’m not kissing you,” Alex protested, relieved when Lucy rolled her eyes.

“Don’t be gross,” she replied, staring at Alex for a second before sighing and pulling her into a tight hug. Her arms wrapped around Alex’s neck and drew her close, bringing their bodies together, Alex feeling slightly awkward as she looked at Kara with a confused expression, before slowly returning the hug.

“Um…” Alex said, patting Lucy’s back, “are you okay?”

“I just wanted to thank you,” Lucy said, squeezing Alex tightly, “for stopping that guy before he could hurt Kara.” A moment later, she pulled away, placing her hands on Alex’s shoulders. “And for being a good girlfriend.”

Looking between Alex and Kara, Lucy gave them both a small smile.

“I know things are shit right now, but I just wanted to let you both know that you have my blessing,” she continued, letting go of Alex and turning to hug Kara instead, who hugged her back much more fiercely than Alex had. “I’m proud of you, kiddo, you definitely made the right choice.”

Lucy’s words were barely audible to Alex, but they made her feel about ten feet taller, especially when Kara looked over to her with a smile that told Alex everything she needed to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blessss Lucy
> 
> fuck lawrence
> 
> see you tomorrow for ch19!
> 
> as always, beta-d by the beautiful Coara
> 
> find me on tumblr @goshdarnitjay


	19. A Thoroughbred Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Kara have even more talks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go again! Two days in a row! Lucky you hahaha and lucky ME because your comments and kudos make me so happy ♥
> 
>  **Note** : Graphic depictions of violence, blood, torture and trauma. Mentions of self-harm.

“I’ve been thinking,” Alex said, looking over to Kara, who was busy working on a new painting, smudges of red and blue dusted along her cheek and hands as she painted a vast ocean, where a couple of futuristic looking planes without wings zapped along. Kara hadn’t quite gotten to those yet, but she’d sketched them out carefully with a lead pencil.

“That sounds dangerous,” Kara mumbled, moving her hand up to run it through her hair, remembering at the last second that her hands were covered in paint and dropping it back down again.

Lowering her paintbrush, she made eye contact with Alex and smiled gently, making Alex’s heart go into overdrive.

“Yeah, it’s nothing bad though, I promise,” Alex said, laying her arms on the back of the couch, perfectly aware of how fond she looked and sounded. Kara brought it out in her.

“Shoot,” Kara said, placing her paintbrush into the water by her feet and leaning back a little on her chair, moving up her right foot and sticking it under her thigh. She was wearing the Gotham City PD t-shirt she’d taken from Alex’s home on Sunday, along with a pair of blue shorts, which showed off her legs beautifully, and had the added benefit of being extremely comfortable.

On Sunday, they’d both agreed that having Supergirl fly out of Alex’s living room window would be too dangerous and draw too much attention, so Kara had left in the t-shirt and sweatpants Alex had lent to her. She’d looked supremely adorable, especially when she put on a pair of old glasses Alex had unearthed in her closet, which used to belong to Alex’s father. They looked much cuter on Kara’s face. And thankfully, the strength didn’t bother her Kryptonian eyes.

Now it was Wednesday night, and Alex was more than a little happy that Kara had decided to don the t-shirt. Despite the paint on her cheeks and hands, not a single drop had landed on the dark blue fabric.

“Right, so, your cousin Clark is Superman, and his girlfriend is the famous reporter and champion of super powered people Lois Lane,” Alex started, taking in Kara’s face, still getting used to the fact that Kara never bothered with wearing her glasses anymore, whenever they weren’t in public.

“Yep,” Kara said, furrowing her brows a little.

“I was just wondering, you know, what are the odds that you and Lucy would end up working at the same coffee shop?” Alex pondered, scratching at her cheek and coming away with a smudge of dried paint. Kara must have left it behind the last time they’d kissed and she’d stroked Alex’s cheek. “What a coincidence, right? Two Lanes and two Kents.”

They were hanging out at Kara’s apartment, though Alex had surprised Kara by bringing Trish along in her little kitty box. Currently, her cat was dozing on top of Kara’s coffee table, conked out and snoring softly, but she’d been mighty disgruntled at Alex for forcing her into the plastic cage. Kara had spent the first thirty minutes excitedly sketching Trish, who had been all too interested in the sturdy paper of the sketchbook, gnawing on some of the pages, ignoring Alex’s reprimands completely.

“Oh, that wasn’t a coincidence,” Kara said, picking up one of the finer paintbrushes and starting in on some of the details, “Lois knew I’d be applying for a job at CatCo National City after my two years at CatCo Metropolis, and she thought I’d be a good influence on Lucy.” Narrowing her eyes, her hand flew over the canvas at lightning speed for a second to apply a particularly small amount of golden paint. “That’s why she suggested the job to Lucy.”

Humming, Alex set aside her laptop and watched Kara work for a few minutes, taking in the serene moment for all it was worth. Before they’d sat down to each do their own thing, Kara had put on an audiobook, and even though Alex had been too distracted to really listen and take it in, the softly spoken words gave for a nice and soothing background noise.

“I didn’t actually know Lucy beforehand,” Kara added, slowing down her hand and going back to the languid strokes. She’d told Alex that she liked to be slow when she painted. Slow and steady. “I knew that Lois had a sister, but she’d never been to any family outings with Lois, which makes sense, once you know their history.” She shrugged, grimacing. “I force her to come to Christmas and stuff nowadays.”

Alex frowned.

“I didn’t know it was that bad,” she said, shaking her head. “What about James? I thought he and Clark are pretty tight?” Her hands were itching to reach out to Kara, and she had to force herself to stay still. She felt a little bad for bringing up this topic, when it was so obviously difficult for Kara to talk about.

“He either stayed with her, or he came alone,” Kara said, putting down her paintbrush again, before gathering them all up into her hands to wash. “I’ve been trying to get them to talk it all out for years, but it’s tough. I don’t want to overstep any boundaries.”

Walking over to her kitchen sink, Kara started washing out the paint, before cleaning her own hands. Finally giving in to her impulses, Alex got up from the couch and walked over to her girlfriend, hugging her from behind and holding her tightly as Kara scrubbed.

“That sucks,” Alex mumbled, unsure of what to say, equally as unwilling to make Kara angry with her words. And frankly, Alex had plenty of time to experience all sorts of awkward family dinners and parties with Kara. “Sorry I brought it up, I didn’t mean to stir up any bad memories.”

Wiping her hands on a paper towel, Kara turned her head and kissed Alex’s cheek.

“It’s okay, my family’s just as weird as everybody else’s,” she said, throwing the used paper towel into the trash before turning around in Alex’s arms and curling her arms around her neck. “There was actually something I wanted to ask you, if that’s okay?”

-

“Yeah, of course, I’m like a mostly open book,” Alex replied, grinning and leaning up to peck Kara on the mouth, arms tightening around Kara’s waist. “What do you want to know?”

While the conversation about Lucy and Lois had made Kara upset, it was mostly for Lucy’s sake. The thought of her best friend spending so much time without her family made Kara want to punch something. She just wished they’d met earlier in life, so they could have been there for each other sooner.

Her thoughts didn’t stay on this old sorrow for long, though, not with Alex right in front of her, looking adorable and sexy in dark grey sweatpants and her Harley Quinn t-shirt.

“It’s actually something I’ve been thinking about for a while,” Kara said, playing with the soft hair at the nape of Alex’s neck, leaning her back against the counter, enjoying the sensation of Alex stepping closer to mold their bodies together, driving out the very last of Kara’s worries.

“Now  _ that _ sounds ominous,” Alex joked, looking like the poster child of relaxation, for all intents and purposes.

“Yeah… I was thinking that, since you know Dr. Zhou and Indigo and you used to hold your own with Batman and the Sirens, that, maybe…” Lifting her eyes, Kara took in Alex’s features, the strong slope of her nose and the gorgeous hazel of her eyes. “Maybe you had some super powers of your own, or I thought maybe you’re from another planet yourself, and you just didn’t want to steal my spotlight or something.”

Alex’s eyes turned soft and understanding.

“Sorry to disappoint, but as far as I know, I’m a thoroughbred human,” Alex said gently, lifting one hand, stroking Kara’s cheek. “But I get why you might have gotten that idea.” For a second, her brow furrowed. “I don't understand what Dr. Zhou has to do with anything, though. Hank recommended her to me.”

Kara didn't want to admit it to herself, but she  _ was _ disappointed. Just a tad. If Alex had also been an alien refugee, that would have just been one more thing they had in common, one more thing Alex could share with her. She knew it was a horrible thought, and she didn’t want Alex to have the same awful experience as her, but she let the feeling wash over her, just for a moment, to acknowledge it was there, before pushing it aside.

“Dr. Zhou specializes in people with superpowers,” Kara said, letting go of her disappointment and moving forward into adoration instead. Alex was just as powerful as a human as she might have been as any other species. “Hank and I both work with her, because our experiences are a little different from other people’s.” She’d asked Hank through Chloe about whether or not to let Alex in on the fact that he was different. As suspected, he’d wanted to tell Alex himself, and Kara respected his choice.

Humming in understanding, Alex stroked her thumbs along Kara’s waist.

“I suppose we all need a special shrink,” Alex agreed, goosebumps rippling along her skin as Kara started massaging her neck. “With all the things we do and see every day, I’m glad Hank decided to refer me.”

Then, as though she hadn't realized it before, she looked up at Kara, eyes a little sheepish.

“Guess I don't have to tell you anymore that I’m going to therapy,” she said, lifting her right hand and scratching at the back of her head. “It’s for  _ the incident _ , you know, with my dad…” Her eyes flit to the ground and Kara’s heart ached for her brave girlfriend, who worked so hard to ensure the safety of others, and who suffered the consequences of such a precarious position.

Lifting her right hand, Kara smoothed her fingers over Alex’s forehead, before cupping her cheek.

“I think you're amazing,” Kara whispered, her left palm gliding under the back of Alex’s t-shirt. “And I’m so glad you had the courage to reach out for help.” Kara remembered the many months and years she’d spent in Dr. Zhou’s office, talking about Krypton. How Dr. Zhou had helped her cope and had given her the idea to paint as a way to release her grief and anger.

Alex’s eyes shifted away, obviously embarrassed by Kara’s praise.

“I wanted to tell you sooner, but I didn't really know how,” Alex mumbled, shuffling her feet a little. “ _ Hey, I’m going to therapy for my panic attacks and PTSD _ isn't exactly a conversation starter.” Her hands were tense on Kara’s waist, and the muscles in her thighs were hard as rock from the stress.

Curling both arms more tightly around Alex, Kara pulled her as close as humanly possible, having to curb her Kryptonian super strength, so she wouldn’t squeeze Alex too hard in her attempt to comfort her.

“I’m not mad,” Kara whispered, kissing the side of Alex's head a few times in a row. “It’s a personal thing.” So personal she hadn't ever told Clark about her own therapy. She knew he wouldn’t think less of her, but some part of her didn't want to seem any weaker in front of him, even though she knew the fact that she’d taken the step to cope with her trauma was a sign of strength, not weakness.

Family relations complicated everything sometimes.

“If it makes you feel any better, I was in therapy with Dr. Zhou for a couple of years,” Kara said, glad to feel Alex’s heart rate slowly return to normal and her muscles relaxing in Kara’s hold. “I didn’t always cope so well with the loss of my people.”

Snuggling further into Kara’s neck, Alex breathed out slowly.

“I don’t want to equate the loss of my father with the loss of your entire planet,” she whispered, nails digging into the back of Kara’s t-shirt. “I can’t even imagine what that must have been like. What I went through seems so…  _ small  _ in comparison. I think  _ you’re  _ amazing.”

With Alex curled in her arms, Kara smiled a little.

“We can play the  _ Whose Trauma was Worse  _ game all day, but in the end, it’s all pain,” Kara said, taking in her girlfriend’s reassuring warmth and the softness of her hair. “And I know how corny that sounds, okay, I know, but that doesn’t make it any less true.”

“Okay,” Alex relented, staying in Kara’s embrace for a few more minutes, before pulling away slightly and leaning up to press a few desperate kisses against Kara’s mouth. “I’m really glad you’re my girlfriend.”

Pushing Alex back a little, Kara gave her a shy smile.

“You’ll be even more glad once I show you what I got for you,” Kara said, disentangling her hands from around Alex and moving in the direction of her bedroom before her detective could start to protest about the presents and not having anything to give in return. On Krypton, it had been customary to present gifts to the person of your desire, and even though she didn’t plan on telling Alex this, she liked the idea of continuing the tradition.

And besides, Kara loved seeing that happy, excited smile on Alex’s face.

-

“Kara, I’m serious, you don’t have to keep giving me stuff,” Alex called out to a retreating Kara, trying not to sound ungrateful as she sat on the couch and picked up Trish, who mewled weakly while she was being deposited on Alex’s lap. A second later, when she realized Alex didn’t want to put her back into the kitty box, Trish started purring at the little pats and scratches to her ears and shoulders.

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to!” Kara called back, voice a little muffled amongst some rustling, before she emerged from her bedroom, brandishing two small packages, wrapped in blue and grey wrapping paper.

When she reached the couch, Alex realized that what she had assumed to be grey dots were actually small handguns and knives.

Shaking her head, she accepted the first package.

The theme of the wrapping paper and the societal implications of the blue and the weaponry reminded Alex of the joke Selina had made a little over a week ago, when she’d talked about Kara being pregnant. She half expected a small  _ It’s a boy!  _ sign to pop out at her, as she started carefully unfurling the edges of the paper.

Kara blushed slightly with happiness as she watched Alex unwrap the first present, Kara’s hand moving instinctively to Trish’s back to give her some gentle pats while Alex was too busy. Few things gave Alex as much pleasure as the fact that Kara and Trish seemed to have taken to one another like fish to water.

She snorted when she pulled out the shiny new pair of boxers.

Kara grinned.

“Not that Wonder Woman isn’t great and super nice, but I think you’d look better in red and blue,” she murmured, leaning forward and giving Alex a small kiss on the cheek. She looked highly pleased with herself, and it had Alex grinning uncontrollably.

The boxers were a deep, glossy blue, with an assortment of small Supergirl crests littered all over it. They were very reminiscent of Alex’s red Wonder Woman boxers, and she had a feeling Kara might have inadvertently bought these at the same store.

“I’m almost scared to find out what’s in the other present,” Alex said, putting the boxers over Trish’s body and watching as she sniffed it suspiciously before trying to throw it off, which made both Alex and Kara smile.

The second gift held another pair of boxers, this one with a Supergirl crest over the crotch area, and Alex looked at Kara with a raised eyebrow, before deciding she wouldn't ask. If Kara wanted her logo to be on Alex’s crotch, who was Alex to refuse?

“These are fantastic, Kara, thank you,” Alex said, placing the boxers next to her on the couch and smiling at her girlfriend, wondering what she had done to deserve someone so wonderful. “I promise, if given the choice, I’ll wear these instead of the ones with Wonder Woman.”

Then, a thought came to her, and she scrunched up her face.

“Guess the fact that I’m dating you means I’m the number one superfangirl now, huh?” She mused, grinning when Kara started blushing. “Damn, now I have to drag myself... I should take up my mantel and troll the Internet to find the best fanfiction and fanart about you.” Mock-gasping, Alex grabbed Kara’s hand. “Do you think there’s fanfiction about  _ us _ ?”

When Kara started to splutter, Alex laughed loudly.

“Dashing police detective saves Supergirl from furious foe: Deserves reward,” Alex said, moving her hands as though she were imagining a huge banner hanging in front of her. “We can call it  _ A Service of Gratitude _ .” Her eyes flit to Kara. “Get it? Cause in the scenario of that smut fic, you’ll be servicing me.”

Affectionately running her hands through Alex’s hair, Kara rolled her eyes.

“You're such a dork,” she said, trying and failing to hide her smile. “And you're laughing now, but I bet you there is at least one person who has written a fanfic about us already. Even if it’s just an angsty drabble.”

When Kara’s right hand moved to Alex’s stomach, Trish sat up, stretched out her back and looked from one of them to the other, before jumping back onto the coffee table and curling herself up on some of Kara’s magazines. Alex didn't get offended; she and Kara were probably just being too active for Trish’s liking.

“I used to hate the fact that people here plaster our family crest on every little scrap of merchandise,” Kara said slowly, reaching for one of the boxers next to Alex and smoothing her fingers over it. “Especially during my first few months of staying with the Kents.”

As she laid her head on Alex’s shoulder, they both watched Trish lick her right front paw, small tongue running up and down.

“I’d been in stasis for over 20 years and my parents were dead and then I came here… and our crest just reminded me of what I’d lost; I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much hope this gives people,” Kara continued, face momentarily forming into a mask of pain, as she no doubt remembered those first few months on Earth. Alex would never be able to understand what that was like for Kara.

To be almost completely alone with the knowledge of your people’s demise.

“How do you feel about it now?” Alex asked, although she had a feeling she already knew. She somehow doubted that Kara would have given her those boxers if she hated the misuse of her family crest.  _ The noble and strong House of El _ , as Kara had called it.

She squashed down the thought of someday belonging to that noble house.

“I’m glad it gives people strength,” Kara said, smiling as she brought her hand back to Alex’s stomach and started stroking it softly. “That’s what it was always meant to be. A symbol of hope and unity.” Snuggling further into Alex’s neck, Kara sighed contently when Alex intertwined their fingers. “Our family motto is  _ stronger together _ .”

“That’s beautiful,” Alex said, pressing a kiss to the top of Kara’s head. Feeling heat crawling up the back of her throat, she plowed on with her next sentence. “Not as beautiful as you, though.”

Giggling, Kara pulled away from Alex and pressed their lips together.

“Such a dork,” she repeated, cheeks red with her pleased blush. Alex wished their honeymoon phase would never end. Being with Kara like this, so far away from all the pain and murder plots, nothing could possibly have been any better.

When they heard a small mewling sound from the table in front of them, Alex figured Trish had had enough of being ignored, even though she’d just left them to find refuge on Kara’s magazines. They’d definitely have to lock out both of Alex’s pets the first time they tried anything sexual, especially since Kara hadn’t even met Herbert yet and she didn’t want to freak her out with sentient plant life.

Considering who Kara was, however, Alex figured she could stop assuming Kara would think any part of her life was strange. After all, Kara had spent twenty years in suspended animation, and nothing that Alex could do would ever top that experience.

“Aw, nothing could ever be more beautiful than you,” Kara trilled, as she turned around to look at Trish, who stopped her grooming to look at Kara. “Oh my God.” Kara’s voice was full of wonder, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as she saw Trish’s tiny, pink tongue poking out of her mouth. “How are you the cutest little cat I’ve ever seen?”

Stifling her snigger, Alex watched with a raised eyebrow as Kara reached out to touch the tip of her pointer finger to Trish’s tongue. Alex had never seen Trish look so betrayed and offended, as she pulled her tongue back into her mouth and stared at Kara accusingly, mewling in disgust.

“I’m sorry, you’re just so adorable,” Kara gushed, letting the small kitten sniff at her fingers, before smoothing them over her head, Trish rolling her ears into the caress, closing her eyes in bliss.

Alex gasped.

“I raised you, you little traitor,” she said, shaking her head. “If I’d done that, she would have tried to slice me to ribbons. I can’t believe this.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she pouted when Trish made eye contact with her, as though she knew exactly what Alex was complaining about. “I guess you like your new adoptive mom a lot better than me, don’t you?”

Purring loudly, Trish pushed herself to her feet and traipsed onto the couch, curling up in between them as Alex scoffed, before running her fingers over her cat’s exposed belly.

When she looked up, Kara was eyeing her with a strangely tender expression.

“I…” Kara said, trailing off a little, seemingly struggling with putting her feelings into words. Her cheeks were flushed, her mouth opening and closing for a few seconds. “I care about you… really… beyond measure…”

Alex wondered if the words she really wanted to say were  _ I love you _ .

They were the words Alex wanted to say.

Instead, she smiled.

“Beyond measure, huh?” She teased gently, reaching over Trish and curling her fingers over Kara’s left forearm. The skin was warm and familiar on her palm. “I care about you, too.” She leaned in for a kiss on Kara’s heated cheek. “ _ Beyond measure _ .”

Kara’s smile looked brighter than the sun.

-

On Thursday morning, mere hours after Kara and Alex had spent their evening together, Alex’s phone rang on the nightstand on her side of the bed. When she groaned and looked up, she saw that Kara’s head and left arm were hanging half off the bed, her hair a tangled mess. The bed was unbearably hot, and as the phone continued to blare insistently, Alex pushed off their blanket.

Kara was like a damn furnace.

Checking the time on Kara’s electric green alarm clock, she groaned again.

Four in the fucking morning.

“Ugh, fuck,” she grumbled, unplugging her phone from the cord of her charger and pressing the accept call button for the unknown number flashing on her screen. Her eyes closed as she held the phone to her ear. “Alex Danvers.”

“It’s Lois,” the voice on the other end of the line said, much too loud and assertive for the time, “Lois Lane.”

“Lois?” Alex repeated, turning onto her back and looking over at Kara again, who was still dead to the world, bundled up in the blanket. Neither heat nor cold bothered her, and Alex envied her for that a little bit. “What’s wrong? Do you know what time it is? How did you get my number?”

“I asked Chloe to look it up for me,” Lois replied, sounding like she had absolutely zero time to listen to Alex’s complaints. “Kara told me that you're part of the club now. Welcome to the team.”

“Um, thanks,” Alex mumbled, hand feeling for Trish, who was sleeping next to her head, “but couldn't those congrats have waited until at least six am?”

“I’m calling you to warn you,” Lois said without much fanfare. “One of my contacts called me. Looks like someone has a grudge against you, and they just went public.”

At those words, Alex’s eyes snapped open.

“What do you mean?” She asked, sitting up and reaching over to shake Kara awake. “Does this have anything to do with Lawrence Dunwall?” When she realized Lois might not know what had happened, Alex clarified. Just in case. “He’s the guy who tried to shoot Kara with kryptonite.”

Lois sounded much more pissed the next time she spoke.

“I know, Kara told me what happened,” she said, obviously just as angry as Alex about the whole situation. “Under any other circumstances, I would thank you for punching his ungrateful little ass, but you have far bigger problems right now.”

“What’s going on?” Alex asked, just as Kara lifted her head, mumbling some incoherent words and running a hand through her disheveled hair. The fact that Alex couldn’t appreciate the sight of her sexy, adorable girlfriend because of something terrible going on annoyed her more than the thought of being woken up at four am for it.

“His death was leaked to the tabloids, and your name is being featured heavily,” Lois ground out, the sound of typing reaching Alex’s ears. Was Lois at the  _ office _ ? “Apparently, someone else leaked something about how the guy has been stalking you, and they’re spinning it, so it looks like you were at that fire because you knew he’d be there.”

“But I didn’t,” Alex clarified unhelpfully. It wasn’t Lois’s fault that the hero menace movement wanted to see her brought to her knees with false allegations so they could exploit her fall to their gain. The media circus would be a complete disaster.

“Yes, I know that, and my contact at the  _ Inquisitor _ gave me the material that was sent to those money-grabbing lowlife reporters and bloggers running the story. But at this point, we can’t do much aside from some damage control.” The typing noise intensified, and Alex imagined Lois sitting in front of her computer at the  _ Planet _ , phone clutched between ear and shoulder as she typed up a furious rebuttal for their website.

“Thanks, Lois, is there anything else I need to know about?” Alex asked, just as Kara grabbed her free hand and looked at her intently, eyes clearly full of worry, even in the darkness. It was obvious she was trying not to infringe on Alex’s privacy by not listening in on their conversation, and Alex appreciated the effort.

“Actually,” Lois said, the typing slowing down again, her voice tinged with sadness, “yes. Whoever is doing this to you dug up some of your old skeletons from Gotham.” For a second, she hesitated, making Alex feel more anxious than she would have if Lois had just plowed on.

“What,” Alex questioned, clearing her throat straight after, “what did they find?”

“They’re using your connection to the Bat Family and the Gotham City Sirens,” Lois started, trailing off a little. “They have some statements from anonymous sources, former colleagues of yours from the GCPD. People who think you gave preferential treatment to criminals, because they were your friends.”

The color drained from Alex’s face.

“Alright, that was to be expected,” she said, tightly gripping Kara’s fingers, aware that they would never break, no matter how deep Alex’s grief ran. “Anything else I need to be prepared for?” The fact that whoever had planned this had reached out to her old precinct to get good dirt on her… No wonder it had taken a little while for the smear campaign to hit. These last few days had been nothing but the calm before the storm.

Again, Lois hesitated briefly.

“Just tell me,” Alex said, pulling her hand free from Kara and running it through her hair.

“They’re saying you prioritized the safety of aliens and metahumans over the safety of your father,” Lois said, disgust and anger coloring her words at the thought of someone using such a cheap trick to drive sales, misusing the death of Alex’s father in such a way. “Someone leaked the police report of what happened.”

The phone almost slipped out of Alex’s lax grip.

Everyone would know.

Everyone would  _ know _ .

“Thanks for calling,” Alex said mechanically, swinging her legs off the bed and ignoring Kara’s questioning gaze. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind when I leave for work.”

She needed… she needed something.

_ Booze _ .

“I’m sorry, Alex, I’m trying to run some sort of damage control, but it’s out there now, and the internet is all over it already,” Lois said, while Kara got out of bed and followed Alex into the open kitchen area, where Alex had pulled open the fridge, before starting to look through the cupboards. “I’m writing a glowing defense of what happened for the  _ Planet _ website and today’s evening edition right now.”

“Thanks,” Alex repeated, feeling empty and full at the same time.

She needed a drink.

How much of what had truly happened had made it into the report? Alex hadn’t been the one to write it, since she’d ended up being one of the victims. Stef had most likely been the one to end up with that glory.

“I’m going to call Kara next. She’s been implicated a whole lot, too, and people are speculating if the two of you came up with this guy’s death together, because  _ that _ makes sense,” Lois ranted, just as Alex discovered a bottle of half-empty vodka in Kara’s cupboard. Probably Lucy’s. “They’re saying the two of you have a sexual relationship. Some of them are claiming you had one with Batman, too.”

The thought of anyone putting her together with Batman didn’t even phase Alex, as she pulled out the bottle, Kara’s eyes widening in horror as she flicked on the lights.

“Kara’s right here, I’ll give her the phone.” Before either Kara or Lois could say another word, Alex thrust the phone into Kara’s hand and pulled open another cupboard to grab a glass. With her back to her girlfriend, Alex poured the alcohol quickly, hearing Kara’s hurried voice, before Lois’s tinny reply came through the receiver, unintelligible to Alex’s ears.

Clenching her jaw, Alex tipped back the glass, emptying the contents into her throat and swallowing it down. The alcohol burned along her throat, softer than her cheap scotch. Obviously, Lucy wasn’t stingy with the price of her booze.

When she made to grab the bottle again, she realized it wasn’t there anymore.

“The CliffsNotes version, Lo, please,” Kara said, staring at Alex with the bottle of vodka in her hand. She looked angry, confused, and hurt, but Alex didn’t think the feelings were directed at her.

Fingers trembling, Alex made a desperate grab for the bottle, but Kara pulled it further out of her reach, shaking her head. She was right.  _ God _ , she was right, but all Alex wanted to do was to numb herself. She’d reconciled herself with the knowledge that her colleges at the precinct would know about what she’d done, but the rest of the United States? The rest of the world, even?

Carefully, she set down the glass and walked over to the couch, sitting down and burying her face in her hands. She’d wanted to hurl that glass against the wall. Wanted to break something. Herself.

“Thanks for the heads up.” She heard Kara say, her voice sounding very far away as Alex’s anxiety choked her.  _ Stay here, Alex, stay here _ , she thought to herself, opening her eyes and taking in Kara’s apartment to remind herself that she wasn't in that warehouse with her father’s dead body anymore. “I’ll call you later.”

Frantically trying to slow down her rapidly beating heart, Alex pressed the fingers of her right hand into her tattoo, digging her nails into the scar. She existed here and now. The smell of blood and metallic sawdust was a trick of her brain. Kara’s apartment smelled like paint and something flowery. If Alex could just focus on the scent…

“Alex?” Kara asked tentatively, standing next to the couch with Alex’s phone clutched in her hands, looking like a vision of light and mist with her long, blonde hair and bare legs. She’d set down the vodka somewhere so Alex couldn't see it anymore, and looked plenty scared for a big, terrifying alien.

“Sorry,” Alex said slowly, having to force out the words, “minor anxiety attack thing or whatever.”

Being flippant was tough, especially when Kara sat down next to her and carefully touched her arm after setting down the phone on the coffee table.

Kara’s touch was like a soothing balm on her anxiety, and she let out a deep breath to dispel some of the lingering stress gripping her heart. She was unimaginably grateful that Lois had called her ahead of time. If she was honest with herself, she had no idea how she would have reacted if she’d been slapped in the face with a cheap newspaper, or a blog article, or a Tumblr post about it with various think-pieces attached to it.

“I’m sorry,” Alex said, rubbing her face again and looking over at her empty glass in the kitchen. “Alcohol is my coping mechanism of choice. Or it used to be, anyway.” She looked away, unwilling to see the disappointment or disgust in Kara’s face that was sure to appear, now that Alex had admitted to this weakness.

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling too small and too big for her own body all at once.

“I used to hurt myself with kryptonite,” Kara whispered, voice so quiet it was like she hadn’t ever admitted it to anyone but her therapist. At her words, Alex looked up, chest squeezing with pain and empathy for Kara’s situation. Their eyes met and held contact, until it was Kara’s turn to look away. “I found a box made of lead in Clark’s old bedroom when I moved in. I was dusting his shelves…”

Alex swallowed, hands trembling as she watched Kara’s eyes go vacant.

“I didn’t know what was inside, so I opened it and I saw this green meteor rock and it hurt me, it hurt so much,” Kara said, fingers curling instinctively around Alex’s hands as Alex reached out to her. “I couldn’t move, and I fell to the floor... and as I stared at that little green rock, I knew it had to have come from Krypton. A piece of home.”

Slowly, she turned her eyes back to Alex.

“Aunt Martha found me shivering on the floor a few hours later, and she told me what it was.” Kara shook her head, clutching Alex’s hands too tightly. “I started hurting myself after that, just opening the box once a week at first, then a little bit more. And more.” Visibly clenching her jaw, Kara released the grip of her hands. “Survivor’s guilt is a terrible thing.”

Lifting her fingers, Kara cupped Alex’s cheek.

“I’m sorry they’re using you to get to me. I hate that they’re doing this to you, and I hate that they’re exploiting your pain, but I understand. You don’t have to hide yourself from me,” Kara said with conviction, leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together. “If you need anything, if you want me to call Dr. Zhou and make an appointment for you, I’m here. We can both call in sick, if you need a mental health day. I  _ understand _ .”

Alex didn’t like to cry, especially not in tough situations. It was different when she was watching a movie or a TV show, or reading a particularly harrowing fanfiction. But in situations of actual pain? No, Alex didn’t like to cry. She wanted to project an aura of strength to the people around her, to let them know that they could lean on her, and that she was sturdy and strong in a stressful situation.

But my god, was Kara’s speech making it difficult for her.

She was pretty sure her nose was red as she hugged Kara tightly and buried her face in her shoulder, gripping the back of Kara’s t-shirt. Alex wished Kara had been spared the pain of losing her people and her planet, but at the same time it was a relief that Kara knew what she was going through. Superman had given plenty of interviews throughout his time on Earth, before and after Kara had come into his life. The tragedy of her existence was out there for the entire world to see and consume.

No matter what happened, Alex wouldn’t let her down by giving up now.

“I want to tell you what happened with my dad,” Alex whispered, hugging Kara even closer. “I don’t want you to read about it in the newspaper. Can I come by after work?” The thought of talking about it all made Alex’s heart start beating frantically again. “I want you to know why I left, and why I moved here, when my whole life was in Gotham.”

“Of course,” Kara said, nodding slightly. “Just come by CatCo’s and we can drive to my place together.” Her fingers sifted through Alex’s hair at the base of her skull, pressing against the tense muscles and making Alex calm down a little. “Why don’t we go back to bed and cuddle for a while before we have to get up for work?”

Humming her assent, Alex pulled away and smiled faintly, before getting to her feet and reaching out to clasp Kara’s hand with her own.

Together, they slid back under the covers, Alex’s head pillowed on Kara’s chest, listening to her steady heartbeat. With Kara’s strong arms wrapped around her, Alex could feel safe for at least a little time longer. No one could hurt her here in this apartment, not with Kara by her side, standing guard.

-

When Alex slumped into CatCo Coffee at five pm, she looked like hell, and she also wasn't alone. Her shoulders were hunched, and her blue button-up was pulled out of her slacks. The person by her side was an out of uniform Officer Vasquez, who looked quite dashing in their black, form-fitting sweater and tight, dark jeans. They had their arm wrapped around Alex’s shoulders.

Kara had been leaning next to the counter, already out of her own work clothes and back in one of her sundresses. She’d clocked out a little earlier, vowing to herself that she’d simply work overtime tomorrow. Since Ms. Grant had caught her slipping out early and hadn’t said anything to her about it, Kara figured her less than stellar behavior was excused.

Rushing forward, Kara reached her detective in three long strides, lifting both hands to cup Alex’s cheeks, completely ignoring Officer Vasquez in favor of checking if Alex was hurt in any way. The officer didn’t seem to mind, just stepping back and stuffing their hands into their pockets, giving Alex a worried look.

“Are you okay? What happened?” Kara asked Alex, quickly x-raying her to check for any broken bones. She wasn’t used to having a significant other that she had to worry about constantly, and it was causing her stomach to tie itself into knots. Having Alex mixed up in all of this was both a blessing and a curse.

“Lord suspended me,” Alex said, looking forlorn, and like she had no idea where she should go next. “The bastard actually suspended me.”

A fissure of ice spread along Kara’s heart.

“He can’t do that, you didn’t do anything wrong,” she said, acutely aware that they were drawing in too much unwanted attention from their patrons with the way they were acting. She couldn’t believe she had to have a talk at CatCo’s  _ again _ , but here she was. “Come on. You can tell me everything in the back.”

She wanted to pull Alex along by the hand, but her girlfriend stayed where she was.

“I just want to go to your apartment,” she said, sounding tired, “please?”

Her last word came out quiet and defeated, filling Kara’s chest with rage. How dare this man suspend Alex for something she had absolutely no control over? How did he live with himself, knowing he was discriminating not only against his own employees, but against a whole raft of diverse and wonderful extraterrestrial people? Maybe Kara should pay him a little visit, and maybe she should get in contact with Catwoman and ask her to come along. Then Kara would ask Selina and the three of them could give Lord a piece of their minds. And their fists.

“Yeah, sure, let me just say goodbye to Lucy. Did you bring your bike?” Rubbing Alex’s arms, Kara looked over to Vasquez, who was trying to be inconspicuous as they stared at Lucy, a faint blush coloring their cheeks. Taking in the scene, Kara filed this piece of information away for later, and gently pushed Alex back into Vasquez’s side.

“It’s back at the precinct. After Lord told me to get lost this morning, Vasquez took the rest of the day off to distract me from this clusterfuck and we took their car,” Alex said, a little of her old fire returning to her words.

“Danvers owes me a new controller,” Vasquez said, smiling sadly and slapping Alex on the shoulder. “But we totally massacred tons of nineteen-year old dudes on  _ Call of Duty _ .” They carefully shook Alex a little, obviously trying to lighten up her mood, and Kara felt a well of affection for them. “I’m tempted to write a mod where the enemy teams all have Lord’s dumb face. I bet that’d be fun.”

Alex’s small snort of amusement made Kara want to reach out and pull her into a hug. Her girlfriend had gone through so much these last couple of days, and now she’d been suspended on top of everything else. It really wasn’t fair, and Kara had no idea how to fix it all.

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” Kara said, leaning forward and kissing Alex’s cheek, lingering for a few seconds longer than she normally would have, especially when Alex leaned into the gesture, her whole body turning towards Kara, seeking strength and reassurance. “We can get your bike tomorrow.” Leaning further in, she whispered directly into Alex’s ear. “I’ll fly you home.” Pulling back, she smiled gently. “I’ll call Selina and ask her if she can pick it up.”

“Thanks,” Alex said, smiling tiredly as Kara walked over to Lucy to say goodbye. If this had been any other day, Kara might have been tempted to tell Lucy that Alex’s friend seemed to be interested, and if maybe Lucy would consider where she and James would go from here, but right now really wasn’t the time, and so she simply hugged Lucy and told her where she was off to and what had happened.

“I want to strangle that asshole,” Lucy growled, grabbing a sandwich and starting to pack it up rapidly while Kara watched, feeling equally as enraged.

“You and me both,” Kara said, startling a little when Lucy thrust the sandwich into her hands.

“Give this to your detective, alright?” Lucy said, eyeing Alex with a mixture of sadness and anger. “She deserves better than this crap. Might as well give her something else to chew on for a while, you know?” She shook her head, before reaching out and pulling Kara into a quick hug. “Take care of each other.”

“We will,” Kara said, pulling back and giving Lucy a grateful smile.

Then, she and Alex were off.

-

Flying with Kara was out of this world.

Soaring through the air with nothing beneath her was exhilarating, and she’d never felt as free or as safe. Up here, nothing and no one could hurt her, not when there was Kara, with her arms wrapped tightly around her. One was curled around Alex’s back, the other under her knees, Kara’s cape fluttering behind them, shimmering in the late afternoon sun.

When she’d still been in Gotham, Alex had found refuge in the height of the tallest building, the Wayne Enterprise Housing Complex. The company had built affordable housing for the less well off in the city, and had included a number of helpful little additions, like a bakery at the very bottom and an office where people could go if they wanted help to get over their drug or alcohol addiction.

Alex had spent a lot of time on that roof, staring down at the city below, knowing that she was high above them all. And short of someone flying up and surprising her that way, Alex would be able to see anything and anyone that would be coming towards her.

Sometimes Selina had joined her, sometimes she hadn’t.

Now, higher up than she’d ever been, she didn’t want to go back down again, back down to her problems and her trauma and the sadness. The hate, the worry, the fear of Kara’s death. Up here, it was safe. Up here, there was nothing but Kara, the sun, and the clouds.

“We’re almost there,” Kara spoke directly into Alex’s ear, shifting Alex a little closer.

Emotions choked Alex’s throat.

“Wait,” she said, gripping the front of Kara’s suit, prompting her to stop in mid-air, straightening out her back and hovering in place, looking worried. “Wait… I just want to stay here for a bit. Please, if that’s okay?” She just needed a moment where she didn’t have to worry. About being bugged, about being watched, or stalked, or attacked. A moment of  _ peace _ .

Before she told Kara about the most horrific aspect of her life.

“Are you okay?” Kara asked, blonde hair flowing along her face, animated by the wind. With the sun behind her, she looked like a deity. The sun goddess herself.

“I’m good,” Alex said, contemplating if she should tell Kara the reason why she wanted to stay up here in the sky. Unbidden, Kara’s words came back to her, filling her mind.  _ You don’t have to hide yourself from me _ . The grip on Kara’s suit loosened. “It’s just, when I’m looking down at the city from the highest vantage point, I don’t have to be scared.”

The look in Kara’s eyes was pure understanding.

“But,” Alex continued, heart pounding a mile a minute at her own confession, “I’m glad you’re up here with me.” Opening up to people didn’t come easy to Alex, but the sight of Kara’s beautiful smile made it all worth it. The suspension, the bullet wound, the new scars.

None of it mattered.

And besides, she’d be back on top eventually. They would solve this murder mystery, and then she would be reinstated, and Kara would be safe. Hank wouldn't have to worry about either of them anymore, and Selina could rest easy, knowing the hardest part was over.

And until then, Alex would stay right here.

In Kara’s arms.

-

Alex had always been unimaginably happy in Gotham City.

She’d been born and raised in the same house, and her parents had loved her very much. There had been plenty of friends, before and after her time at the academy. Going to work every day had been a joy, and she hadn’t minded the fact that she didn’t have time for a girlfriend. She’d been married to her job, challenging her father and their colleagues about their views and attitudes towards people with abilities.

The loss of her father and how it had come about had changed all of that.

As soon as Kara had set down in the alley next to her house, Alex’s heart had started beating uncontrollably. Now that they were in the apartment and sitting on the couch, she didn’t feel much better about the situation. She had no idea how she was going to survive this conversation, or how she would look Kara in the eye after she knew how foolish Alex had been.

“Do you want any water?” Kara asked, smoothing her fingers through Alex’s hair while Alex stared at her hands. She’d shucked off her blazer and leather jacket, letting them both fall to the floor before dropping heavily onto the couch.

“No, I don’t know if I can tell you everything if I wash it all down,” she answered, rolling up her sleeves and unconsciously feeling for the scar. The only physical reminder she had of that awful day. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to stall.”

“Take all the time you need,” Kara said, sliding her hand along Alex’s right forearm and slotting their fingers together, holding on tightly. Despite her anxiety, Alex felt infinitely comforted. “We don’t have to rush anything. And if you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay, too.”

Kara spoke in a voice that reminded Alex all too much of Dr. Zhou, and she felt a small smile take root on her mouth, before it was wiped away again in an instant.

“I want to get this over with,” she said, clenching her jaw, trying to stop her shoulders from shaking. “It’s just the worst day of my life, you know?” She rubbed her slacks with her free hand, staring down at the tattoo again. “It started off really well. I had breakfast with Selina on the couch…”

She trailed off, thinking back to that sunny Saturday morning.

“I loved Gotham.” Her voice had turned bitter, and she tried to dial back the resentment she still felt. “It’s dark and gritty and dangerous… My family’s been there for generations.” Her father had taken her mother’s name to uphold a legacy (and likely because he’d preferred Jeremiah Danvers to Jeremiah Jiminy).

“And then he…” She choked on the words, shaking her head and closing her eyes for just a second. Clearing her throat, she looked back to Kara, who was gazing at her with such profound sadness, Alex was momentarily speechless.

Eyes drifting back to their clasped hands, Alex opened her mouth once more.

Time to tell the whole story.

-

Alex’s Saturday morning started the exact same way as any other Saturday morning. Blinking into the harsh light from the morning sun, she groaned and rolled over, curling her arm around the naked waist lying right next to her. Last night, Alex had needed to relieve some stress, and so she had trolled through Gotham’s gay bars to pick someone up.

Her friends liked to tease her about her approach to dating. Mainly, that she didn’t have one at all. They loved ribbing on Alex about how she was so straight and narrow in almost every other aspect of her life, especially when it came to her work, and how they were waiting for her to just pick someone and finally settle down.

Alex let their comments bounce off her, considering the Sirens weren’t exactly poster children of monogamy themselves, and right now, sleeping with a different woman every few weeks suited Alex just fine. And it wasn’t like she was using or deceiving these women. They knew exactly what they were getting into, and they were after exactly the same thing as Alex: A good time with no strings attached.

Besides, she had way too much going on with her work anyway. She wasn't afraid of commitment, she simply wasn’t looking for it at this time in her life.

Being promoted to detective about a year ago had made Alex even more prone to long hours at the precinct, pouring over files and running down suspects at all hours of the day. Now if only she could get Stef to apply for the detective’s exam…

The naked woman hummed appreciatively as Alex snuggled into her back, taking in the comforting feeling of another’s body close to hers.

“Good morning,” the woman husked. Her name was… Alex wracked her brain. Charlene? Candice? Chyler? She had dark brown skin and a bob of wild, curly hair. She was drop-dead gorgeous and Alex had definitely not been disappointed the previous night.

“Morning,” Alex replied, pressing a series of kisses against her neck before leaving the bed and pulling on a pair of dark blue boxer shorts. She usually kept the Pikachu boxers and other such things for her friends and family. When she’d pulled on a t-shirt, she smiled at her date. “You want some breakfast?”

Looking at Alex’s alarm clock, the woman groaned as she noticed the time.

“Can’t, got to get home and change before work,” she said, rising as well, towering several inches over Alex, who had been all too happy to climb that tree the night before. “Can you toss me my bra? I have no idea how it ended up over there.”

-

Walking the woman to the door, Alex didn’t notice Selina lounging on the couch, especially not when she was pushed against the wall in her hallway. Charlene-Candice-Chyler was kissing her senseless, both hands curled into the front of Alex’s shirt. It was the perfect end to a perfect night.

“Just a thank you,” the woman said, winking and giving Alex a kiss on the cheek. “Maybe I’ll see you around again, prowling the bars.”

“Yeah, that’d be nice,” Alex said, holding the door open and smiling while the woman walked away and towards the elevator, hands in the pockets of her jacket. Alex waved when her date stepped into the elevator, and the woman smiled back brightly, returning the wave just as the doors closed on her.

Walking back into her apartment, Alex didn’t even flinch when she saw Selina eating bagels, two CatCo Coffee Gotham to-go cups on the coffee table. Maybe Alex should get a real cat, so Selina would have someone to hang out with while she loitered around the apartment. She’d probably been here for a while, considering how many crumbs were littered all over the coffee table.

“You could do a lot better, you know,” Selina said, running her hand through her short hair and raising one of her eyebrows. “More power to you and your harem, but I’m just saying.”

Rolling her eyes, Alex sat down in front of Selina’s legs and grabbed one of the bagel halves. As always, it was laden with a thick spread of cream cheese.

“She’s really nice. All the women I sleep with are genuinely nice and funny people,” she said, feeling the need to defend the women she had sex with out of an urge to combat even a hint of shaming, especially when it came from her circle of friends and family. “If I had more free time, I’d want to be friends with all of them. Just last week I got a discount on a really nice pair of jeans because Leslie works at that expensive Lance sisters shop.”

Smirking, Selina winked at her.

“ _ Lance Legacy _ ,” she said, obviously amused at Alex’s inability to retain any form of brand recognition that Selina hadn’t beaten into her. If Alex ever came to another city, she was damn well going to go to CatCo’s if Selina had anything to say about it, and Alex wasn’t about to find out what would happen if she didn’t. “I still think you could do better.”

Her voice had grown deep and sultry, but Alex only shrugged. For some reason, Harley, Pam, and Selina liked to hold her to a somewhat higher standard than themselves. Maybe it was the fact that she was a cop that made annoying her so funny to them. Over the years, she’d grown used to it. She’d never admit it to any of them, but she had actually come to appreciate their teasing.

“You could do  _ me _ ,” Selina said, voice sounding suspiciously serious.

So serious in fact, that Alex nearly choked to death on her bagel, bits of it going directly down her windpipe, bringing on an impressive coughing fit. It seemed like the kind of joke that wasn’t meant to be a joke, if the other person ever showed any kind of interest, and it was this level of sincerity that made Alex feel weird inside.

“Excuse me,” she wheezed through her coughing, while Selina slapped her on the back, hoping to help out.

When her windpipe was clear again, Selina cupped her chin, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Alex was used to being kissed by her friends, so much in fact that it had grown somewhat banal to her. But when Selina leaned in and sensually  _ licked _ the cream cheese from the corner of Alex’s mouth, she did feel just a little bit freaked out.

For a second, the tip of Selina’s tongue lingered, before she pushed herself back and grabbed the newspaper, seemingly cool once again, a triumphant smile on her face, like she’d made herself and her intentions perfectly clear.

Was Selina fucking with her right now? For some reason, Alex didn’t think that she was. In all the years they’d known each other, Selina had never made an honest come-on to her before, not one she’d actually meant. She’d joked a whole lot, but she’d never said anything that had made Alex think she wanted more. Not until now.

Well, if Selina wanted to tease her, then two could play at that game.

Setting down her breakfast and wiping her hands off on her boxers, Alex put on her most sultry smile and turned towards her friend, pushing down the newspaper and leaning over Selina. One hand on the back of the couch, casually flexing her muscles, the other one on the outside of Selina’s knee, fingers strong and decisive.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” She whispered, lowering her face a little and sliding her hand along Selina’s thigh. The surprise was evident on her friend’s face, and it was obvious she hadn’t actually expected Alex to reciprocate with any kind of reaction. Certainly not in this way. It was simultaneously gratifying and strange to see Selina like this.

When Selina closed her eyes and lifted her mouth, obviously expecting a kiss that wouldn’t come, Alex felt her heart start to beat a little faster, a reaction that surprised herself as much as it would have Selina. This was new. She’d never thought of her friend in a romantic way.

For a split second, she wanted to lean in and kiss her properly, slowly, but a moment later common sense kicked in and she shifted her face for a cheek kiss instead. If this thing with Selina was going to go in a new direction, Alex would need time to think about it, and besides, they wanted different things out of life. It would be foolish to kiss her now, only to regret it later. She licked her lips, still hesitating.

Selina was one of the most complex and fascinating women Alex had ever met, and she was gorgeous beyond what should be humanly possible, but Alex wouldn’t risk five years of friendship for an unadvised little romp in the sheets.

Pressing her mouth against Selina’s right cheekbone, Alex released her grip on her thigh and pulled back, a small smile on her lips.

“Maybe next time, huh?” She said, sitting back and picking up her discarded bagel.

“Yeah,” Selina agreed, unaware that the next time they’d see each other, Alex’s father would be dead. Unaware that the next time they kissed, Alex would be drunk and broken, unable to feel anything but pain and anger.

-

Hearing about the life Alex used to live, Kara tried to put her own feelings aside in favor of supporting the woman she loved. After all, now wasn’t the time to second-guess their relationship, not when Alex had knowingly made herself a target by protecting Kara. Not when she’d promised to take a bullet for her, if necessary.

So what if Alex and Selina had been headed in a romantic direction? They obviously weren’t now, and while Kara wasn’t sure how Selina felt about Alex, she didn’t think for a second that she would try to come between them. She’d had ample time to woo Alex, before and after Kara had come into her life, and she hadn’t done anything.

And besides, this was about Alex’s dead father and about the life she’d lost, not about Kara’s petty jealousy.

Alex would never leave her anyway. Kara was about ninety-nine percent sure of that.

“Are you okay to keep going? We can take a break, if you need it,” Kara said, squeezing Alex’s hand and nuzzling her temple with her nose, breathing in her soothing scent, wishing she could take the pain away as easily as she could lift a plane. What good were all of her amazing powers if she couldn’t even help Alex with this?

“No, no, I want to tell you everything,” Alex said, her entire body shaking from the strain of holding herself together. “You deserve to know who you’re dating.”

The words made Kara furrow her brows, wondering what Alex was talking about. Surely, she didn’t think that her father’s death was her own fault? Kara wanted to say something, but she didn’t want to interrupt Alex’s explanations. Besides, Kara wasn’t her therapist. Her job was to be there and to listen, she didn’t need to find ways to fix Alex, no matter how much she wanted to.

“Selina and I hung out for a while, just chatting… and then I got a phone call,” Alex said, heart rate kicking up another notch, an unwelcome development to Kara’s ears. “They didn’t tell me what was wrong over the phone, just told me that I had to come to the precinct, because something had happened. I thought it was something dumb, like my first detective’s anniversary coming up or something.”

At the last few words, she choked up, bringing up her free, left hand and raking it across her eyes, taking a deep breath to dispel the sudden onset of tears. Seeing Alex cry was awful. She was strong and brave and beautiful, and Kara thought her sweet detective should never have a reason to cry.

“When I got there, they told me my dad…” She cleared her throat and straightened out her shoulders. “He’d been abducted. My mom was there, too, at the precinct.” She closed her eyes, and Kara wondered if she was imagining her mother’s distraught face at the news of what had happened to Jeremiah Danvers. “She was crying. I held her.”

Her hands trembled worse than ever, and Kara reached out to grab Alex’s free hand, too, holding them both steady.

All of a sudden, Alex’s face turned dark and angry, a rage more intense than Kara had ever seen on her, bordering on outright hatred.

“The Joker took him,” she spat out, shoulders tense with emotions, sending a shockwave of dread down Kara’s back. She’d never personally dealt with the Joker, but Batman had told her and Clark plenty of stories about him. “He took my dad on his way to the office. My dad liked to ride his bicycle into work, and my mom said he’d wanted to go over some files.”

Suddenly, Kara didn’t want to know the rest of the story.

-

As soon as Alex sat down on one of the chairs in their waiting area, her crying mother in her arms, she knew all of their lives would be irrevocably different. No matter what would happen, her dad would never be the same, not after what that maniac would do to him. She’d dealt with victims of the Joker too many times to count, and while her dad was strong, he most likely wouldn’t return unscathed.

Still, to her mother, Alex whispered reassurances, telling her over and over that it would be fine, that they would get him back, that her friends would help out. They would find him, even if it was the last thing Alex did in her life. Her father deserved better than this.

She wanted to go out there and look for him herself, but she couldn’t leave her mother alone, not like this. Right now, she needed to be strong for both of her parents, so she did the next best thing. She called Harley, Pam, and Selina, and asked them to search in her stead. She also called Batman and Batwoman, but, predictably, they were already out there, searching.

Alex hoped they would find something.

When the hours ticked by with no word, Alex grew antsy and worried, until finally, at six pm, Stef came to fetch Alex.

“Joker’s on the line for you, kid,” she said, voice hard and jaw tight with anger for Alex’s sake. “I’ll stay with your mom while you go and take care of this.”

Nodding, Alex disentangled her arms from around her mother and got to her feet, straightening out her back and shoulders and accepting the hug Stef offered her.

“Be careful,” Stef whispered, squeezing her tightly, before slowly letting her go and cupping her cheek, a pained smile coming over her face. “We’re all here for you.” With another pained smile, she turned towards Alex’s mother and sat down next to her, holding out her hand for Eliza to take, an offer Stef was taken up on immediately.

“I’ll be right back, mom,” Alex said, looking at her and forcing a brave smile onto her face, before stalking out of the waiting area and into the bullpen, hands sweaty from the stress. If he’d harmed even one hair on her dad’s head, she was going to shoot the bastard herself and put an end to his reign of terror. Batman was beholden to his morals. Alex was not.

Not in cases such as this.

“I’m here,” she said, nodding to her colleagues and accepting the slaps on the shoulder, even from the guys she didn’t always get along with. They all stuck together when it was one of their own, and right now, Alex appreciated their silent support more than anything.

With steady fingers, she picked up the phone and brought it to her ear.

“This is Alex Danvers,” she said, noting the small blinking red light that told her the conversation would be recorded and that someone else was listening in. The Joker had probably specified that he would only talk to Alex, but that didn’t mean they weren’t going to take precautions.

The first thing she heard was a delighted laugh.

“Yes, yes, yes, of course! Little Danvers Jr. coming to the rescue, I like it,” he said, his voice just as deranged as she had always imagined it to be. It was amazing how in all her years in Gotham, she’d never come across him, even if he  _ had _ spent the last few years in Arkham Asylum on and off.

“What do you want with the commissioner?” She asked, curling her hand into a fist, trying to keep herself calm and rational. He would try to confuse her and make her angry, and she couldn't let him succeed. “Are you going to ask for a ransom?”

He cackled again.

“So formal, Little Junior, so formal,” he said slowly, obviously enjoying his time in the spotlight. “Batman has taught you well. See, I have heard so many good things about you. Always so well-adjusted, so fair and kind. You're very well-liked. The pinnacle of good justice.”

She clenched her jaw, wondering what the hell his angle was.

“What do you want with the commissioner?” She repeated calmly, consciously unfurling her fist and relaxing her shoulders. She was trained for situations like this, and she was going to act accordingly. It didn't matter what he said. What was important was her father’s safety.

“You know, it’s okay to call him your father,” Joker said, his voice sounding as though he was helpfully letting her in on a secret, “everyone already knows.” There was a moment of silence before he went on. “I’m sure no one is going to begrudge you, if you show a bit of familial concern. There will be no negative review scores.”

Grimacing, she knew she had to give in to his sick little game, or else he might never tell her where he was hiding her father. Maybe it was the idea of power that he had over her actions and feelings right now, or maybe he was getting off on the idea of a daughter wanting back her father, but either way, Alex wouldn't let her personal pride come in the way of what needed to be done.

“Tell me where my father is,” she said, anger building up in her chest like lava, devouring everything else.

“Oh, I thought you’d never ask,” he called out, laughing, obviously satisfied with her compliance. “I know this must be a difficult time for you, so I will tell you.” The atmosphere in the room tensed dramatically as everyone waited for the information so they could mobilize. “I’m sure you remember that quaint little Queen Industries warehouse down by the docks. I would very much like to see you there. And before you come by and bring a bunch of friends, be sure to tell them to wait outside. This is a private party and I’m sure your father is very attached to his hands. We wouldn't want a happy little accident to happen, now would we?”

He severed the connection mid-laugh, and she slammed the receiver down on the phone station, shaking with rage. If that bastard thought she was going to take this threat lying down, he was mistaken.

She was going to take him down and she was going to enjoy it.

-

“I loved my dad very much,” Alex said flatly, mouth twisted into a mixture of a scowl and a grimace. “We didn’t agree on everything, but he always tried to understand my point of view.” Her eyes flit over to her boots, which she’d left next to Kara’s front door upon entering the apartment. Her bottom lip quivered. “He didn’t deserve what happened to him.”

She didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t stop the new flood of tears.

Turning away her face, she tried to hide the evidence of her shame from Kara, who curled herself around her, hands strong and decisive. Face pressed against Kara’s chest, Alex let it all go, hands digging into Kara’s beautiful, yellow sundress, clutching at her back. She couldn’t remember ever crying like this. Not even directly after it had happened. She’d been too shocked, too numb.

And then there had been the alcohol, doing the numbing for her.

“I miss him,” Alex admitted, almost incoherent through her sobs. She didn’t want to go on, didn’t want to tell Kara what had happened, what she had done, but at the same time, she had the strangest feeling that she had to.

Pulling away from Kara, Alex accepted the tissue her girlfriend was holding out to her and wiped her face with it, annoyed when the tears wouldn’t stop coming and the hiccups only got worse. Really, she should have anticipated this.

“Sorry,” she said, sniffling, gesturing vaguely to the wet patch on Kara’s shoulder.

Kara looked as though she had a block of emotion stuck somewhere in her throat that made it difficult to swallow, and Alex knew exactly what that felt like. Listening to someone’s trauma was taxing, especially if you cared about the person as much as Kara did about her. She’d had plenty of experience with listening to Harley talk about the abuse she endured at the hands of the Joker.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kara said, trying on a small smile and rubbing Alex’s right shoulder. “Do you want to take a break? I can make you some food, or get you something from a food vendor far away. There’s this really good food truck in Chicago.”

Talking about that phone call had taken upwards of an hour, but Alex wasn’t hungry. She knew Lucy had given Kara a sandwich for Alex to take home, but the thought of actually eating it was unthinkable, not with the queasy, sick feeling in her stomach.

“Thanks, but I think I just need a second to calm down,” Alex said, hiccupping all throughout from residual, small sobs, and startling terribly when Trish jumped onto her lap. She just about managed not to push her off in her surprise.

“Your mom can’t talk right now,” Kara said, picking Trish up and settling her on the coffee table, where she looked at Alex with concern. “Maybe later, yeah?” Running her fingers over Trish’s head, Kara smoothed her left hand over Alex’s thigh to help her settle down after the impromptu crying fit.

Alex’s breathing gradually started slowing back down to normal, and Trish purred and curled herself into a ball, watching Alex but not making any attempts to climb over to her again. It was probably best they were in Kara’s apartment, or Herb would have called in Pam again.

“Okay, okay, I can do this,” Alex said, grabbing Kara’s hand, drawing strength from the touch.

After all, the worst part of her horrific day was yet to come.

-

Ten police cars and one ambulance parked outside the building, with Batman and Batwoman already waiting for them, standing guard outside of the gigantic, abandoned Queen Industries warehouse. Alex had called them shortly after her talk with Joker, since she wanted them there to give assistance. They both knew more about him than all of the police officers who were currently on the scene combined. Alex included.

She hadn’t called Selina and the others.

She didn’t want Harley to have to see her abuser again, and if she called one of them, she could have simply written a message in their group chat. They were too well connected, and even though she had no doubt they would have wanted to be there, Alex wouldn’t risk Harley being exposed to his influence even one more time.

Queen Industries had once been building luxury liners in Gotham, until the fatal boating accident that killed both founders of the company. For some reason, no other firm had ever seized control of the property, and so the Queen Industries logo hung broken and battered atop the front door.

Getting out of the car, Alex pulled her gun from her shoulder holster and stalked towards Batman.

She’d likely need it soon enough.

“Is Joker in there?” Alex asked, stopping in front of Batman with her gun pointed at the ground, nodding to both of her friends. While Batman returned the greeting without comment, Batwoman reached out to place her hand on Alex’s shoulder.

“We saw him through the windows on the roof,” she said, pulling back her hand and once again mimicking Batman’s serious body language by crossing her arms over her chest. “He waved to us with a really big gun. Couldn’t tell if it’s of the toy variety or not.”

“What about my dad?” Alex asked, noticing how some of the other cops shot Batman and Batwoman suspicious looks. Just this once, she didn’t have the energy to tell them to let it go. They would have to learn to live with the world and its many facets on their own for now.

“He’s tied to a chair on some sort of podium,” Batman said, jaw tight with worry for the commissioner. “No obvious sign of pain or Joker toxin. So for now, I think he’s simply being restrained.”

“The show doesn’t start until I walk in, I guess,” Alex said, determination broadening her back. “I’m going in there.” She held up her wrist watch, before pointing at her ear. “I’m wearing the communication devices you gave me, so you know when to step in.”

Nodding again, Batman placed his hands at his waist.

“We’ll be there,” he said, tapping his own mask where his ear would be. “Waiting just outside the room, alright? I’ve spoken to some of the other officers as well. You won’t be alone in there.”

Forcing a smile for both of her friends, Alex turned back to her colleagues and signaled them that she would be going inside now. They would have had snipers in surrounding buildings, but the Joker had picked a clever spot that made finding a proper place for them difficult.

 

Breathing out slowly, Alex pushed down the handle of the door, jumping when it flew open immediately, prompting her to raise her weapon. The corridor in front of her wasn’t dark, like she had expected. Instead, it was brightly lit and full of colorful balloons and confetti.

“A private party, just for me,” she muttered, starting to walk again when nothing happened, and not even a little bit surprised when the door shut behind her again. She had no doubt that she was being watched through cameras by some of Joker’s temporary henchmen.

No one worked with him for very long and lived to tell the tale.

It was obvious which way Joker wanted her to go, since the corridor ahead of her was dark, dirty, and lifeless, and the one leading off to the right was brightly painted. Pretty in pink, with unicorn balloons scattered along the walls.

There were other entrances into the warehouse, and Alex knew that a SWAT team had positioned itself around the place where Joker was currently hiding out at. Though, of course, they all knew him and his schemes, and they were all aware that if they came too close, Alex’s father likely wouldn’t survive. Even still, the thought of her friends being just a room away was comforting, despite the circumstances.

When she came to the end of the corridor, the double doors swung open to reveal the hangar portion of the warehouse. In here, it was dark, but as soon as she set foot inside it, a spotlight turned on, revealing her father sitting on a bright orange armchair, his hands bound to the armrests. His usual outfit had been replaced with a bright purple suit and his short, dark hair was disheveled.

He was awake, and his eyes snapped to her immediately.

“Dad...” she whispered, starting forward before remembering that the Joker was in here somewhere and had likely set out traps. Stopping in her tracks, she looked around herself, unable to see anything but the podium. “Dad, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, kiddo,” he called back, trying to look like he wasn’t terrified, trying to be strong for Alex, like he always did. “You need to get out of here; it’s not safe.” He didn’t even try to pull at the restraints, and Alex wondered how long he’d tried to weasel his way out of them before he’d given up.

Before Alex could say anything in return, a loud cackle sounded through the warehouse, amplified by speakers. How the hell the Joker had managed to set up all of these electronics without anyone noticing was beyond Alex.

“Ah, ah, ah, Mister Commissioner, sir,” Joker said, slowly walking out from behind a beam behind Alex’s dad, a shiny microphone in his hand, “no telling your dashing rescuer to leave the show when she’s the most important character. The damsel doesn’t get a say.”

He stopped behind the armchair, grinning at Alex.

He was wearing the same purple suit as her dad, his green hair standing up at odd ends, his face covered in white clown’s makeup. He’d created the illusion of an elongated mouth with a glaring shade of red lipstick.

“I’m here, you got what you wanted, now let my father go,” she said, keeping her gun trained on him. She wondered how long he was going to allow her to keep it, but she wasn’t about to put it away, not when it was currently the only thing giving her some sort of security.

“Oh, no,” he said, exaggerating a sad expression, “that is not at all what I want. Don’t get me wrong, Little Junior, just having you here is a blast, I’ve been waiting months and months to make your acquaintance, but what am I going to blackmail you with, if I let your father go?”

He stepped forward and laughed.

“Right now, you’re docile and happy and jolly, because daddy here is safe and secure in my hands. I don’t even want to imagine how sad you’ll be once he’s left us.” The Joker shook his head sadly, sticking out his bottom lip and miming a tear trailing down his cheek.

“I just want you to do two little things before I will let you take your father home. Just two.” He held up his fingers, his skin tone almost as white as the makeup on his face. “This is a bargain, my friend, a bargain! Usually, I make all of my friends do three tasks.”

He curled his hand into a fist and pressed it against his chest.

“But, of course, for a friend of Batman’s…” His grin was shark-like and dangerous. “Anything.”

Swallowing hard, she contemplated her options. This was obviously a trap, and she had a feeling one of the two tasks would involve her death. In a shock of startling clarity, she realized she didn’t care. She would gladly take death if it meant her father would get out of this unscathed.

“Okay, fine, tell me what you want me to do,” she said, putting away her gun and lifting her hands in a soothing gesture. “After all, it’s only two tasks, right? Two tasks are always better than three.” Maybe humoring him would help. She doubted it, but if she was going to die anyway, then trying wouldn’t really cost her anything.

He cackled again, slapping his thighs and throwing his head back.

“Oh yes, yes,” he guffawed, wiping tears from his eyes. “Yes, you understand me perfectly.” He snapped his fingers and another spotlight turned on. Her eyes moved to the left, where a small pedestal had now come into view, holding a small knife. It looked old and dull. “See, I love it when my guests smile like me.” He gestured for her to walk over to the knife.

When she reached the pedestal, she saw the note that lay beside the blade.

_ Pick me up _ .

She did as she was told.

“Your parents raised you well,” Joker said, grabbing her father’s shoulder and shaking him a little. “Such a brave little soldier.” He leaned his arm against the top of the armchair. “Now, if you’d please stab yourself.”

She froze, and her father yelled.

“No, Alex! Don’t!”

Rolling his eyes, Joker made a couple of reproachful noises in the back of his throat, before he pressed a button on his microphone and a gun popped out.

“What did I tell you, Mister Commissioner? The damsel doesn't speak unless spoken to,” he said, cocking the barrel of his gun. “Now, you are going to be quiet while your daughter and I have a fun time together. Nod if you understand.” When Alex’s dad complied, Joker pushed the gun back into his microphone.

Alex's hand was trembling.

“Besides, it’s not like I asked her to stab any vital organs,” he said, waving his hand around. “Your forearm will do, Alex.” He waved his hand more insistently. “Go on, go on. I’m sure we all want to see some blood.”

Grinding her teeth, Alex put down the knife again and shrugged out of her leather jacket, before shoving up her left sleeve and making sure it wouldn’t slide down while she tried to  _ stab _ herself. Of course the Joker had chosen the bluntest piece of metal he could have found. It looked a bit rusty, too.

Not looking at her dad, she placed the knife against her skin and started pushing.

“No, no, no, no!” Joker called out, making her stop before the blade had even pierced the skin. When she saw his fake-displeased face, she gave up any hopes of him changing his mind. “I want to see some passion!”

He laughed loudly when she gritted her teeth and pulled back her right hand, the knife glinting in the spotlight.

She didn’t make a noise as the blade pierced her skin, only let out a choked breath, her blood quickly dripping onto the floor. She heard her father’s gasp and Joker’s insane laughter as she pulled the knife back out.

“Again! I want to see it again!” Joker called, applauding when Alex complied. The pain was sharp, but she tried to distance herself from it as he kept calling out for more over and over again.

When she’d stabbed herself five more times, she dropped the knife back onto the pedestal, blood dripping over the white marble, staining it red. The floor was covered, too, as was her right hand, and she pressed it firmly against her wound as he laughed and clapped her father on the shoulder.

“I am impressed, I have to say,” Joker needled her, looking incredibly entertained, the one emotions he didn’t have to fake. The thought of what he was doing to her, what he had done to  _ Harley _ , was making Alex’s blood boil. She wanted to shoot him. “The second task is easy. Take some of that blood and make yourself  _ happy _ with it.”

He mimed drawing a smile on his cheeks with his finger.

Shaking with anger, she knew immediately what he wanted from her, as she drew her pointer finger through the blood on her arm and pulled it over her cheeks in a grotesque imitation of his lipstick. She sneered at him as she dropped her hand back to the bleeding wound.

“Happy now?” She asked, waiting for another one of his tricks and not daring to move. Any second now, he was going to get that gun from his microphone and he was going to shoot her, just as he’d shot Barbara Gordon to get to the former commissioner. She was ready for it, ready for the pain to be over.

“Very happy,” he said, cackling and taking several steps back from Alex’s father. “Now, Alexandra Danvers, claim your prize. Your damsel awaits your rescue.” Lifting his hand, he bellowed into the microphone. “Come, come, come and get him.”

Letting go of her bleeding arm, she placed her hand on her shoulder holster, slowly walking towards the podium. She was just waiting for him to do something, her eyes moving from Joker to her father, whose face was white as a sheet. She couldn’t even imagine what it must have been like for him to watch his child stab herself.

“It’s okay, dad, I’ll get you out of here,” she said, lifting her left hand in a reassuring gesture, ignoring the pain of her stab wound. As far as wounds went, this wasn’t the worst she’d had, but she also could have done without it. “Don’t worry.”

She was only a few feet away from him now, already on top of the podium. To her surprise, Joker was just standing still, his hands clearly visible, smiling at the two of them like a deranged psychopath. She had a feeling the real show was just about to start, but she couldn’t see anything but smooth white floor in front of her.

“I know, champ, everything’s going to be fi-” He said, his mouth twisting into a small smile as his body strained towards her.

He was mid-sentence when she stepped forward and felt her foot tread onto something soft.

A clicking sound.

His face was there, and then it was gone as the bomb strapped to the back of his head went off, the blast so strong it knocked both Alex and Joker off the podium, showering them in pieces of marble, bone, flesh, and blood. She landed harshly on her back, too in shock to shield her face from any debris as she stared up at the ceiling, Joker’s insane laughter ringing in her ears.

Her face was wet with blood, almost none of it her own.

-

Shoulders shaking uncontrollably, Alex buried her face in her hands and breathed out slowly, trying to keep in her tears while Kara watched her, too stunned to speak or do much of anything. Of all the things she’d expected, this horrific outcome had not been one of them.

Seeing her father die was one thing, but  _ watching his head explode _ was another. The thought made Kara feel sick inside. Sick and angry. No wonder Alex had panic attacks and flashbacks. Imagining her own parents’ deaths had kept Kara up at night plenty of times, but none of her scenarios ever turned quite that dark.

Unsure of how she could comfort Alex, Kara reached out and clutched her tightly to her chest, arms wrapped so firmly around her she was almost afraid to break her, but unable to stop herself. When Alex didn’t protest or try to pull away, Kara held on fast.

How could she possibly let Alex go now, after she’d been torn apart so many times and all Kara wanted to do was hold her together? How was she supposed to let Alex go back out there, now that she knew the depths of horror some of these people were willing to go to? Sure, the Joker was an extreme example, but Kara had seen first-hand what the hero menace movement was willing to do.

There was anger in her, too, anger for what Joker had done to Alex, to her  _ father _ . If she ever met the man, she didn’t know what she’d do. But whatever it was, it wouldn’t end well for him, that much was damn sure. Kara had always had a lot of anger inside of her, and this was only adding fuel to the fire.

From Alex’s description, Kara could tell Joker had made sure Alex would be the one who stepped on the pressure plate to set off the bomb.  _ Is that why Alex blames herself _ , Kara wondered, pressing kisses against Alex’s hair and staring up at the ceiling to keep in her own tears. This wasn’t about her.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she said, aware of how little her words would ultimately mean. She couldn’t turn back time to stop all of this from happening, couldn’t fix what had been lost, couldn’t bring back Alex’s father. She was completely helpless in this moment. All she could do was be there for Alex.

-

The taste of his blood in her mouth was almost overpowering as she pushed herself to her feet, shoving away pieces of rubble as she heard frantic voices somewhere off in the distance. Joker hadn’t stopped laughing, and Alex didn’t look in the direction of where her father had been as she scrambled to her feet, bleeding from the gash in her arm and a small cut at her temple.

Tomorrow, she would be bruised beyond belief, but right now, she had unfinished business.

She was unable to process what had just taken place as she stumbled forward and through the rubble to where the laughter was coming from. Behind her, Alex heard Batwoman’s shout as she grabbed Joker by the lapel of his disgusting suit and pulled her weapon on him, pressing the barrel against the underside of his chin.

His laughter didn’t cease.

“You deserve to die,” Alex frothed, pushing the barrel further in, “you deserve to have your fucking head blown off. My father was a good man!” She whipped him with her gun, once across the face. “Harley deserved better than to be abused by a piece of shit like you!” She whipped him again.

With every one of her words, he laughed louder and louder, blood pouring from his split lip, mixing with her father’s.

The sight sent her into a new spiral of rage.

“No one is going to miss you,” she said, placing the gun in his stupidly grinning mouth and slowly settling her finger on the trigger.

“Alex!” She heard the shout before the batarang shot the gun from her hand, and she screamed in anger as she looked at Batman, who was running towards her, effortlessly scaling the rubble. What was visible of his face was ashen, but she didn’t pay him any more heed as she balled her hand into a fist and started hitting Joker’s face over and over again.

“Alex, stop!” The voice was familiar, but it wasn’t Batman’s, though it were his hands that pulled her away from Joker’s bloody, bruised face. The words had come from Harley, her face marred with pain as she watched Alex struggle against Batman’s tight hold. “He’s not worth it.”

As if to emphasize this point, she kicked Joker in the face to knock him out, the silence deafening without his laughter. Only now did Alex realize her ears were ringing from the blast of the bomb. She didn’t want it to be silent, she suddenly realized.

If it was silent, she would be left with her own thoughts.

And her own thoughts weren’t safe anymore.

-

“Batman sedated me after that, after I tried to go after Joker again,” Alex said, wiping away the last of her tears as Kara rubbed her back and repeatedly kissed her head, fingers curling against Alex’s neck.

All in all, telling the story had taken close to three hours, interspersed with crying fits and the inability to say anything at all. Kara hadn’t left her side even once, though she’d asked a few times if she could get anything for Alex. It was clear she felt just as lost as Alex did when it came to dealing with these memories.

“I woke up in the hospital with my arm in a bandage and with my mom crying by my bedside…” She shook out her shoulders, reaching out and patting Trish’s head to let her know that the worst was over and that she would be fine. Pulling back again, she looked down at her tattoo. “I went looking for him after it was done… Went looking for Joker.”

Furrowing her brows, Kara momentarily ceased her back rub.

“He wasn’t in police custody?” She asked, frowning at the thought, her gorgeous face drawn in quiet anger.

“He escaped. Because he always escapes,” Alex replied, the hand on her thigh balling into a fist. She hated him. Hated him more than she ever would have thought it possible to hate anyone. Knowing he was alive when her father was dead made her want to shoot something. He’d tricked her, and she hadn’t seen it. She’d been too blinded by her own fear and pain. Her own arrogance.

She should’ve  _ seen _ the pressure plate.

“Did you find him?” Kara asked, starting up her back rub again and working the tense muscles in Alex’s shoulders.

“Yeah, I did, or I was about to, anyway,” Alex confirmed, rubbing her tattoo, remembering the pain of the festering wound under the dirty, old bandage. “I searched for him for a little under a week. I didn’t go home and I was drunk the whole time.” She shook her head in disgust. “I was a mess.”

“Your father had just died,” Kara whispered, softly stroking Alex’s cheek. “Of course you were a mess.”

Alex appreciated the words, even though she knew Kara had no point of reference for just how screwed up Alex had been. She’d been deranged; she’d beaten up multiple thugs; she’d screamed profanities and insults at her own friends. Worst of all, when Pam, Harley, and Selina had finally picked her up, just as she was about to go inside Joker’s current location to shoot him, she’d spat at their feet and told them to go to hell.

How her friends had found it within themselves to forgive her, Alex had no idea. She was just grateful to have them.

She didn’t remember much about that week, only bits and pieces, and she also didn’t remember the terrible things she’d said to Pam in her lab, how she’d asked her to erase her memories with some kind of toxin. How she’d asked Pam to kill her, to make the pain go away, and had called her a killer in the hopes of inciting some kind of reaction.

Selina had told her all of this a couple of days later in Alex’s apartment, shortly before Alex had packed her bags and left the city, then the country, before leaving the entire continent altogether. There had been many occasions throughout that year away that she’d contemplated simply never returning. Maybe settling down in a small Italian city, marrying a nice girl, and forgetting the rest of her life had ever happened.

“Ivy took me to her lair to fix me up before I could get to him,” Alex said, showing Kara the tattoo again. “She cleaned the wound and injected some sort of healing concoction, so I wouldn’t be reminded of what had happened every time I would have had to change the bandage.” The image of Pam standing over her, that concerned look on her face, as she looked down at Alex with such aching love swam before her mind’s eye.

“Was she the one who told you to get the tattoo?” Kara asked, smoothing her fingers along the edges of the flowers.

“She let it grow right into my skin, actually,” Alex confessed, thinking back to their first date and how she’d had to skew the truth a bit. “She said she wanted me to remember that I’m loved every time I look down at the scar, instead of just thinking about the bad stuff.” Digging her sock into the carpet, her eyes shifted away from Kara in embarrassment. “For someone who claims to be unable to understand humans, Ivy sure is sappy.”

“I think it’s a beautiful sentiment,” Kara whispered, letting her hand slide from Alex’s back and curl around her waist instead, pressing her cheek against Alex’s shoulder. “And I think Ivy and I are going to get along really well when I meet her.” Gently, she moved the thumb of her right hand back and forth on Alex’s forearm, careful not to brush the scar. Maybe she knew instinctively that Alex couldn’t always deal with any kind of direct pressure from other people.

“She sends me a special batch of homegrown tea leaves every month to help me sleep,” Alex said, accepting Trish, when she tried to climb into her lap. “I still get nightmares sometimes, and her tea really helps. I don’t know if it would work for you and your Kryptonian physiology, but I could ask her to send a double package next time.”

Humming, Kara curled herself even closer.

“Couldn’t hurt to try,” she said, moving her fingers from Alex’s forearm to Trish’s belly. “I’m glad you have such amazing friends.” The combination of Kara’s warmth, her proximity, and Trish’s loud purring was wonderfully soothing. “I’m so relieved they took care of you the way they did.”

“Gotham’s a really good place,” Alex said, wishing she didn’t feel so terrified every time she set foot in her home town now. “The people there stick together when something terrible happens.” Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against Kara’s. “I don't know if you're familiar with the case, but about fifteen years or so ago, Joker did something very similar to Barbara Gordon.”

For the briefest instance, Kara tensed, before she spoke.

“Yes, I know what happened to her,” she said, sounding a little stiff, like she was trying to hide something and was failing spectacularly. Since it probably had something to do with secret superhero business and secret identities, Alex didn't call her out on it. “It obviously happened before I came to Earth, but Clark told me about it.” He most likely hadn't, but Alex didn't pry. “What about her?”

“She called my mom after  _ the incident _ ,” Alex explained, thinking back to one of the many e-mails her mom had sent her during her year away. “Actually, she tried to call me, but I’d already disconnected my phone, so she called my mom instead. As I understand it, Barbara helped my mom a lot and they still keep in contact.”

“That’s great. Especially because you couldn't be there for your mom for perfectly understandable reasons,” Kara added, as though anticipating Alex’s negative self-talk. A second later, she screwed up her face. “Imagining your mom, Selina, and Barbara having tea together is  _ weird _ , though.”

Alex grinned, heart lighter than it had been all day.

“And you're not even imagining the gigantic black cat on my mom’s lap,” Alex said, placing her own hand over the one Kara had on her waist. “Thanks for listening and not running for the hills. I know it’s a lot to take in. My issues aren't exactly a walk in the park.”

Squeezing Alex tightly, Kara lifted her chin and softly brought their lips together.

“You’re welcome,” she said, accepting Alex’s gratitude, and trying not to diminish it by brushing it off. “I told you, I care about you very, very much. We can carry our baggage together. I’m just glad you told me, even though the hero menace movement sort of forced you to do it.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe they’d stoop this low.”

“I can,” Alex said, snuggling up to Kara and curling both arms around her, trying not to jostle her dozing cat too badly. “They’re willing to kill. A smear campaign against me is tame compared to what they’re trying to do to you.”

“Well, we’re not going to let them win,” Kara said, her strong and decisive tone belying her simple word choice. This was  _ Supergirl _ , Alex realized, the woman behind the mask of normality. Kara Zor-El.

Finally seeing all of Kara was beautiful, and she was glad that now, Kara would get to see all of her, too. While she resented the fact that it had come about this way, she was glad for the push in a weird sort of way.

“They want to bring us down, but they’re going to fail,” Alex confirmed, breathing in Kara’s faint scent and listening to her steady heartbeat. “And if they get too close, they’re going to get the Danvers-Kent double combo.”

When she felt and heard Kara giggle, Alex fully relaxed into the embrace.

Tomorrow, she was going to get to work.

She didn’t need her badge to investigate. If Lord wanted to work against her, that was his business, and if he wanted to charge her with something, well, she wanted to see him try to uphold his case in court. He wasn’t the only person with resources.

With a feeling of relief swimming through her, Alex pressed her forehead against Kara’s throat.

“I just want to eat something and then go to sleep. Do you think that CatCo sandwich is still good?” After all, she wasn’t going to dishonor Lucy’s kind gesture by refusing to eat it. That would be a terrible waste of salad, tomatoes, mozzarella…  _ cheddar cheese _ .

“Of course it is. Let me get you a plate.” Kara was so fast with her super speed, Alex didn’t even have time to fall forward as Kara’s shoulder suddenly disappeared under her. Superpowers sure were a nice thing to have sometimes.

In the less than half a second Kara had been gone, she’d unwrapped the sandwich and placed it on the plate. She’d also cut it in half and brought the bottle of orange juice from the fridge with her, along with two glasses and bendy straws.

For  _ some  _ reason, Alex’s straw suddenly didn’t have a Wonder Woman logo anymore.

“You’re just slowly going to replace all of my merchandise with Supergirl paraphernalia now, aren’t you?” She said, smiling, pulling away from Kara and making a grab for one half of the club sandwich. “You can have the other half, if you want.”

“Thanks, but I’ll just run down to the corner and grab myself a delicious falafel pita once you’re asleep.” Kara’s smile was wide, as she was no doubt relieved that Alex’s anxiety had receded enough to let her feel hunger again, and Alex returned it, though not quite in full. A good night’s sleep would hopefully help her out.

As they sat there together in silence, both of them sipping on their juice while Alex ate and Kara gently ran her nails over Alex’s back, a sense of calm settled over Alex, relaxing her muscles and emptying her mind of all useless chatter.

She’d told Kara the truth about herself, and Kara had stayed.

It could only get better from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so who guessed what would happen during _the incident_ ? also please dont kick me for putting everybody through this! I was but an innocent bystander while my hands did all of the typing. Totally not my fault *whistles innocently* 
> 
> love u
> 
> as always, beta-d by the talented and magnificent Coara
> 
> If you want to chat to me, find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	20. Recreational Activities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Kara wake up together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I overslept this morning and had to rush to class, hence the late arrival of this chapter. sorry sorry. I hope the chapter makes up for it! ♥ Also who can spot the Smallville and DC movie references in the first scene? haha

Friday morning, Kara woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed.

After the day she’d had, she would have anticipated to feel drained and exhausted.

Mentally, if not physically.

Listening to Alex’s story had been difficult, and Kara was proud of them both for keeping it together so well. She knew she’d cry as soon as Alex was out of the apartment, even if she did it for just a couple of minutes. With everything that Alex had been through, Kara didn’t want her own emotions to burden her girlfriend any further, which was why she didn’t dwell on what had happened too long, lest she started bawling with Alex right beside her.

Rolling over, she reached for Alex’s warm body, only to come up with an empty, cold mattress.

Furrowing her brows, Kara opened her eyes, scared that Alex had left the apartment without her knowledge so she could go and find a bar or do something equally as unhealthy. Kara certainly wouldn’t have faulted her for that decision, but thankfully, when she turned her head, she noticed Alex sitting on the floor, her back to the bed, breathing slowly and regularly. She’d obviously gotten up at some point during the night, but why she was on the floor at six in the morning, Kara wasn’t sure.

She was just glad Alex hadn't bolted.

Quietly, she sat up and slid over to Alex’s side of the bed. They hadn’t talked about their sleeping arrangements after their first night together, and at some point, they’d just naturally gravitated to using the same sides every time.

Alex on the left, Kara on the right.

“Are you okay?” Kara asked, sliding her legs off the bed next to Alex’s left shoulder and looking down at her girlfriend with concern, noticing Trish sleeping peacefully on Alex’s lap. Maybe Alex had woken up from a nightmare and hadn’t wanted to wake Kara up, too? It was certainly within the realm of possibilities.

“Yeah,” Alex said, leaning her head against the side of Kara’s knee. “Just too many thoughts. I had to get up and write it all down.” Only now did Kara notice the small notebook and ballpoint pen next to Alex’s bare leg. “And then this little one decided my lap was much comfier than your bed for some reason.” She softly poked Trish’s nose, and was immediately rewarded with the sight of Trish turning onto her back, her paws twitching.

“And so you decided that your cat’s well-being was more important than yours,” Kara observed, leaning down and kissing the crown of Alex’s hair. “Makes perfect sense, actually. I’m the same with my dog Bailey.” She couldn’t wait to introduce Alex to the little ball of sunshine, and to the farm in general.

Cuddling Alex up in the hayloft was very high on Kara’s list of priorities.

Yawning, Alex nodded, before scooping Trish into her arms and depositing her on the bed. Now that Kara was awake, her detective didn't seem to want to serve as a kitty bed anymore, and a second later, Kara was more than happy about that, as Alex straddled her lap, arms wrapped around Kara’s neck.

“Day two of my suspension, might as well start it off properly,” Alex said, just as Kara tipped up her head and pressed their mouths together, hands wrapping around Alex’s back and holding her close. Their lips fit together perfectly, and Kara sighed in contentment as Alex turned her head to the side and started lavishing attention on her bottom lip. “I don't want to dwell on the past with you.”

“You don't have to,” Kara husked back, enjoying the weight of Alex’s body on her own. “We can focus on our future together.” She didn't care that she sounded sappy.

Kara cherished every kiss they shared, and she tried to curb her smile as she pushed her hands under Alex’s t-shirt and started sliding them up her back, feeling the bumps of her vertebrae and the strong, muscled shoulders. Alex’s skin was soft, yielding under Kara’s fingers, and she made a happy little noise in the back of her throat when she brought one of her hands to the front to touch Alex’s abdominal muscles. They twitched and tensed under Kara’s nails, and Alex’s kisses turned harder and more intense as a result.

Now that everything was out in the open, it was like a dam had been broken between them, and Kara could feel herself relaxing into their kisses like she hadn’t been able to before. She hadn’t noticed it previously, but now that this last blockade was gone, she realized how guarded they’d both still been.

“Can we talk about sex?” Kara asked breathlessly, palming Alex’s stomach and brushing the elastic of her boxer shorts. If her face hadn’t already been flushed with pleasure, she would’ve gone bright red at her blunt statement. “Not now, just… soon… at some point…”

Alex’s hands, which had been busy with Kara’s hair, stilled and dropped to her shoulders. They were still close, Alex’s breathing a little ragged, but they weren’t kissing anymore, and Kara didn’t pull her hand away from Alex’s shorts.

“Yeah, sure,” Alex said, voice rough with arousal, her cheeks equally as flushed as Kara’s in the morning sunlight. “You’re Kryptonian, so I don’t… really know how you _have_ sex, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” She shifted a little on Kara’s lap, glancing down for the barest second. “I’m sure you had sex ed in human high school, and I’m a cis woman, so… that should give you an idea of what _I’m_ working with.”

Nodding frantically, Kara stared at Alex’s right ear to avoid eye contact.

“Yep, yes,” she said, sort of wishing she hadn’t brought it up, considering that she was now imagining Alex naked while she had her hand almost on her crotch. Not a development she would have seen coming after their emotional evening. “We were shown graphics.”

Alex grinned.

“I’m sure you were,” she said, pressing a series of kisses against the side of Kara’s mouth. “Sadly, we didn’t have Kryptonian sex ed, so you’ll have to tell me what to do. I’ve had plenty of sex with human women, though, so if it’s anything like that…” She smiled gently, brushing her thumb along Kara’s jaw. Then, a thought seemed to occur to her. “ _Can_ you even have sex with humans?”

This time, her eyes stayed firmly trained on Kara’s face, her gaze growing tender.

“Cause it wouldn’t be a deal breaker if you couldn’t,” she continued, fingertips dancing over Kara’s cheek and temple.

Her words made Kara’s heart do a couple of somersaults in her chest, as she once again wondered how she had managed to find someone who accepted her so unconditionally. This certainly hadn’t been what she’d expected that first time Alex had walked into CatCo’s.

It was like their jagged edges fit together beautifully, no matter what they were discussing.

Before Kara could say a word, Alex furrowed her brows.

“Actually, let me rephrase that,” she said, placing her hand back on Kara’s shoulder, her face taking on a more serious expression. “Was sex even a thing on Krypton anymore, or did you evolve past that already? From what you told me, it seems like your people were really advanced and might have found other ways to reproduce.”

Kara hadn’t anticipated for their little make out session and subsequent talk to turn into anything like this, where she was expected to talk about Kryptonian customs with partners, but in all honesty, she was glad for it. She would rather talk about it now than during their first time together. After all, Alex needed to know what she was getting into.

“Sex was more of a… recreational activity,” Kara started, lifting one eyebrow and finally pulling her hand away from Alex’s boxer shorts, her fingers curling around the naked skin of her waist instead. “People could have kids on their own, if they wanted to, or they could use birthing chambers.”

When Alex screwed up her face in question, Kara pulled her a little closer.

“Did you see _Man of Titanium_?” Kara asked, remembering the grim and dark retelling of Warrior Angel’s origin story like she’d seen it the day before. With furrowed brows, Alex nodded slowly. “Maybe you remember that Warrior Angel’s planet had a eugenics policy?” This was quickly becoming more complicated than Kara had wanted it to be.

“I guess…” Alex said, obviously struggling to remember the movie, for which Kara couldn’t really blame her. It had been three years ago, after all. Of course, being a huge Warrior Angel fan herself, the movie held a special place in Kara’s heart, despite its many, _many_ flaws and the waves of criticism that had been heaped upon it. “Can we get back to the basics, maybe, and leave the birthing chambers for another day?”

Smiling gently, Kara hugged Alex closer, before rolling them over, so Alex was on her back.

“Yes, we can have sex with humans. No, it won’t be my first time,” Kara said, cursing her _Star Wars_ pajamas for covering her entire legs, so she couldn’t feel Alex’s naked skin. Maybe she should invest in some boxers of her own. “But we’re going to have to be very careful, because I don’t always have my powers under control, when I’m, well… you know…”

When she had been younger, she’d been almost glad that her then-boyfriend hadn’t ever lasted particularly long. They’d both barely been eighteen, so Kara hadn’t faulted him for it, and she’d never particularly cared for the act itself, anyway. Maybe because she’d been too young. Or maybe she’d never let herself relax enough to let anything happen, because she’d been terrified of exposing her true origins to him.

Later, during her time in college, she hadn’t felt much different about the entire thing. Her then-girlfriend had been sweet and kind and funny and so, so beautiful. She’d been majoring in bio-engineering, and Kara had loved her more than she’d ever thought possible. But having sex with her, letting go completely, had been nearly impossible.

She distinctly remembered setting the desk lamp in her dorm room on fire with her heat vision.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said, looking down at Alex, trying to gauge her reaction. She’d never craved sex like she knew other people did. For her, it was more about feeling close to the person she was dating, than about the physical sensations themselves. They were a nice addition, but if having them meant hurting Alex, she’d stick to being the giver, rather than the receiver.

“You won’t,” Alex replied, her hands sliding over Kara’s sides, under her pajama top, seeking out perpetually hot skin. Kara couldn't remember the last time she’d been cold, but at Alex’s gentle touch, goosebumps rose on her skin. “I’m hard to break.”

“I know,” Kara husked, covering Alex’s body completely with her own, brushing her hair to one side, so it wouldn’t fall into Alex’s face. “No one I’ve been with has ever known who I really am.” Feeling Alex breathe against her was amazing, and Kara opened up her senses completely to let every aspect of her inside. “So I don’t have to hold back when it comes to that, but I’m still two-hundred times stronger than any regular human.”

At her words, Alex’s heart went into overdrive and the smell of her arousal thickened, bringing a more intense flush to Kara’s cheeks.

“Is it wrong that I think your strength is a major turn-on?” Alex asked, sounding altogether breathless as she dug her nails into Kara’s impenetrable skin. It didn’t hurt, but the feeling of pressure registered in Kara’s brain. “Shit, I can never, _ever_ tell Harley and the others that you’re Supergirl. They’re going to accuse me of being a cape chaser.”

Giggling, Kara nosed at Alex’s neck and nipped at her skin, more to hide her own arousal than anything else. The fact that Alex relished in her strength and wasn’t scared of her at all was like the cherry on top of a delicious sundae. Or maybe the chocolate sprinkles.

“You’re not just a cape chaser, you’re my own, personal superfangirl,” Kara teased, biting and kissing at Alex’s rapidly beating pulse point. Considering how Trish was snoring softly next to them, they should probably put a stop to any fooling around at this point, but Alex was too irresistible, especially when she made those whimpering noises and threw her head back to expose more of her neck.

This conversation wasn’t over, but Kara felt confident and reassured by how it had started.

“You make me so… _fuck_ ,” Alex whispered, just as Kara had decided to slide her hand under Alex’s t-shirt again to discover uncharted territory a little bit higher up. Alex tugged her closer, pressing her cheek against the top of Kara’s head while Kara worked on an impressive hickey.

Her fingers had just made contact with the underside of Alex's left breast, when the alarm clock started blaring obnoxiously, breaking them out of their trance.

“Damn,” Alex panted, feeling her neck as Kara sat up to reach over and turn off the wailing machine. She didn't need the sound to be at full volume, but sometimes her body grew so relaxed that barely any sound could penetrate her mind. How that worked in relation to her super hearing, Kara had no idea. “I need to get one of my own guns, so I can shoot that thing.”

The little moniker Alex had used, which revealed that Alex had been forced to leave behind her service weapon, reminded Kara that there was a conspiracy happening in National City, and that Alex and her were at the center of it. Being with her detective always distracted her, but she needed to get in touch with J’onn. And not just to rip him a new one for staying tight-lipped about Alex being his new partner.

-

Kara didn’t bother flying Alex home.

They didn’t live too far apart from one another, and strolling through the streets had always been one of Kara’s favorite pastimes, especially when it involved holding Alex’s hand and swinging it in between them as they walked. Just what Kara needed after their heated morning activities.

As an added bonus, Alex was carrying an angry little Trish in her kitty box with her free, right hand.

It was rapidly closing in on seven am, and if Kara wanted to meet J’onn in a timely fashion, she wouldn’t be able to hang around Alex’s apartment. After all, she would have to get a message to Chloe, who would then get the message to J’onn, and then they’d both have to make their way to the Fortress of Solitude, one of the few places on Earth that were truly safe from human influence.

Even though they were walking casually, they reached Alex’s apartment quickly, and Kara wrestled with herself for several seconds, before deciding that joining Alex in the elevator and riding up with her wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. She would just call Chloe afterwards.

When the lift opened its doors on Alex’s floor, Kara saw a door in front of them slam shut as soon as she made eye contact with whoever was hiding behind it.

Furrowing her brows, she turned to Alex, who rolled her eyes.

“Mrs. Robershire,” Alex supplied, shrugging, her tone especially low so her neighbor wouldn’t hear them. “When I first moved in here, she told me how happy she was to know that there was a cop in the building. But then Pam happened, and then Selina, and now you… She thinks I’m a player.”

Nodding slowly, Kara glanced back at Mrs. Robershire’s door. She would have loved to use her x-ray vision, to find out if the woman was standing there with her ear pressed to the wood, but that would have violated several of her personal codes, so she kept the urge contained. Just because the woman was nosy didn’t mean she was a threat.

“She’s not wrong,” Kara teased, giggling at Alex’s affronted expression. “From what you told me about your life in Gotham…” She nudged Alex’s shoulder softly, before pulling her along the corridor. “Maybe she thinks you’ve hired an escort service.”

Lifting both eyebrows, Alex snorted, but didn’t say anything in return. Instead, she pulled out her keys and unlocked the front door, which flew open with a flourish, revealing a disheveled Selina, who wore nothing but a pair of black panties and a white t-shirt, which was almost see-through.

Kara just about managed not to stare at the clearly visible outlines of her nipples.

“Hey, babes,” she said, winking at Kara while Alex rolled her eyes and pushed past her, no doubt to free Trish. Kara pretended not to notice how Selina’s eyes immediately dropped to Alex’s ass. When Selina turned back, she seemed much more concerned than lusty. “How is she doing?” Her words were soft and tender, and Kara couldn’t help but be reminded that Selina once wanted Alex to be more than a friend.

The jealousy only lasted for a couple of seconds, before her mind zeroed in on the fact that Selina had been there for Alex when Kara had been unable to. Above all else, Selina was an excellent friend. No matter what her other feelings, she only wanted what was best for Alex.

Without answering Selina’s question, Kara curled her arms around her neck and pulled her into a tight hug, hoping to convey the immensity of her gratitude. Kara was absolutely sure that Alex would not have made it to National City, if it hadn’t been for Selina, Harley, and Ivy.

“Thank you for taking care of her after what happened to her dad. She told me everything,” Kara whispered, squeezing a little tighter as Selina hugged her back fiercely. It was a testament to how serious this situation was that Selina didn’t try to cop a feel. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you’re staying here.”

“All part of the Alex Danvers Buddy System,” Selina replied, pulling away and giving Kara a genuine smile. She was breathtakingly gorgeous like this, and Kara had a feeling if she weren’t already head over heels for Alex, she’d be fancying Selina. Just a bit. “I’m glad to know you’re on board. Alex needs all the help she can get.”

Just as she said it, Alex walked by the hallway, carrying the now empty kitty box and eyeing them suspiciously.

“What are you guys talking about?” She asked, looking adorable in her bare feet and sweatpants. She’d obviously taken the opportunity to change after letting out Trish.

“We're discussing the best way to motorboat your ass cheeks,” Selina sassed, leaning her elbow on Kara’s shoulder and leering at Alex. “I’m giving your girlfriend some pointers. Requires a bit more finesse with cheeks as firm and muscled as yours.”

Kara blushed furiously, fighting against the images being conjured in her mind, whereas Alex looked more exasperated than flustered about the whole affair. One of these days, Kara would learn how to deal with Selina’s raw sexuality. One of these days.

“Cat brain,” Alex mumbled to herself, gave Kara a loving smile, then started walking again.

“Love you, too, Supercop,” Selina trilled after her, before turning back to Kara and giving her another genuine smile. “See? You’ve just got to know how to deal with her crap. Just give her a bit of heat and she starts purring like a kitten.” She eyed Kara. “But I guess you already figured that out, huh? I hear you had a very successful first time.”

Sighing quietly to herself, Kara gave up on trying to reign in her blush. It was a waste of energy around Selina.

“I brought you something,” Kara said instead, hefting her purse a little higher, determined to change the subject. She was incredibly pleased when Selina’s eyes lit up with interest and she leaned against the door, so Kara had better access to the bag.

She’d thought of the small gift last night after coming home from the falafel shop. Before deciding to come upstairs, she’d been planning on having Alex deliver the mug, but to be honest, it was kind of nice giving it to Selina herself.

“I knew Supercop picked the right girl,” Selina said, looking like a kid in a candy store as Kara pulled out a small cardboard box. She hadn't bothered to wrap it, since this was only meant to be a small gift, but it didn’t matter either way, as Selina’s eyes grew about as wide as saucers.

“Ms. Grant gave these to us a few months ago. They were supposed to be for some sort of special, but then she changed her mind after only about a handful of them had been finished,” Kara said, handing over the untouched Special Edition CatCo Coffee mug she’d kept in her cupboard for close to a year now. “Alex said that you collect the mugs and I figured this would be a great addition to your collection.”

She’d meant to use the mug, she really did, but then it had vanished behind a bag of flour and Kara had only rediscovered it recently. Somehow, she’d just never gotten around to actually taking it out of the box. Maybe they were even worth something, but Kara wanted to see Selina be happy more than she wanted a handful of cash.

Selina’s hands trembled as she reached out to accept the cardboard box, a look of utter amazement taking root on her face. It was pretty obvious that Kara had made the right decision.

“That’s it,” Selina started, hugging the box gingerly to herself, “I’m keeping you for myself. Supercop can find herself a new girlfriend. You’re mine now.” She very carefully pulled at the lid on the box, unwilling to rip anything, before taking out the dark burgundy mug. “It’s beautiful, why didn’t Cat want this on the shelves?”

Shrugging, Kara smiled happily as she watched Selina turn the mug from side to side, inspecting it.

“Ms. Grant sometimes changes her mind about products at the drop of a hat,” she said, walking a few steps forward to look for Alex, so she could say goodbye. “I’m really glad you like it. If you ever need a special National City mug, just let me know and I’ll save it for you before they’re sold out.” The mugs really were very popular among their customers.

“I’m so glad you’re my girlfriend,” Selina said, before carefully placing the mug back in its box and closing the door behind her. On her way to the bedroom, she clapped Kara on the ass, which was another thing that Kara wasn’t used to, making her flinch.

As though she’d been summoned by the inappropriate touching, Alex materialized from her storage closet and looked suspiciously at Selina, hands now free of the kitty box. Trish was nowhere in sight, and Kara suspected she’d snuffled into some sort of cubbyhole, so Alex couldn’t put her back in the tiny prison.

“Everything okay?” Alex asked, taking Kara’s hand and giving her a small kiss. “Did Selina behave herself, or do I need to have strong words with her again?” Not that strong words were likely ever going to help, but Kara appreciated the sentiment.

“I just gave her a rare CatCo Coffee mug, nothing big. She got pretty excited,” Kara said, smiling widely and cupping Alex’s cheek before leaning in for a long, loving kiss. She was about to leave Alex behind after their difficult talk, and she was already dreading each passing second that they’d be separated. “Want to have a movie night with me and Lucy tonight? She has the night off from her job as a bartender, and I promised her we’d do something fun.”

Looking a little dazed from their kiss, Alex pulled Kara closer.

“Well, since the story of my suspension has officially been leaked to the press,” she held up her phone to signal where she’d gleaned the news, “I would very much like to take my mind off this situation. Maybe you and Lucy can come over? The four of us can watch something together.”

While Kara felt a little apprehensive about merging their friend groups, especially considering the animosity Lucy felt towards Selina, she also knew that they would all need to learn to get along with each other at some point. And maybe it should be sooner rather than later, what with Kara being hunted and Alex being painted as a criminal by the tabloids.

“That sounds nice. Luce and I work until six tonight, so we’ll swing by sometime later,” Kara said, pecking Alex on the mouth and stroking her chin. “Maybe tell Selina to drop the inappropriate flirting just a little bit tonight? Lucy still doesn’t feel too happy that she’s in our lives after what happened.”

Her words brought a dopy grin to Alex’s face.

“ _Our lives_ ,” she repeated, her heartbeat echoing rapidly in Kara’s ever vigilant ears, “I like the sound of that.”

“Me, too,” Kara breathed, letting go of Alex’s hand and hugging her tightly instead, closing her eyes and inhaling the familiar scent. “I have to take care of something now, but I’ll see you tonight.” Grinning, she kissed Alex’s temple, and was about to pull away, when another set of arms wrapped around them both.

“I can't believe you guys started hugging without me,” Selina said, the smile very clear in her voice.

All in all, Kara felt like she’d had a pretty successful morning.

-

Floating high up in the air and looking down at the people below her, Kara tapped the earplug in her right ear to turn it on. As always, her phone was tucked into the inside of her boot, right in its special pouch. Thankfully, the number of times it had been smashed had gone down ever since she’d forged a tougher case for it, made from Kryptonian crystal.

“Call Warren Tower,” Kara said, waiting for the call to connect while she kept her eyes and ears open for any crimes that needed to be foiled. She only worked the day shift today, which didn’t start until lunch, so she had plenty of time to kick some bad guy butt.

Just as she’d zeroed in on a mugging, Chloe’s voice rang in her ear.

“This is Watchtower, what can I help you with, Supergirl?” Chloe asked, sounding steady and highly alert, the way she always did when she was working. Kara imagined her standing in the old clock tower Clark and his friends used as their headquarters, typing on one of her massive computers. The thought brought a smile to Kara’s lips.

Hurtling through the air and towards the man she could see running just below her with a purse, she consciously slowed down her descent so she wouldn’t accidentally pulverize him into a pile of mush and bones upon impact.

“Good morning, Watchtower, can you call Martian Manhunter and tell him to meet me at the fortress?” Kara asked, landing behind the mugger and grabbing the hood of his black sweatshirt, revealing his white face and locks of blonde hair. His forward momentum stopped abruptly and he flew back, straight into Kara’s arms. “I have some choice words for him.”

She heard a chuckle from Chloe and a groan from the mugger as she took the purse from his grip and threw him over her shoulder. Behind her, a young Asian man came running up to her, clearly out of breath.

“I believe this is yours?” Kara asked, handing over the purse and smiling as the young man smiled at her and nodded. “What do you say we call the cops on this guy?” She patted the mugger on the back and watched as the young man in front of her pulled out his cellphone, thanking her profusely.

“Are you working right now?” Chloe asked, her words sounding fond and relieved. In the background, Kara could hear computer keys being used. Maybe she was texting J’onn instead of calling him, which was probably better, since he was most likely at the precinct by now. “I’m sorry about that thing with Alex. I’ve been trying to scrub some of it from the internet, but you know how it is.”

“Yeah, I know,” Kara said, indicating to the mugging victim that she was on the phone so he wouldn't be confused. “I talked to her about it yesterday. It’s awful.” When she saw the single police car drive up to them, she wondered how they would react to her. It always depended on who was behind the wheel. “The police are here, so I’ll call you back later, yeah?”

“Alright,” Chloe said, the typing momentarily ceasing. “If Alex ever wants to talk, tell her she can always contact me. I know Superman feels the same. He’s been thinking about making some kind of speech. Give her a hug from us.”

The thought of Clark going up on a podium and making a rousing speech about Alex’s character made Kara anxious. If anyone should make a speech about Alex and her many virtues, it was _Kara_ , not her cousin. So what if Superman _still_ had more influence than her?

She tried not to think about that too much as the police car stopped next to them.

“I’ll pass it along. Bye,” Kara said, waiting for Chloe’s goodbye before tapping her earpiece again.

The doors to the police car opened, and two familiar faces stepped out. Officer Vasquez and their older partner exited the vehicle, and Kara breathed a soft sigh of relief. Of all the police officers she could have gotten, she’d been blessed with two of the nicest. Score one for Supergirl!

“There was a mugging here, officers,” Kara said, putting the mugger back on his feet and holding on to his arm, so he couldn’t escape. To his credit, he didn’t even try. The people that had been moving around them and had been taping the whole affair from almost the very beginning, gasped when Officer Vasquez’s partner stepped up to Kara, an angry look on his face.

Officer Donovan, who had never been anything but nice towards her, was over six feet tall, and his uniform showed off his bulging muscles. Usually, he was an excellent cop, who knew exactly how to deal with both criminals and victims alike. But right now? Right now he was a tall, angry white man with close-cropped brown hair and a square jaw. Kara had never had problems with him before, and to see him so upset with her now was strange.

“You’re the reason Detective Danvers was suspended,” he hissed, quiet enough that none of the onlookers would be able to hear them, not even Officer Vasquez, who stood next to the police car and was eyeing them with an alarmed expression. “I don’t know what your relationship with her is, and I don’t care, but she put her career on the line for you, and you need to _fix_ the mess you caused.”

Donovan’s facial expression was enraged, but he kept his arms behind his back, clearly indicating that he didn’t intend to harm her in any way. The press would have a field day with their confrontation, but there was nothing Kara could do about that, short of smashing everyone’s cameras, which would only make her look worse.

“I’m trying,” she replied calmly, knowing that he was right. If she had never come to Earth, or if she had never taken up the mantle of Supergirl, Alex would be safe right now, instead of sitting at home, away from the job she loved. “But maybe you should start looking a little closer to home, if you want to know why Alex was _really_ suspended.”

At her words, Donovan nodded grimly, before he pulled away from her, grabbed the mugger and nodded to the young Asian man to get into the police car as well. Vasquez gave her an apprehensive look, their face showing no sign of recognition that they had seen her at CatCo’s yesterday. Hoping to put them at ease, Kara smiled reassuringly. Officer Donovan only wanted what was best for Alex, and Kara appreciated his support more than he could understand.

When they’d gotten back into the car, Kara flew off, her head swirling with thoughts and worries. From what she could tell, some of National City’s cops were aware that corruption had taken root among their ranks, and by the looks of it, they were just as angry about it as Kara and Alex. Now the question remained how high up this corruption went. Was Maxwell Lord involved, or was he just a bigot who was all too happy to exploit the situation for his own agenda?

When she was high above the city, she sped up quickly, flying North, her impeccable memory keeping her right on track as she hurtled towards the Arctic, heart set on the fortress.

Due to its state of the art security system, no satellite would ever be able to find it. On pictures, it looked like a big mountain made of ice and snow, and radio signals or phones didn't work around it. Maybe one day, when humanity left the dark ages of technology, they’d be able to find its location. But hopefully, when that day came, humanity would have lost its bigoted outlook on the universe.

Setting down on the ground in front of the fortress, Kara didn't have to wait long for the bio-material scanners to do their jobs and to open up the huge, impressive door. Before Kara had come to Earth, Clark had used a big, clunky key to open it, too heavy for any human to lift but laying around almost in plain sight. For a Kryptonian, he could be shockingly naive sometimes, but at least he’d listened to her arguments that they weren't the only two people on this planet with super strength.

When she reached the main hall, she realized J’onn was already inside and waiting for her. He hadn't shifted back into his true Martian form, choosing to wait as Hank Henshaw instead. At this point, it was most likely habit. After all, how long had it been since he’d adopted the Henshaw identity? Over a decade by now, at least.

“Hi!” Kara called out, pleased to see him, despite the dire circumstances. He’d always been a friend and a protector, and Kara hated not being able to talk to him directly. She wondered how he’d managed to stay undetected while on his way here. Maybe he’d transformed into one of the other heroes, borrowing their identity so no one would go looking for the big green man they’d have otherwise seen in the sky. “It’s so good to see you.”

Before she did anything else, before she so much as opened her mouth to tell J’onn off for keeping the identity of his new partner a secret, Kara threw her arms around his middle and hugged him tightly to her chest. A month without J’onn was like a month without sunshine.

She hoped this conspiracy would be over soon.

“I missed you,” she said, squeezing him and lifting him several inches off the ground as he laughed. “I’m going to kick your butt, but I missed you.”

His mirth didn’t cease as she put him back on the ground, the smile on his lips just a little bit too mischievous for Kara’s liking. This only cemented her suspicion that he’d known almost from the very beginning that Kara and Alex had started seeing each other, and that he’d simply elected not to tell her.

“It’s good to see you, too,” he said, dusting off his dark green suit, before crossing his arms over his broad chest. “But I really don’t know why you’re angry with me.” He raised one of his eyebrows, his mouth fighting an intensely amused expression as she raised both of hers and scoffed.

“You knew I was dating Alex and you didn’t tell me who she was. I don’t know how you found out, but you knew,” she said, choosing not to beat around the bush. From the second Alex had mentioned his name and that he was her partner, Kara had been convinced that he’d _known_. J’onn didn't just go around telling people about kryptonite. Somehow, he’d figured out that Alex was intimately involved with her, adding that extra layer of trust. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your partner?”

Obviously caught in his deception, J’onn shrugged.

“What can I say, Alex is very in love with you, and she's terrible at keeping that to herself,” he said, a pleased smile replacing the smirk, his words making her blush profusely, when all she wanted was to remain stoic. “I didn't want to derail your relationship with my meddling, so I kept it to myself.”

Kara’s mouth twisted a little. She understood where her friend was coming from, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

“When did you find out?” She asked, grinding her teeth a little. She really, really wanted to be mad at him, but his face and words were making it difficult. After all, she had no idea how their lives might have progressed differently if Kara had known from the very beginning that her girlfriend was the cop who chose to run from her. Without the closeness they now shared, and without the revelation of the death of Alex’s father… maybe they would have never found back to one another.

“When Alex was shot, she told me to call you if she died,” J’onn said, face slightly pained at the unpleasant memory. His discomfort was all too understandable to Kara, who never wanted to see Alex lying in a pool of her own blood. “She gave me your full name and her phone’s passcode.”

When Alex had been shot, the two of them still hadn’t been talking after the whole Selina fiasco. Kara remembered the feeling all too well, but to hear now that Alex had wanted Kara to know, had wanted her to be notified… The thought sent a cold shower down Kara’s back. She didn’t even want to imagine a day where she might truly get that call.

“Could have been another Kara Kent,” she said, pushing the thought of a dead Alex out of her mind. She wouldn’t let that happen. If all else failed, there would always be the Lazarus Pits, or Krypton’s Regeneration Matrix. “You had no idea that she was even talking about _me_.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve been alive for far too long not to recognize when the universe is trying to tell me something,” he said, his eyes reflecting the over two-hundred years he’d been alive.

Kara didn’t make a joke about fate being involved. She’d met _Doctor_ Fate, thank you very much, and she’d seen what his helmet could do, how it could predict the future. If J’onn wanted to imply that they were all connected because the universe wanted them to be around one another, then she certainly wasn’t going to try and refute his claim.

It would be pointless anyway.

“I knew I was right, when I saw Alex on your arm at your vernissage,” he followed up on his words, pulling her away from her questions about fateful meetings and whether or not Alex and her had been destined to fall in love, the way Clark and Lois had been.

And since she hadn’t seen Hank Henshaw at _The Silver Banshee_...

“What happened to you not using your powers?” She accused him, mimicking his stance and crossing her arms over her chest, though in a far more aggressive manner. His posture was relaxed, knowing he was completely safe in the fortress. At least from outside forces… Kara’s ire was an entirely different story.

“I made an exception,” he said, having the decency to look slightly sheepish. “I wasn’t there for long, and you seemed very busy, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see you at your first big vernissage. I couldn’t stay off the grid for too long without my surveillance crew getting suspicious, so I left after thirty minutes.”

Shaking her head, Kara wondered who J’onn had been impersonating. He certainly hadn’t been himself, and Kara was loathe to admit that the thought hadn’t even occurred to her. To be fair, the White Martians were a credible threat that J’onn was understandably afraid of, but he was a _shapeshifter_ , of course he would have been able to attend. Just not as himself.

“You could have still said hi,” Kara said, sighing quietly to herself. Obviously he hadn’t wanted to risk it, and she couldn’t really be mad at him for it. Yet another thing she would have to let go. “While we’re on the topic of your powers, I actually have a favor to ask you.”

He nodded.

“You want me to find out who has been plotting against us at the precinct,” he said, his face turning grim, a stark difference to his earlier joy and self-satisfaction. “I don’t know if the arrival of more White Martians and the potential loss of life is worth our safety, but Alex did not choose to be a scapegoat for the hero menace movement.” He loosened his arms and placed his hands on her shoulders. “She protected me, and she protected you, now it’s time for us to do the same for her.”

Body burning fiercely with determination, Kara grabbed his wrists and held on tightly to convey her agreement with his statement.

“Couldn't have said it better myself,” she replied, leaning forward and giving him another big hug. “Are you going to tell her who you are soon?” His chest was warm and soft and she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of parental safety his presence gave her. At once, all the stress from the last few weeks seemed to melt away in his arms.

“I was going to see her today,” he said, his deep, familiar voice rumbling in her ears. She could hear the slight trepidation in his words, the nervousness belying his strong tone. No matter how much Alex had proven herself to be accepting and trustworthy, a part of him still worried. She knew all too well that he would worry until he’d told her.

Around them, the crystals sparkled, reflecting the sunshine from outside. The fortress was never truly silent. There was always the soft hum of Jor-El’s presence, the clicking of various instruments, and the whirring noises of the various cleaning robots floating along the halls, keeping everything neat and tidy.

It was so much like Krypton; Kara could almost pretend she was back home.

“Don’t worry about Alex. She’s going to have an aneurysm when she finds out that she inadvertently befriended _another_ alien, but she’s not going to send you away,” Kara said, laughing. “I wish I could be there to see her reaction.” She should take Alex to the fortress soon. Wrapped in a big, wooly jacket. “She’s going to be so excited. And happy that you trust her.”

A thought occurred to her.

“And don't tease her too much that she was trying to run away from me _and_ date me at the same time,” she added, grinning as she pulled away.

He smiled.

“I make no promises.”

-

When Kara was gone, Alex stood in front of the closed door, staring at the wood and wondering what she should do with the rest of her day, now that she didn’t have to go to work until this ridiculous investigation was done with. Which couldn’t happen until the guys at the precinct ordered her back for interrogations and court cases, or something equally asinine.

Maybe she could finally get back into working out, now that she had plenty of time to lift weights and run around the city. Right now, there weren’t any reporters staked outside her apartment, but Alex was worried those days might be coming for her sooner rather than later.

Talking to Kara about _the incident_ had been terrible, but also freeing in a strange sort of way. Now that Kara knew, Alex didn’t have to hide why she was so stressed out from time to time, or why she couldn’t go and live in Gotham again.

All in all, the situation could have been worse.

At least now she had time to do fun things while her life was left hanging in the balance. And she could work in absolute silence in her study, without having to listen to her loud and obnoxious colleagues at the precinct. No matter what happened now, she was going to find the positives in this situation, however small and insignificant.

“Come on, Supercop, the couch is calling out for us,” Selina said, curling her arm around Alex’s neck and giving her a small kiss. “I think I can hear Netflix crying in the living room. It wants some love, too. You’ve been terribly neglectful, spending all your time with Kara’s Netflix instead.”

Alex couldn’t quite tell if Netflix was supposed to be a metaphor for Selina in this case, but either way, her first response was to _whine_.

“But I finally have time to work out again. Who knows how long this suspension is going last?” She said, looking over to her bedroom, where she kept her weights in a specially designed closet compartment. With her stupid bullet wound, she’d shamefully underused her biceps recently.

“No buts, baby,” Selina replied, pulling Alex along to the living room, hand sliding down and grabbing a handful of Alex’s ass, “unless it’s this butt we’re talking about.” She wiggled her eyebrows and Alex rolled her eyes, slapping away her fingers. “Now get your cute little behind on the couch, so we can watch one of your silly little shows.”

“None of the shows I watch are silly,” Alex grumbled, letting herself be pushed onto the couch, trying and failing to hide her genuine fondness for her best friend. She was loathe to admit it, but this was exactly what she needed. Being inundated with cuddles was one sure-fire way to make her feel better whenever she needed cheering up.

“Stretch out on your back,” Selina commanded, gently pressing her palms against the top of Alex’s chest, “it’s been way too long since I had my Danvers mattress all to myself. I’m showing signs of withdrawal.”

Alex snorted in disbelief, but complied, swinging her legs onto the couch and scooting down until her head hit one of her couch cushions. She’d barely managed to shuffle into a comfortable position, when Selina was already on top of her, head tucked neatly under Alex’s chin, and leg sliding in between both of Alex’s. Her warm weight was comfortable and familiar, and Alex instinctively wrapped both arms around her back, one hand stroking through Selina’s short, black hair.

“Kara told me that you told her everything,” Selina mumbled, pressing a kiss against Alex’s sternum and squeezing her tightly for a second. “I’m proud of you.”

Chest full of love for her friend, Alex smiled.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, trying to downplay the severity of what she’d done. Letting go of Selina’s hair, she grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned on her television. “Let’s watch some episodes of a _great_ show.” She knew Selina had called them silly to rile her up, but Alex didn’t mind playing into her games a little.

Besides, they didn’t need to talk about the fact that she’d come clean. They both already knew what had happened and Selina knew more than perhaps anyone else what _the incident_ had done to Alex and all of her relationships. Like a nuclear bomb, infecting everything around it and causing cancers and death even years later. A perfect description of the Joker.

So no, no they didn’t need to rehash this again. What they both needed now was to hold each other and to take comfort in the love they shared, in the friendship that bound them together, even after a year of nearly no contact, explicitly by Alex’s design.

Maybe one day she would get out the stack of letters she’d written but never sent. Letters to her mother, her friends, her colleagues, stuffed in a box at the very back of her closet, where all the other memories were buried that she didn’t want to think about anymore.

-

After two episodes, Alex heard the distinct pitter-patter of tiny bean toes on her living room floor, meaning that Trish had left whatever hidey hole she’d been hanging out in while she was mad at Alex. When she felt those four paws on her leg, and then on her chest, she knew Trish had given up on her anger in favor of some cuddling.

Turning her head to the side a little, Alex saw Trish had pressed her face into Selina’s neck and was snuffling happily, body relaxed. The sight made Alex grin as she turned back to the TV. They were watching old episodes of Law & Order, Alex’s favorite drug of choice.

“Our baby is not pleased with you, Supercop, but she forgives you,” Selina teased sleepily, her body soft and pliant under Alex’s hands, like a big, napping cat. The simile would have been appropriate, even if Selina hadn't been Catwoman. “I think you should be fine, if you give her more scritches than usual for the next few weeks.”

Giving off a sharp laugh, Alex dug her nails into Selina’s sides.

“Oh please, she loved Kara’s place. So many new things to knock over,” she said, wiggling her fingers until Selina squirmed. “She just didn't like the commute.” Craning her neck to the side again, she looked at the dozing Trish, secretly glad that she wasn't mad anymore. “Remind me to give you one of Kara’s sketches she made of Trish. She said she wants you to have one, too.”

At her words, Selina purred happily.

“We have the best girlfriend ever,” she murmured, pressing a few kisses against Alex’s t-shirt, so she wouldn’t have to move her head too much.

Closing her eyes in fond exasperation, Alex didn’t counter Selina’s words with any sort of rebuttal or warning to keep her hands to herself. In this moment, she was just glad Selina had accepted Kara into their little flock of misfits. With all of the weird perks and downsides that entailed.

Best of all, if Selina had taken a liking to Kara, Pam and Harley wouldn’t be far behind.

“We should send her a selfie to brighten her morning,” Selina continued, suddenly sounding much more awake as she pushed herself up on her hands, face hovering over Alex’s. “I bet she’d love that.”

-

In the end, Alex should have known that taking a selfie with Selina would not be as easy as she would have liked. She’d been prepared for a quick picture of the two of them grinning up at the camera, or maybe waving if they wanted to be _really_ adventurous.

But no.

No, of course not.

“I can’t believe you sent her that,” Alex grumbled, staring at the selfie on Selina’s phone screen. Maybe she should have been smart enough to use her own cell, but now it was too late to bemoan her bad decision making skills.

“What? I bet she’s going to think it’s hilarious,” Selina replied, cuddling back into Alex’s arms and pressing her nose against Alex’s neck. “We could have had an even better picture, if you weren’t such a stick in the mud. You’ve spent way too much time with Batman.”

Alex hummed, still staring at the screen while Selina poked and prodded her bicep muscles.

The selfie was a right mess.

Thankfully, Alex had been able to keep Selina from taking off her t-shirt, but in that split-second of distraction, Selina had leaned up, trying to press a kiss to Alex’s lips as she clicked the button on her phone camera. Alex had managed at the last second to push a single hand against Selina’s face, barely holding her back. At the bottom right corner of the picture was a blurry white spot in the shape of an ear, where Trish had looked up to see what was going on.

The caption read:

_A sexy picture for my sexy girlfriend_.

Feeling amused despite herself, Alex was just about to put the phone back down, when she saw that Kara was texting back.

“Kara’s texting you back,” she said, unwilling to infringe on her friend’s or her girlfriend’s privacy. She had no business knowing what they were texting about. Lowering her hand, she tried to give Selina back the phone, but Selina only closed her eyes and snuggled further into Alex’s torso, obviously unwilling to participate.

“What is she saying?” She asked, voice muffled by Alex’s t-shirt.

Looking back at the phone, now with permission, Alex’s heart grew three sizes as she looked at the small words on the screen.

> [Kara Kyle-Danvers]: Give Alex a big cuddle for me! _Sent 8:45am_.

As she read the text out loud, Selina made an appreciative noise and lovingly rubbed Alex’s sides. She, too, seemed happy that Kara and her were getting along so well after what had happened. It was a fantastic feeling to have so many people who cared for her also care about one another.

“Can you text her back that I’m more than willing to double team you tonight?” Selina said, her tone mischievous, shattering Alex’s sappy mood.

“You’re gross.” Alex said, turning off the phone before throwing it back onto the coffee table. “I don’t even know why I keep you around. All you do is eat, and hog the blankets.” In contrast to her words, she wrapped both arms around Selina’s back and held on tightly.

-

At lunchtime, Alex was shaken from her nap by the sound of the doorbell. Selina was still on top of her, also dead to the world, Netflix asking them if they wanted to keep going or if they’d perhaps fallen asleep. Trish was sprawled over both of them, and Herbert had found his way into the mix at some point, too, curled up at Alex’s feet.

Before she’d drifted off, Alex hadn’t been aware of just how tired she really was and how much the emotional strain of the previous day had drained her. With Selina’s presence weighing her down, Alex had been able to relax, the same way she had the night before, when it had been Kara on top of her, albeit after some gentle kissing.

It took her a second to register the buzzer of her apartment.

She’d only just managed to shift out from under Selina, when her phone started to vibrate with an incoming call. Probably the person who had tried to come inside. The fact that they had her number, whoever it was, made Alex feel instantly better about the situation. People who had her number weren’t likely to want to kill her.

Grabbing the phone, Alex walked towards the front door, looking back for a second to check and see if Selina was still asleep. Judging by the confused little frown on her face, she, too, was just waking up, and probably wondering where Alex had gone.

Looking down, she saw Hank’s name flash on the screen.

“Danvers,” Alex answered, phone pressed against her ear as she let her finger hover over the buzzer to open the door downstairs. “Are you the one who’s trying to break into my house?”

When she heard Hank’s distinctive chuckle, Alex grinned.

“Yes,” he said simply, and Alex didn’t hesitate before pressing the button, opening her front door and waiting for Hank to make his appearance. It would be good to see him, and to discuss their next move. After all, just because she wasn’t with the police right now, didn’t mean that he was no longer her partner.

“I’m glad for the distraction, Selina was just trying to strangle me,” Alex said jovially, watching out of the corner of her eye how Mrs. Robershire’s door opened just a smidge. By now, she would have assumed her neighbor to be a spy from the hero menace movement or some other organization, if she hadn’t done an extensive background check on her after moving in.

“She certainly is an interesting woman,” Hank replied carefully, and Alex laughed, leaning her shoulder against the doorjamb as she waited for the elevator to ding.

“That’s an understatement.”

When Hank strolled up to her, Alex ended the call and slipped her phone into the right pocket of her sweatpants. Before he entered the apartment, he squeezed Alex’s shoulder in a supportive gesture. His grim smile told her everything she needed to know about the current state of their work situation.

Closing the door behind them, Alex took note of the fact that Selina had vacated the couch and was nowhere to be seen.

“Selina?” Alex called out, momentarily worried.

“Bedroom,” Selina called back, soothing Alex’s fears. “I have a few errands to run before movie night.” A second later, she emerged in a pair of jeans and one of Alex’s button-ups. She’d tied it off across the midsection, effectively turning it into somewhat of a crop-top. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Her departure was so abrupt, Alex felt like she was experiencing whiplash.

“Did something happen?” She asked, touching Selina’s bicep, brows furrowed.

“I just got a text about a last-minute meeting,” Selina said, cupping Alex’s cheek and giving her the smallest of kisses. “I’ll be back soon, don't worry about me. Have a nice chat with your partner.” She looked serious, and the expression didn't exactly ease Alex’s worry. “And you,” she turned to Hank, “take care of our Supercop.”

She leaned in and gave Hank a kiss on the cheek.

“Be safe,” Alex said, watching as Selina walked towards the front door.

“Always,” she replied, winking, before she was out the door.

“I didn’t mean to chase her out,” Hank said, hands placed on his hips. He, too, was looking at the door, before he wandered over to the windows and started closing the blinds. “But I am glad that she left. That is going to make this a whole lot easier.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Alex raised one eyebrow.

“You sound like you're planning to murder me. You do realize that, right?” Alex asked, voice half-amused, half-deadpan.

He chuckled.

When the blinds were closed, he gestured for Alex to sit on the couch with Trish and Herb. Once she’d sat down, he stood in front of the television, which was still frozen on Netflix’s pause screen. There was plenty of light in the room, despite the covered windows, but the red background made him seem as though he was glowing.

“What’s going on?” Alex asked, glancing first at the windows and then at Hank once more. “Did something happen at the precinct? Or is this about Supergirl?” She wanted to lean back and seem casual, but if this _was_ about Kara, Alex needed to be alert.

“I spoke to Kara this morning,” Hank said, completely shutting down Alex’s brain. His face looked grim and serious and he nodded at Alex’s blank expression. He’d spoken to _Kara_ . So he _did_ know. “Yes, I know who she is. And I know that she told you.”

“ _Telling_ me is a pretty charitable description, if you ask me,” Alex mumbled, thinking back to Kara’s angry snarl and hurt eyes. She never wanted Kara to look at her that way again. “I was wondering if you knew, and I meant to ask Kara about it, but then the whole suspension thing happened.”

So Hank knew about Kara.

That was pretty cool.

“What did you and Kara talk about?” She asked, finally leaning back on the couch. He probably hadn't come here just to let her in on that little fact. And he wouldn't have had to close the blinds for it, either. “Did she give you some sort of information crystal? Batman mentioned something like that to me once.”

Kryptonians liked to store things in crystals, Batman had told her. She’d never personally _seen_ one of those storage devices, but now that she’d had a good look at some of Kara’s paintings, she had a better idea of what they looked like. After all, the citadel she’d painted was made of the stuff.

“No,” Hank said, his face determined, “I didn't come here to talk about Kara.” He uncrossed his arms. “I came here to tell you who I really am.”

Without warning, he started to change, like he was trying to rip off a Band-Aid as quickly as possible to minimize the pain. As he spoke, his face seemed to fissure with red veins, his eyes glowing in the relative darkness of the room.

“Who are you?” Alex whispered, staring in awe as Hank’s face and body shifted and changed, growing taller and bigger, the back of his skull elongating, his green suit changing into a dark battle armor with a red x across the chest.

Alex could feel her jaw drop open as she stared at her partner, at his green skin.

“I am the last Son of Mars,” he said, standing fully formed in front of her, his cape barely brushing the ground. “I… am J’onn J’onzz.”

Now she understood why he’d closed the blinds.

“Damn,” Alex said, consciously forcing her mouth to close, so as not to seem rude. Was she the only non-super powered person in her circle of friends? “The last Son of Mars?” Slowly, she got to her feet, feeling a little miffed that her head now barely reached his bicep. “Are you like Kara?”

“I am the last of my race,” he confirmed, reaching out his hand, which she took without question. “I came to Earth as a refugee, though much earlier than Kara and Clark.” His skin was soft and warm and she tried not to imagine the millions like him who had died. Just like Kara’s people. “I worked with Kara’s uncle Jor-El on Krypton. There, I was known as the Martian Manhunter.”

She filed this information away for later. If Hank- _J’onn_ , knew about Krypton, maybe he could make her better understand what Kara’s world had been like. Maybe he even spoke Kryptonian. Maybe he could _teach_ her.

But she was getting ahead of herself.

“Why are you telling me this now? Not that I’m not happy that you trust me with this, but why?” Alex asked, wondering if it had something to do with the fact that she’d figured out Kara’s real identity. Maybe that had bolstered his trust in her?

No matter the reason, she felt honored that he’d told her.

“Kara and I talked about me using my powers at the precinct, and I didn't want to keep you out of the loop,” J’onn said, squeezing her hand with his own. At her questioning look, he bowed his head a little and smiled. “Green Martians are telepaths.” His face turned a little grim. “We shared affection through the exchange of memories and sensations. Through touch.”

She squeezed his hand a little tighter.

“Telepathy must be cool… and exhausting,” she breathed, wondering how many terrible thoughts he’d had to witness throughout his lifetime. How many of those terrible thoughts had been her own.

He smiled again, his face becoming more and more familiar the longer she looked at it. She hoped that someday, he wouldn't have to hide who he truly was. And in order for that to happen, she would have to topple the hero menace movement.

Easy as pie.

“I can't use my powers without risking the safety of Earth,” he said, face turning grim. “There are White Martians, who are responsible for the eradication of my people. They can feel my presence when I enter someone else's mind.” The thought was baffling. “It draws them in.”

Now Alex understood.

J’onn was the telepath that Kara had spoken about, the one with the world-devouring baggage.

“What made you change your mind about using your powers?” Alex asked, thinking back to Kara’s reluctance. She understood why they were both skeptical about whether or not it would be worth it to draw in more monsters just to defeat the ones they already had.

He smiled, but remained silent.

A moment of quiet stretched between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Alex had a pretty good idea why J’onn had had his sudden shift in attitude, and while she didn't want him to do something dangerous for her, she didn't want to discredit his choice.

“So… you're green,” Alex said instead, grinning.

“Yes,” he replied, slowly disentangling their hands and placing both of his back on his waist now that their tender moment was broken. A proper pose for a superhero. “But as you can see, the human stereotype of little green men on Mars ends there.” That was certainly true. If she had to stare up for much longer, she’d get a crick in her neck.

“I’m just saying, it’s no wonder Herb likes you so much,” Alex teased, walking over to the couch and picking up her little potted plant. “You guys can be green buddies.” She was joking and J’onn knew it, but he acted offended nonetheless.

“I’m not a plant,” he said, looking down at Trish, who was rubbing her tiny body on his massive left shin. The sight was so cute, Alex would have liked nothing more than to take a picture.

“Kara’s sort of like a plant,” Alex mused, walking back over to J’onn, who had stooped down to pick up Trish, and was now cradling her in his huge arms as she purred. “You’d like Kara, buddy,” she told Herb, scratching the underside of his maw. “She uses the sun’s energy to survive _and_ she eats everything in sight.”

Together, they stood there for several minutes, giving Alex’s pets some love.

“You know,” Alex continued, hoping that she’d put J’onn at ease with her reaction and hadn’t made him regret his revelation in any way. She wanted her friends to feel comfortable sharing their secrets with her. “Vasquez would totally shit themself if they knew who you really are.”

An amused little chuckle was his only response.

-

After J’onn’s coming out, for lack of a better word, Alex had watched him transform back into Hank Henshaw. He didn’t have time to stay for very long, since he’d swung over during his lunch break, and Alex sent him off back to the precinct with a bottle of juice for Vasquez and a packet of Oreos for himself.

Now that she was alone once more, with the TV off and the blinds open, she turned on the spot in the living room and wondered what to do next. After all, she had plenty of free time to kill until roughly six pm, until Kara and Lucy would show up for movie night. And Selina had deserted her, too, for some mysterious _meeting_ that most likely had something to do with their case, if Alex’s gut feeling was right.

She could go online and catch up on Tumblr, but then she’d probably run across someone discussing her past or her relation to Supergirl, and Alex just couldn’t be asked to deal with that right now.

She could have lunch, since she hadn’t really eaten anything since that breakfast at Kara’s, where they’d spent more time kissing and touching than actually eating, with Alex’s hands placed on the kitchen island while Kara stood behind her, kissing her neck and shoulder.

She could finally get to her workout, like she’d planned to do that morning. If she wanted to keep fighting for her life, she needed to stay fit and alert, and nothing was better than a good workout to clear her head, especially when it was stuffed full of new information like this.

Biting her bottom lip, she tapped her foot on the floor.

What to do, what to do?

She’d just made up her mind to go into her study instead to look at Kara’s sketchbook and listen to some inoffensively soft music, when she heard a knock at her front door that made her freeze. It couldn’t be J’onn, could it? Had he forgotten something in her apartment?

She looked around, unable to spot anything out of the ordinary.

The person on the other side of the door knocked again, more insistently this time.

Selina wouldn’t knock, since she had a key or tended to use a window if she couldn’t be asked to ride in an elevator. Kara was at work, same as Lucy, and Siobhan didn’t know where she lived. Vasquez, too, was at work, and everyone else in Alex’s life wasn’t currently in National City.

Slowly, quietly, she made her way to the door, slipping a gun from behind the cupboard next to it, holding it steady as she looked through the spyhole.

If she’d been a person less well-acquainted with guns, she would have dropped the one she was currently holding. Instead, she quickly slipped it back into its hiding place and unlocked the door, before pulling on the handle to reveal…

Her _mother_.

“I can’t believe those people suspended you,” she said furiously, before pushing her way into Alex’s apartment, holding a gigantic suitcase and a kitty box in each respective hand, her purse slung over one shoulder. Considering that she’d likely come directly from the airport, she looked surprisingly fresh-faced.

Maybe it was the anger.

“Mom, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” Alex asked, closing the door and looking down at herself to check if there was any evidence of the fact that Selina had been sleeping on her. She didn’t want to give her mother any more reason to assume that they were dating. In an instant, her hand flew to her neck to cover Kara’s hickey.

_Crap_.

“I didn’t have time,” Eliza said, setting down her bag and the kitty box. “Stef called yesterday evening to tell me everything and I booked the first flight I could.” She bowed down to unclip the top of the box, freeing Alex’s worst nightmare. “I’m not just going to sit idly by and watch my daughter be crucified for something she didn’t do.”

When she’d let her gigantic black cat out of its cage, his evil little face looking at Alex with only mild interest, Eliza turned back around and cupped both of Alex’s cheeks, turning her head from side to side to see if everything was fine. Alex would have liked nothing better than to protest, but her mother’s touch was soothing and Alex was powerless to resist the comfort.

“I don’t understand how this keeps happening to you,” Eliza said, letting go of Alex’s face and hugging her tightly instead, Alex clutching her back just as fiercely. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed her mother. “What that Maxwell Lord is doing to you is unacceptable. It’s unethical.”

Burying her face in her mom’s shoulder, Alex closed her eyes and took respite in the familiar scent of _home_.

“He’s a douche,” Alex agreed, sagging in her mother’s arms. “But I don’t think there’s anything you can do about that, mom. Short of punching him in the face, maybe.”

A little to their right, she heard snuffling noises and looked up.

Trish was sitting on the couch, looking down, and Caesar was sitting in front of it, staring up at her. A monumental black giant against a tiny, white dwarf, the smackdown of the century.

Before Alex could intervene, Caesar had jumped onto the couch, his huge body obstructing Alex’s view of Trish for a second. But while she had been expecting bloodshed, all she saw was Caesar curling himself around Trish and purring like a small, fat car. Trish seemed satisfied as well, judging by how she made herself comfortable on Caesar’s belly.

“If you point me in his direction, I’ll give that Lord character a piece of my mind. If he thinks he can get away with hurting my Alexandra, he's got another thing coming,” Eliza said, her left hand holding the back of Alex’s head while her right one soothingly ran up and down Alex’s spine. “Now, where is my daughter-in-law?”

Sighing, Alex pulled away.

“I’m not secretly married to Selina, mom,” she said, looking away from the two cats, where Caesar had started grooming Trish’s head, and down at her mother, who was looking around the apartment, obviously wondering if Selina was hiding out somewhere.

“Of course, honey,” Eliza said, patting Alex’s cheek, her voice a little patronizing. Alex rolled her eyes, too used to her mother’s teasing to get worked up about it anymore. Instead, she pulled away from the embrace and picked up Caesar’s kitty box to set it down where no one would trip over it.

Her mother’s approving sigh made Alex shift her eyes back over.

“This is gorgeous; where did you get it?” Eliza asked, standing in front of Kara’s painting, her gaze roaming over the color palette and landing on Kara’s and Astra’s faces. “Did you buy this at the vernissage you went to? Selina told me she also bought something.” She smiled at Alex. “She sent me a picture. Those cats were adorable.”

Nodding dumbly, Alex thought about mentioning that the vernissage had been for her _girlfriend’s_ paintings, but just blurting it out after she hadn't told her mother about Kara for _months_ was just a little daunting. Especially considering how invested her mother was in Alex starting a relationship with Selina.

“Do you know if there is any way for me to get in contact with the artist?” Eliza continued, walking over to the fridge and opening it up, critically examining its contents. “I’m redecorating the living room and I think a new painting would tie the whole thing together.”

“Um, yeah, sure, I know the artist,” Alex said, flinching when her mom gave her a suspicious look. She’d always been awful at lying to her mother, and her behavior was likely only making it worse by the looks of it.

Biting the bullet, Alex slipped her hands into the back pockets of her sweatpants.

“She, uh, she's my…” Her mother raised an eyebrow. “She’s sort of my… girlfriend.”

_Sort of_.

Very funny.

Her mother stared at her.

“I, uh, I met her a couple of months ago at the coffee shop where she works, and we really hit it off and went out a couple of times.” She was rambling. God, she was rambling, while her mother just stood there and watched with a blank expression.

“And then we had a falling out and didn't talk for a couple of weeks, and I got shot and we got back together and we went out a few more times, and I’m sorry I didn't tell you about her, but I think I’m in love.” She took a deep breath, feeling a little anxious about her mother’s silence.

The last time Alex had ‘introduced’ a girlfriend to her parents, she’d still been in high school.

After a second of quiet, her mother closed the door to the refrigerator.

“A _barista_?” She asked, furrowing her brows.

Alex’s chest deflated.

“And an _artist_ , mom,” Alex said, not even trying to defend Kara’s other job. Her mom could be a bit of a snob when it came to other people’s professions, what with her being a renowned scientist and Alex’s dad having been an ambitious police officer and subsequently the commissioner of the city.

When her mother didn’t comment, Alex let it go. No sense trying to change her mother’s mind, when she would very likely meet Kara tonight anyway, unless Alex called off the movie night, which she really didn’t want to do.

Kara would win her over anyway, like she did everybody else.

“How does Selina feel about the fact that you’re dating somebody else now?” Eliza asked, crossing her arms over her chest in an accusatory fashion, like Alex had somehow cheated on Selina by falling in love with Kara.

“She’s fine, mom, and like I’ve told you a million times, there is nothing going on between us.” She picked up her mother’s gigantic suitcase and carried it over to her bedroom. “How long were you planning on staying?”

“A few days,” Eliza replied, reopening the fridge just as Alex walked back out again. “Longer, if necessary.” She shook her head. “Sweetheart, your fridge looks like it belongs in a bachelor pad. It’s so sad and empty.”

“I’m an unmarried woman, mom, and I work a lot,” Alex defended herself poorly, closing the fridge and giving her mother another hug. “Can you at least try to give Kara a chance when you meet her? I know you really wanted it to be Selina, but that’s not what either of us wants.”

Eliza hugged her back fiercely.

“I’m sure she’s lovely,” she said, obviously having to force the disappointment from her voice. “I guess you wouldn’t say that you’re in love if you didn’t mean it.”

“Thank you,” Alex said, pulling away again. “Um, we haven’t dropped the L word, yet, so if you talk to her, I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention that to her.” She bit her bottom lip. “I invited Kara and her best friend Lucy over for a movie night.”

Eliza smiled gently and cupped Alex’s cheek.

“That sounds wonderful, sweetheart. I’ll cook us up a nice dinner,” she said, softly stroking Alex’s skin. “So get your behind into a pair of proper pants - you’re taking me grocery shopping.”

When her mother turned away, Alex could tell that she was still disappointed about Selina not being Alex’s girlfriend, but Alex let it go. Her mother would just have to get used to the fact that things hadn’t worked out the way she’d wanted them to.

Walking over to the couch, Alex reached down to pat Trish’s head, pulling her hand back quickly when Caesar clawed at her with his paw, an angry look on his face. She didn’t know if Caesar was acting this way because he honestly thought Alex was going to hurt Trish, or if he was doing it just to be a dick.

“ _Mom_ , tell your behemoth of a cat to stop being mean to me,” she whined, trying and failing a second time to touch her own pet. This was getting truly ridiculous. Why didn’t her mom just leave the monster at a shelter for the time being?

When her mom didn’t respond and instead started reorganizing the kitchen counter, Alex sighed.

“Little spawn of Satan,” she whispered to herself, making sure that only Caesar would hear her, before straightening up and walking into her bedroom.

She had grocery shopping to do.

-

“When do you think Selina will be home?” Eliza asked, cutting the onions she intended to glaze in a pan before throwing them into the pot of curry she had her heart set on making. They’d bought way too many loaves of bread, too.

“I don’t know, mom; I told you, she’s in some sort of meeting,” Alex reiterated, putting away the vegetables her mom had insisted they buy, even though Alex had a feeling they’d go bad very quickly, since she tended to forget about the healthy food she had on hand. “She said it could be a few hours.”

It was now roughly two thirty in the afternoon, and Alex hoped Selina would be home soon, so her mom would stop asking about her. Selina and her mom usually spent so much time together that it must have been difficult for both of them to adjust to so much time apart, especially since her mom didn’t really have too many close friends she could really talk to.

Sure, she had her book club and she frequently hung out with Barbara Gordon, but Selina was more of a confidante. In this moment, Alex wished they all lived closer together, so the commute wouldn’t take them ages just to see one another, even though the distance had been the reason Alex had transferred from the state of New York to California in the first place.

“Do you want me to text her? I can tell her to move her butt over here faster,” Alex offered, hovering in the kitchen, wondering if there was some way for her to help her mom with their late lunch. She was sure there was _something_ she could do without screwing up. Her cooking wasn't quite as dreadful as Selina often made it out to be.

“No, I want it to be a surprise,” Eliza said, patting the chair next to her, gesturing for Alex to sit down and stop fussing. “And if she’s tied up in an important meeting, I don't want to disturb her.” She slid over a cutting board and a handful of cherry tomatoes. “These need to be squared, honey.”

For the next thirty minutes, they squared and halved various different vegetables, and Alex managed not to cut herself even once. Who cared that her tomato squares weren't totally symmetrical? Her mother certainly didn't. She just praised Alex for her hard work.

Her mom had just started sautéing the onions, when they heard a rattling at the front door and Selina walked in, carrying a huge flower pot with what looked to be some sort of small tree.

Alex’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the sight.

“Baby, I’m home,” Selina called out, kicking the door shut behind her and locking it without looking up. “My contact gave this to me for safekeeping. It’s some sort of prized plant. Don't tell Red about it or she's going to try and keep it for herself.” The pot covered most of her torso, but her bare stomach was still clearly visible. “You’ll never guess what I found out!”

As Alex cleared her throat, Selina finally stopped talking and took a second to absorb her surroundings. Mainly the fact that Alex wasn’t the only other person in the apartment. Her eyes lit up like Christmas trees when she saw Eliza standing by the stove.

“Liza!” Selina called, placing the flower pot next to the front door and shooting forward to close the distance between Eliza and herself, while Alex tried to keep the onions from burning. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

They met in the middle of the living room, throwing their arms around one another as they hugged fiercely, Selina smiling in an unguarded way that Alex usually only associated with herself. It was a wonderful sight, even though Alex looked down at the stove every few seconds, afraid she was going to botch up her mother’s creation after all.

“I couldn’t leave Alex to fend for herself,” Eliza said, stepping back and giving Selina a clear once-over, even though her back was turned to Alex. “How is my favorite daughter-in-law? Texting just isn’t the same.” They hugged again for a few more seconds.

“I’m okay. Pretty pissed at Alex’s dickhead of a boss,” Selina replied, pulling back from the embrace only to be assaulted by an armful of small panther as Caesar leapt straight into her arms. “Oh, hello, baby!”

Alex raised both eyebrows.

“I didn’t think he could do that, frankly,” she said, loud enough so Selina could hear her over the sizzling of the onions.

Her comment earned her two stern glares. One from Selina, and one from Caesar, even though Alex was pretty sure he hadn’t actually understood her and was just angry about the fact that she’d had the audacity to speak at all while he was cuddling Selina. Alex would never understand that beast.

“Of course he can,” Selina tutted, hugging Caesar closer as Eliza walked back into the open kitchen to rescue the onions from Alex’s dilettante attempts.

While Selina cuddled and kissed Caesar’s face, Alex walked out into the living room and sat down next to Trish on the couch, taking the opportunity to pet her while the black hellspawn was busy.

“Your mom has been feeding you too many treats,” Selina cooed, bouncing Caesar up and down like a baby and nuzzling his big ears while he purred and tried to rub his face against hers. “That’s why Alex is always so mean to you. She’s fat shaming you.”

Snorting, Alex made a grab for Caesar’s left hind leg and gave it a little tug.

“It’s not my mom’s fault you couldn’t tell the difference between a damn house cat and a miniature panther,” Alex teased, letting go of Caesar’s leg when he mewled in disgust, which was followed almost immediately by Selina furrowing her brows and kicking Alex in the shin.

“Why do you hold so much hate in your heart, Alex? Seriously, it’s no wonder Kara would rather be with me,” she said, rubbing Caesar’s hind leg and moving him out of Alex’s reaching distance, for which he licked her face a few times.

Rolling her eyes, Alex looked back over to her mom, who had poured the onions into the pot on the stove where she’d already started the curry. The aromas filling the air were delicious and Alex couldn’t wait to have a true, home cooked meal from her mother again.

It had been far too long.

-

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Kara said, rolling her eyes at Lucy’s antics as they rode up the elevator together, Lucy’s arms hooked around one of Kara’s. Hopefully, Mrs. Robershire wouldn’t assume that Lucy, Kara, and Alex would be having a threesome tonight.

“I’m just saying,” Lucy replied, hugging Kara’s arm a little more tightly, “if she hits on me again, I can’t be held accountable for my actions. I’ll punch her in the nose.” She shook her head. “That woman drives me crazy. And not in the good way.”

Sighing, Kara pulled Lucy forward and out of the elevator.

“In another life, I bet the two of you would have gotten along famously,” she said, shifting the bottle of wine she was clutching from one hand to the other so she could knock on Alex’s front door. She couldn’t wait for a calm evening, and she was going to make damn sure Lucy and Selina would pull themselves together. “The two of you just won’t be allowed to sit next to one another.”

“ _Thank you_ ,” Lucy said, patting Kara’s arm in relief before pulling away as the door in front of them opened to reveal Alex, looking anxious and a little unnerved as she spotted them.

“Hey,” Kara said, immediately concerned as she gave Alex a little kiss. “What’s wrong?”

Lucy had already pushed her way inside, after having taken the bottle of wine, and was hanging up her coat when Alex finally seemed to find her voice.

“Um, just, you know.” She shrugged, pulling Kara inside and closing the door. “Just be your usual self and everything should be fine. I’m totally fine.” Her words caused more than a little confusion to rise in Kara, who had anticipated Alex to be relaxed and happy that Kara was back after they’d been separated for almost ten hours.

“You don’t look fine, and why would I be anybody but myself?” Kara asked, giving Alex the smallest of kisses. “Your heart is racing. Is this about yesterday? Cause we can go if you need time to yourself.”

Mouth open to respond, Alex stiffened when a voice Kara didn’t recognize spoke from further in the apartment.

“Hello, nice to meet you, I’m Eliza,” the voice said, making Kara look over and into the open kitchen, where Selina was sitting with a chubby black cat on her lap. Next to her stood a striking woman of advanced age with a head of shoulder-length blonde hair and a kind smile as she shook Lucy’s hand. “Are you Kara?”

“Oh, no, no, I’m Lucy Lane, I’m Kara’s best friend,” Lucy replied, while Kara was having the quietest meltdown she could muster, her hand sliding into Alex’s and holding on fast, because holy Rao, this couldn’t possibly be…

“Why didn’t you tell me your mom was here?” She whispered out of the corner of her mouth, consciously trying not to crush Alex’s fingers as her heart went into overdrive. Now she understood Alex’s current anxiety, and how she’d felt during the vernissage when she’d been confronted out of nowhere with Kara’s parental figures.

“I sent you a bunch of texts,” Alex hissed back, seemingly shrinking as her mother left Lucy and looked over at them, at their clasped hands, before zeroing in on Kara like she had a bullseye painted on her forehead. “Didn’t you check your phone?”

Inwardly, Kara groaned.

She’d been so caught up with work and with her excitement about tonight, she’d simply… forgotten to check. After leaving CatCo’s, her mind had been on Lucy and Selina getting along, while also picking a wine she wasn’t quite sure if she should bring in the first place, with Alex being somewhat dependent on alcohol.

“I forgot,” she mumbled. She was pretty sure she’d never felt less like Supergirl than in this moment, with Dr. Eliza fricking Danvers walking towards her, especially after Kara had been talking about having sex with her daughter just this morning.

“You must be Kara, Alex has told me so much about you,” Eliza said, holding out her hand and giving Kara a critical look, like she was waiting for her to screw up somehow. Kara was pretty sure she remembered Alex telling her that her mother wanted Alex to go out with Selina instead.

That thought didn’t make her feel better.

“And you’re the amazing Dr. Danvers; it is such an honor to meet you, ma’am, I read up on your theories after Alex mentioned your profession,” Kara said, completely truthfully, as she shook Eliza’s hand.

When Alex gave her a surprised look, Kara tried not to act like she’d done her homework.

Eliza seemed disgruntled about the admission, like she’d been dead-set on being unhappy with the situation, and couldn’t quite muster the emotion now that she was meeting Kara.

Hoping to score even more points, Kara threw in one of her famous Kent smiles.

When Eliza let go of her hand, she looked curious instead of wary, like Kara was faring better than she’d thought. Still, Kara wouldn’t let down her guard now, not when she was fighting for the approval of the person who had given birth to the woman Kara loved.

“Alex tells me you’re quite the accomplished artist,” Eliza said, dropping Kara’s hand and looking over to _Little One_ , Kara’s painting and glimpse into the past. “I was wondering if you could sell me one of your pieces for our living room.” She hesitated. “My living room.”

Kara could feel the pain radiating from her as Eliza remembered that her husband was dead and her only child had moved far away. The thought made Kara want to reach out to the woman, even though it wouldn’t have been appropriate.

“You should talk to Lucy about that; she’s my manager. I’m sure we can find something for you, and if we don’t, I’m always open for commissions. If you want a painting in a specific color scheme, I can paint one for you personally,” Kara said, squeezing Alex’s hand to let her know that she _had_ this.

Especially when Eliza was extending her an olive branch in the form of that painting.

“I could give you the family discount,” Kara said without thinking, blushing to the roots of her hair at what she had just implied about her and Alex’s relationship and its longevity. While Kara felt absolutely sure that her and Alex would someday get married and have a gaggle of children, if that could be arranged, she wasn’t sure how Alex’s mother would feel about a future where Selina wasn’t necessarily part of the equation in the traditional sense.

As a godmother, certainly, but not as Eliza’s daughter-in-law.

Thankfully, Eliza’s gaze only turned more curious as she looked back and forth between Alex and Kara, obviously trying to gage the seriousness of what they had. Kara only hoped she would judge them favorably, so Alex wouldn’t be in trouble with her mother.

“I’m sure we can arrange something,” Eliza said, smiling a little as she patted Kara’s arm. “I just have one question for you, Kara.” She held eye contact and moved a little closer, Kara hearing Lucy shuffle into the kitchen, where Selina was still sitting.

“Of course, yeah,” she said, hand once again gripping Alex’s fingers just a little too tightly. “Ask me anything you like.” If it made Eliza back off and accept her, Kara would tell her almost anything. Safe perhaps for her secret identity.

Eliza seemed satisfied.

“Do you love my daughter?” She asked, eyes narrowing dangerously as Kara gulped and Alex exploded.

“Mom!” She hissed, letting go of Kara’s left hand and stepping in front of her in a protective gesture. “You are totally out of line here! That’s none of your business.” She looked angry beyond belief and Kara felt her heart beat even faster at Alex’s offense.

“Yes,” Kara said, though neither Eliza nor Alex were paying her any attention at this point.

“It’s an important question,” Eliza defended herself, placing her hands at her waist in a stance very similar to Alex’s when she was mad about something. “I need to know what her intentions are, if you want to spend any more significant time with her.”

“Yes, I do,” Kara repeated, a little louder this time, though the other two women were still too preoccupied with their argument to realize that Kara had decided on what she wanted to do. How she felt wasn’t _really_ a secret.

“That doesn’t make this okay,” Alex raged, voice deadly calm as she glared at her mother.

Before either woman could say another word, Kara lifted her right hand and smoothed it along her girlfriend’s bicep, before it landed on Alex’s chest. Exerting only the slightest amount of pressure, Kara pulled Alex closer to herself, disrupting their little stand-off. Instead of removing the hand, Kara kept it there, stroking gently over Alex’s collarbones.

“Yes,” Kara said to Eliza, uncomfortably aware of how hot her face had grown, “I love Alex.”

Her heart was beating faster than any human’s would have allowed for, and she didn’t dare turn her head to look at Alex’s face. She didn’t regret her words, but she also felt incredibly vulnerable in this moment.

“Good,” Eliza said, seemingly at a loss for words, sounding more than a little surprised that Kara had actually answered her and hadn’t just shriveled up in embarrassment over the whole affair. A quick glance to the right revealed Lucy and Selina both sitting in the kitchen, snacking on a bowl of curry, and dipping bread slices.

Flinching a little when Alex’s free hand curled around the one Kara had on her chest, Kara almost didn’t hear Selina’s words from the kitchen, calling Eliza over to show her and Lucy how the curry they were eating had been seasoned.

Eliza was distracted enough that she let herself be pulled into the kitchen, while Alex slid down their hands and pulled Kara to the front door. As Kara heard Lucy ask about the recipe, Alex opened the door and dragged Kara outside and along the corridor, into the stairwell.

Maybe she didn’t want Mrs. Robershire to snoop again.

A second later, Kara was pushed against the wall, and Alex’s lips were on hers, insistent and hot. Alex’s hands slid under Kara’s blouse, grabbing the warm skin as they made out, open mouths sliding against one another, before Alex curled her fingers under Kara’s thighs and lifted her up.

Dragging her nails along Alex’s scalp, Kara ignored her glasses slipping up her nose as she tilted her head to the side to slant her mouth more forcefully against Alex’s lips, whimpering when Alex’s right hand dragged along her ribcage.

“You love me?” Alex panted, pulling her mouth away and looking directly into Kara’s eyes, hazel shining with emotions as Alex pressed their bodies even closer together.

She certainly hadn’t anticipated for their first grand emotional reveal to take place in front of Alex’s _mother_ , but she was glad that it was out in the open now. With Alex in her arms, everything felt simple. Even this.

“Yes,” she breathed, leaning in and giving Alex a gentle kiss, lips moving slowly and languidly.

“Tell me again,” Alex pleaded, pressing their foreheads together and brushing her nose against Kara’s. “Please.”

Kara’s chest felt like it would burst at any moment.

“I love you, Alex Danvers,” she husked, stroking Alex’s cheek with her thumb, before giving her another kiss. It was like she couldn’t get enough. Of Alex’s lips, of her warmth, her words, her kindness, her _love_. “I love you.”

Alex seemed to sag with relief.

“I love you, too,” she said, voice choked up with emotion, kissing Kara desperately. “You’re amazing. God, Kara, you’re all I’ve ever wanted.”

Their eyes met again, and there was no doubt in Kara’s mind that Alex meant every word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALL THE THINGS HAPPENED
> 
> ELIZA. THE FIRST I LOVE YOU. MARTIAN REVELATION. 
> 
> I might not be able to upload the next chapter on Saturday. I'll be in London that entire weekend, and Idk how great it'll be to upload from my phone. we shall see! if i can't get it to work out for me, i'll see you guys in a week!
> 
> thanks as always to the beautiful Coara
> 
> and if you want to find me on tumblr, check out @goshdarnitjay


	21. A Gay Nerd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara tries to survive movie night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I tried to upload this from London, but I only had my phone and it didn't work out. But here I am! Have fun with this chapter!

“Hey, Selina?” Kara asked, turning her head a little to the side and up so she could look at Alex’s best friend. It was a bit nerve-wracking, too, since Selina’s head was pillowed on Eliza Danvers’ lap and Kara did  _ not _ want to make eye-contact with her.

Scraping together all of her superhuman strength, Kara pulled through.

“What’s up, baby?” Selina replied, looking away from the TV and down at Kara, who was snuggled comfortably into Alex’s side on a pile of blankets and pillows in front of Alex’s easy chair. Since the couch only accommodated three, maybe four people tops, and they were  _ five _ , Alex and Kara had opted to sit on the ground together, which left Eliza, Selina, and Lucy to share the couch.

Sadly, Kara hadn't been able to keep her promise towards Lucy.

“I had an idea for how we could get back at Lord for what he’s doing to Alex,” she said, squeezing Alex’s thigh and snuggling further into her. “We can get Catwoman to break into his office, and then we can all punch him in the face.”

Selina’s face turned from delighted to slightly forced in less than a second, something which Kara likely wouldn’t even have noticed, if she hadn’t been so fixated on her. No way was she going to slip up and look to the side. Eliza was still terrifying, even though she’d grown somewhat more amicable and warm after Kara had answered her final question.

And now that they’d all sat down to watch _Dirty_ _Dancing_ (per Eliza’s request), Kara felt just a little better about their evening, and about making a good first impression on her girlfriend’s mother. The only thing that made her feel a little guilty were Lucy’s betrayed looks.

It was obvious that her friend wasn’t too happy about her lot, since Selina had draped herself over the couch with her head on Eliza’s lap and her legs on Lucy’s. Lucy hadn’t made a scene, despite her expression of  _ what the fuck is going on _ , which probably had something to do with Eliza and her fondness for Alex’s best friend. No matter what happened next, Kara had a feeling that it didn’t matter whether she and Alex got married or not. Selina would always be the favorite daughter.

Lucy’s death glare was equally amusing and worrying.

“Um, sure,” Selina finally answered, shifting her legs a little, making Lucy look like she was on the verge of pushing them off. “Sounds like a solid plan, kiddo. Catwoman’s going to be all over that one.” She pulled up her knee and dug her foot into Lucy’s thigh, seemingly unconcerned about the danger she was placing herself in.

When Alex’s arms tightened around her, Kara looked away from Selina and Lucy and met her eyes.

“Lord doesn’t deserve your punches,” Alex said, nuzzling the side of Kara’s face with her nose and giving her a loving smile that made Kara feel weak in the knees, even while sitting down. She was still riding the high of their very first  _ I love you _ . “I’m pretty sure he feeds off the righteous indignation of others.”

“Besides,” Eliza interjected, finally drawing Kara’s gaze, “if anyone is going to deck that man, it’s going to be me.” She smiled, and Kara found herself returning the expression, albeit a little hesitantly.

“ _ Mom _ ,” Alex lamented, sounding cute beyond belief. “The last thing I need is for you to show up where I work.”

Raising both eyebrows, Eliza pursed her lips.

“I bet Vasquez would be more than happy to take care of your mom, Supercop,” Selina teased, wiggling her eyebrows and winking up at Eliza, making Alex’s cheeks flush bright red at the implication. “That’s the cute cop I mentioned, Liza, the shy one.”

Eliza hummed, running the fingers of her right hand through Selina’s dark hair, a fond expression smoothing out the lines around her eyes.

Kara’s eyes snapped to Lucy at the mention of Vasquez, wondering if her friend had noticed their stare the previous day. Even if she had, Kara had no idea how Lucy would feel about anyone’s advances, despite her problems with James. Now that things were going so well with Alex - not counting all the problems the real world was heaping on them - Kara wanted Lucy to be happy more than ever.

“They sounded very nice,” Eliza said, giving Alex a small, disapproving look. “I wonder why Alex never mentions her nice colleagues to me.” She raised both eyebrows, and Alex pouted, tightening her arm around Kara’s shoulder. The display of mother against daughter was pretty funny, and Kara smoothed her hand along Alex’s stomach, trying to calm her down.

“That’s what I’m here for, Liza,” Selina said, reaching down and taking Lucy’s hand.

The murderous look briefly flitting over Lucy’s face would have been enough to make a grown man cry, but Selina acted none the wiser as she placed the hand on her own knee, before patting it a few times. Selina liked playing with fire, and Kara had a feeling she’d made sure she sat next to Lucy, and that the thought of torturing her while Eliza was acting as a buffer was supremely hilarious to her.

Kara was going to have to give her friend one hell of a favor to somehow even out this night.

She sent Lucy an apologetic look, but before she could be noticed, Kara heard a small snuffling sound next to her. When she looked down, she spotted Eliza’s gigantic black cat Caesar, who looked up at her with idle curiosity.

While Alex continued to squabble with her mother, Kara patted her own lap and smiled down at Caesar, who didn’t waste any time jumping on top of her legs. Warmth filled Kara’s chest as he turned onto his back and urged her to rub his big belly. Honored to be awarded such a level of trust, Kara went to work, scritching his stomach with one hand and petting his head with the other.

It took Alex a good few moments before she realized that the two of them were no longer alone.

“Ugh, I bet he’s scent marking you,” she grumbled, glaring down at Caesar, who was too blissed out to notice. “I can’t believe you fell for that holier than thou shtick he pulls on everyone but me, the little hellspawn.”

Kara only smiled, especially when Selina and Eliza reprimanded Alex for picking on their cat. Even Caesar hissing at Alex when she moved was somehow endearing, and Kara had a feeling it had plenty to do with how utterly comfortable she felt, surrounded by these people. Even with Eliza here and Lucy holding herself back for Kara’s sake, she didn’t feel like she had to hide herself away or put on an act.

“I love you,” Kara whispered to Alex, quiet enough that no one else would be able to hear her without super hearing. Being free to finally say it was wonderful.

To her great satisfaction, the words made Alex blush.

“I love you, too, even when you consort with the enemy,” Alex replied, words almost silent, but enough to make Kara grin and give Alex’s cheek a small kiss.

“My God, the two of you are gross,” Selina sassed, smile stretched across her lips.

Kara felt inclined to agree.

 

-

 

After movie night, Kara hummed quietly to herself as she helped Alex pull the couch apart, so Selina and Eliza could sleep on it together. Since Kara was staying over, Selina had oh so graciously agreed to surrender Alex’s bed to her. She’d also wiggled her eyebrows quite a bit.

 

“I’m going to get a bed sheet from your closet,” Kara said, giving Alex a small kiss, before walking off. Selina was in the open kitchen, making herself a warm glass of milk and honey, while Eliza was having a light midnight snack consisting of a sliced apple.

 

With a glance back, Kara was glad to see Alex wearing a dreamy smile on her face, since Kara felt just as excited. Their first _ I love yous _ . Kara couldn’t get enough. Saying it, hearing it, was like a drug.

 

She was so occupied with thoughts of Alex pressing her against the wall of the stairwell while they said the magic words over and over again, that she almost didn’t notice the small speck of green and dirt on Alex’s steel blue sheets.

 

When she did, she stopped dead in her tracks.

 

There was… a plant. On Alex’s sheets. Wrapped around Alex’s stuffed animal beaver.

 

_ A plant _ .

 

Why someone had placed it there, Kara had absolutely no idea, and she stared in fascination and  _ confusion  _ at the crumbs of black earth leading from the windowsill to Alex’s bed, as though the plant had dragged itself all the way across the floor.

 

Weird.

 

When it took her longer than expected to return, Alex walked in after her.

 

“Couldn’t find the sheets?” She asked, obviously completely unconcerned by the mess right in front of her. Without a second glance, she opened the bottom drawer of her closet and pulled out the white linen. 

 

“Alex… why is there a plant in your bed?” Kara asked, pointing with her thumb.

 

Only now did Alex seem to recognize that something was off, but instead of shaking her head and telling Kara that either Selina or Eliza were playing a trick on them, she simply shrugged. As though it were an everyday occurrence.

 

“Oh, he was probably cold,” she said, putting the sheets down on the ground next to her feet. “Or maybe he was lonely. I just didn’t want him to get overwhelmed by so many new faces.” 

 

Now even more confused than before, Kara narrowed her eyes at Alex.

 

“He?” She asked, just as her detective walked towards the bed and picked up the plant like she would a small child or a puppy. That in and of itself would have been strange, but then the plant  _ moved _ , wrapping its tiny vines around Alex’s arms, maw wide open as though it were yawning.

 

“Herbert was a gift from Pam to keep me safe,” Alex said, rubbing the underside of Herbert’s maw. “He’s supposed to be a kind of guard dog.” A second later, Kara watched as he cuddled himself further into Alex’s chest.

 

“He doesn’t seem very dangerous…” Kara said, now more intrigued than weirded out. 

 

“Want to hold him?” Alex offered, turning towards Kara and walking back over to her. “I normally wouldn’t ask, but you’re Kryptonian, so he couldn’t hurt you anyway, even if he tried.” She smiled, and Kara grinned back, holding out her arms.

 

Grabbing the pot with one hand, Kara placed the tiny green plant in the crook of her left elbow and brought her right hand to his maw, stroking it gently. He was softer than she would have anticipated, and seemed to sniff her fingers before taking her hand into his mouth and chewing softly, as though trying to work out what kind of person she was.

 

Kara cooed.

 

“He’s so adorable,” she said, pulling her fingers out of his maw and scritching his head, feeling incredibly appreciated when he wrapped her up in his vines in a display of affection. “I’ve never met a sentient plant before. This is so exciting.”

 

“He seems to like you,” Alex said fondly, curling her arm around Kara’s waist and pulling her close. “Not that I’m surprised. You’re very likeable.” Her lips found Kara’s cheek for a sweet kiss, before she pressed her forehead against Kara’s temple. “And I knew you’d get along.”

 

“Did you?” Kara asked teasingly, placing her finger in Herbert’s maw and pulling away when he tried to catch it. Since he was wiggling with excitement, Kara figured he liked her little game.

 

“Yeah,” Alex said, fingers caressing Kara’s side, “since you’re photosynthesis buddies and all. You both need the sun.” She grinned, and Kara rolled her eyes. Her girlfriend was such a nerd, and she loved every second of it.

 

-

 

Saturday night, Alex was dreaming peacefully, body wrapped around Kara’s back, completely unconcerned that she was spooning the alien equivalent of a goddess who had about two-hundred times her strength and was also taller than her.

With her face pressed against Kara’s neck, Alex would have likely complained about the face full of hair she was getting, if she had been awake. She also would have protested about the insufferable heat.

But, alas, Alex wasn't awake.

Not yet.

 

-

 

“I made breakfast,” a voice called, pulling Alex half from her dream state, where she’d been terrified of exposing her connection to Supergirl, but somehow hadn't been able to keep her mouth shut at the same time. Not a pleasant dream by any stretch of the imagination. “Come on, you three. Before the pancakes get cold.”

For a second, Alex grunted an affirmative to her mother without registering what she’d actually said.

_ You three _ ?

Immediately, her eyes snapped open and she took note of the body pressed against her back, which hadn't been there when they’d gone to sleep. Looking behind herself, Alex groaned as she spotted Selina’s sleepy expression.

Kara’s relaxed face showed that she was still out cold.

“What the hell are you doing in my bed?” Alex whispered furiously, making no move to disentangle herself from Selina’s hold. For some reason, she felt uncomfortably reminded of Grey’s Anatomy. “You said you’d stay on the couch with my mom.”

Selina pouted.

“I was, but she lashes out in her sleep. She almost gave me a black eye,” she defended herself, pointing at her face. “You know this is my money maker, Supercop, I can't have anything happen to my money maker.”

Rolling her eyes, Alex slumped back down, onto her back this time.

“You wear a mask,” she said, after making sure that Kara’s breathing was still slow and steady. She didn't want to accidentally expose Selina, not before her friend had either told Kara herself, or had given Alex permission to talk about it.

“So not the point,” Selina countered, draping herself over Alex with her hands on her shoulders. “If I want to sleep with my girlfriend Kara, you can't stop me.” Leaning down, Selina grinned like a feral cat and wiggled her eyebrows. “And if I want a piece of my Supercop cake, I’m damn well going to get it.”

Sighing, Alex didn't notice Kara turning over and looking at them with sleepy eyes.

“Selina,” she mumbled, giving Alex a small heart attack, “get off my girlfriend.” With one hand, Kara pushed against Selina’s shoulder, hard enough to dislodge her, but apparently not enough to hurt her, if Selina’s amused expression was anything to go by. A second later, Kara snuggled into Alex’s chest, eyes closed once more. “Why are we up at eight am on a Saturday?”

“My mom made breakfast,” Alex supplied, stroking Kara’s back and reaching out to Selina with her hand, no longer mad about what possible consequences Selina’s presence in her bed would have on Kara. “She’s an early riser.” Which had been an ever-present pain in her dad’s backside.

The thought of food seemed to galvanize Kara, who immediately sat up straight in bed. Her hair was disheveled and she looked extremely sexy in another one of Alex’s t-shirts.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get something to eat,” she said, getting out of bed, putting on her glasses, and smoothing down the t-shirt and sweatpants, as though worried what Alex’s mother would think if Kara didn't look impeccable. A moment later, she started running her hands through her hair. “Come on, get up. I’m not going out there by myself.”

Looking at Selina, Alex noticed the fond expression on her friend’s face.

“Alex, come on,” Kara said, her hair already straight and perfect again. She looked at Selina and waved both hands. “And you, too. I don't want to keep Mrs. Danvers waiting.”

Alex grinned, getting out of bed and placing both hands on Kara’s shoulders.

“Stop worrying about what my mom is going to think,” she said, giving Kara a gentle kiss. “She’s under the misguided notion that Selina is perfect. Not even I can live up to those expectations.” She knew her words were likely futile, and that her mom just needed time to get to know Kara, but she still felt the urge to comfort her girlfriend.

“It’s true,” Selina said, still draped over the bed. “I’m Liza’s favorite.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “But before you storm out there, I have something I need to talk to you guys about.” Her face instantly turned serious, something which made Alex feel more than a little anxious.

“Okay,” she said, taking Kara’s hand. “Is that what you wanted to tell me yesterday before you saw that mom was here? Is that what your meeting was about?” She could feel Kara squeezing her hand too tightly again, a sure sign that she, too, was getting worried.

Selina nodded.

“Pretty much,” she said, running her hand through her short hair.

Giving Kara an answering squeeze to tell her things would be alright, Alex gritted her teeth for whatever Selina would say next.

“I found Desaad.” She cleared her throat. “I mean,  _ Catwoman _ and I, we found Desaad.”

Time seemed to stand still as Alex absorbed this information. The fact that Selina had actually done it was astounding. She’d found the man that no one else had been able to even so much as  _ see _ , from what Alex could tell. Even though she should have been prepared for this, she had to admit that a small part of her hadn't actually believed it to be possible.

Before Alex could say a word, Kara was on the bed and hugging Selina fiercely to herself, the embrace looking more painful than the earlier push. It took everything inside Alex not to make a super strength comment.

“Thank you,” Kara whispered over and over again. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Looking half-strangled, Selina raised her eyes to Alex and gave her a small smile. She seemed touched by Kara’s exuberance, and seeing them together like this was more than Alex would have ever dared to hope for after the CatCo debacle.

“Of course, kiddo, anything for our grumpy Supercop,” Selina choked out, obviously unable to breathe properly but equally unwilling to let go of Kara. “You know she can’t take care of herself. She’d wither and die without us.”

Rolling her eyes, Alex let this one slide.

“Where is he?  _ Who _ is he?” She asked instead, crossing her arms over her chest in determination. She was going to squash that piece of shit like a bug, and then she was going to dismantle his organization and expose it for what it was and what it had been trying to do. Not only to herself and to Supergirl, but to people like Frank, their in-house psychologist, and his family.

“He owns a night-club in town,” Selina supplied, taking a deep breath when Kara finally let her go. “And he likes to throw fetish parties, which pisses me off.” She rubbed her neck, giving Kara a curious glance. Selina knew what super strength felt like. “He gives people who enjoy BDSM a bad name.”

Shaking her head, Kara sat back on her heels and stared intently at Selina.

“Does he have an actual name?” She asked, the gears almost visibly turning in her head, planning their next move. “He can't just be called Desaad.” Walking slowly, Alex stopped at the foot of her bed and placed her hands on Kara’s shoulders, squeezing reassuringly.

“If he does, he’s buried that info somewhere deep, but now that we have his face and where he works, finding him should be a piece of cake,” Selina responded, lowering her hand from her neck and getting out from under the blanket. “And then we can put a bullet between his eyes.”

Sighing, Alex gently patted Kara’s suddenly tense shoulders.

“Selina,” Alex said, a note of exasperation in her voice.

“What? I’m  _ obviously  _ kidding,” Selina replied, stepping over to the wardrobe and picking out one of Alex’s shirts. “We need to capture and question him first.  _ Then _ we can axe him.” Her legs bare, she walked by Alex and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. Softly, she whispered. “You and Supergirl don't have to get your hands dirty, baby. And Kara can rest easy.”

With the way she was talking, Alex wasn't quite sure if she was kidding or not. Selina had killed before, in moments when she’d seen absolutely no other choice, same as Alex, but tracking down Desaad and shooting him was a whole other matter.

She hoped for Selina’s sake that she wouldn't try to kill anyone.

“Come on, Liza’s waiting with breakfast,” Selina said, opening the bedroom door and stepping outside, leaving Alex and Kara by themselves.

For a second, neither one spoke.

“She’s not serious, is she?” Kara finally asked, turning her head to look at Alex, an expression of chagrin on her face. “I know you said she doesn't have a secret identity, and if she does, I respect your decision not to tell me, but… is she, like, part of the League of Assassins or something?”

Wrapping her arms around Kara’s neck from behind, Alex leaned down to give Kara a sweet kiss on the forehead. Kara’s unwillingness to put Alex into an awkward position with her friends’ identities never ceased to amaze her.

“No, she doesn't have anything to do with the League,” Alex said, staying bent over and pressing her forehead against Kara’s hair. Selina had found Desaad, their enemy. The thought still hadn’t fully sunk in. “She’s not going to shoot him, don't worry. She's not that short-sighted.”

Kara hummed.

“I hope so. With your tendency to hang out with mostly reformed, still dangerous villainesses…” Kara’s tone was teasing, making Alex smile.

“I ended up dating a superhero. That’s got to count for something.” Straightening out, Alex grinned down at Kara, who rolled her eyes and giggled. “The best superhero on the whole planet.”

Kara’s giggling abruptly stopped, replaced by an expression of adoration.

“Look at you being sappy, Detective Supercop,” Kara said, turning around on the bed and leaning up on her knees, hands settling on Alex’s chest. “Careful, or someone might question the legitimacy of your machismo and player status.”

“Ha ha,” Alex said, leaning in and giving Kara a long kiss, lips sliding together effortlessly. “You think you're so cute, but you're mistaken.” Turning her head to the side, Alex kissed her harder. “You're actually much cuter.”

Now the giggling was back, interrupting Alex’s perfectly executed kisses.

A moment later, they were hugging, Kara’s arms around Alex’s waist and her head tucked neatly against Alex’s neck. Their connection was warm and comforting, as they both relished in the knowledge that they were one step ahead of the bad guys. They knew who Desaad was and where he lurked.

It was an excellent feeling.

 

-

 

When they entered the kitchen, Selina was hugging Eliza from behind as they talked, while Eliza chopped some of the strawberries she’d bought the day before.

 

-

 

Monday morning, Alex finally found the time to work out at her apartment.

While her mom walked around the living room, dusting the shelves and frowning at the guns hidden all over the furniture, Alex stayed in her bedroom to sweat in peace. She was still in good shape, but she could already feel the telltale signs of soreness, thanks to how incapacitated she’d been after the shooting incident.

She could also tell that she needed to go a little bit easier on her left arm even now, and instead of pushing it, decided to confine the one-armed push-ups to her right side only. At least for now.

Selina had left the apartment early in the morning, alongside Kara. Save for some occasions where she’d left to stop crimes and natural disasters, Kara had stayed the entire weekend, and had only left Alex’s side that morning at six am to go home and change before work.

“She seems like a very nice girl,” Eliza said, a few hours after Alex had started her workout. Her words and sudden appearance almost made Alex drop the barbell straight onto her throat. “Kara,” she paused in the doorway, a broom clutched in both hands, “she seems very sweet.”

Placing the barbell back in its proper place, Alex sat up and wiped her forehead.

“She is,” she said, reaching for her towel and watching as her mom made her way inside, sitting on the edge of Alex’s bed. “She’s amazing.” Alex didn't miss how her mom’s eyes lingered on the scar on her bicep, left behind by Alex’s unfortunate bullet wound.

“You're my baby,” Eliza said, reaching out and taking Alex’s hand. “I just want what’s best for you.” She took a deep breath. “I want you to be happy, and if Kara is the one for you, I’m going to work very hard to get to know her.”

Smiling a little, Alex squeezed her mother's hand.

It was obvious that her mom had used her time cleaning to think about the issue, and Alex was very happy she’d reached this conclusion. Fighting with her about Kara, the woman she loved, would have added another layer of stress Alex could do without.

“Thanks, mom, I know you had your heart set on Selina,” Alex said, wiping away more sweat with her free hand. “But trust me, you’ll love Kara once you give her a chance. She’s kind and funny and  _ warm _ .” She smirked. “She’s also terrified of you, which I think you should take as a compliment.”

Her mother laughed and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“I love you, sweetheart. I’m so glad you came back home.” Her mom didn't even complain about Alex’s sweat as she clutched her tightly to herself, Alex hugging her right back.

“I’m sorry I left,” Alex replied, breathing in her mother’s familiar scent.

“It’s okay, honey; I know you had to go, I know. You don't have to keep apologizing. What’s important is that you came back to me, and that you're doing better,” Eliza said, words strong and decisive. “None of us were the same after what happened.”

“I miss him,” Alex whispered, closing her eyes.

“I know, sweetheart,” her mother soothed, hand rubbing Alex’s back. “I miss him, too. Every day.”

For the next ten minutes, they sat together on Alex’s sports equipment, hugging and talking about her dad.

It wasn't exactly closure.

But it was a start.

 

-

 

A few hours later, Alex was sitting on the couch with her laptop open on her knees. It was time to face the internet and get a read on public opinion, especially concerning other people's perception about Supergirl, following the Lawrence Dunwall incident. Alex still didn't believe he’d hung himself of his own free will. At the very  _ best _ , he’d been coerced, and Alex was using the positive term in the loosest way possible.

Staring down at the generic search engine in front of her, she tapped her fingers up and down, wondering if she should search her own name or not.

Next to her, her mother was knitting a scarf in the primary colors, something which Alex wanted to ask about, but hadn't quite found the motivation for. Caesar was draped over her lap, lazily pawing at the wool dangling from Eliza’s knitting needles, while Trish was conked out on the windowsill, her and Herbert taking in the day’s final rays of sunshine. Selina was still nowhere to be seen.

In the open kitchen, the stereo was playing a jazz piece, her mother’s favorite.

Just as Alex had started typing _Supergirl_ _Danvers_ into the search bar, the doorbell rang, and the sudden noise startled Alex out of her thoughts. Immediately, her mind ran through the possible suspects. Selina had a key, Kara was working late, Lucy would never show up, her mom was here, Harley and Ivy were in Gotham.

Since it was after six pm, that left J’onn and Vasquez, and when she pressed the intercom button, she was relieved to hear J’onn’s deep, reassuring voice. She had a feeling he had listened in on their colleagues’ thoughts today and wanted to share his findings.

“My mom’s here,” she added as an afterthought, before pressing the button that would unlock the door for him and let him in. It occurred to her, suddenly, that she ought to ask J’onn about the White Martians and if they could shapeshift as well, and if they needed to establish some kind of code word to prevent imposters from infiltrating their homes.

Opening the door, she smiled and waved as he exited the elevator. His answering smile and nod didn't seem forced, but Alex had been around him for long enough to realize when he was worried.

“Come in,” Alex said, opening the door a little wider. “I forgot to mention that my mom is staying here for a few days. She’s got her heart set on punching Lord in the face.”

He chuckled, and she closed the door behind him. When she turned back around, she saw that her mother had gotten up from the couch and put her knitting needles and wool onto the coffee table next to Alex’s laptop, while Caesar was now dozing on the couch without his human pillow.

“Good evening, Mrs. Danvers,” J’onn said, walking forward and stretching out his large hand, which Eliza took immediately. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Sergeant Hank Henshaw, Alex’s partner at the NCPD.”

He made for a formidable figure with his broad shoulders, his height, and his clearly expensive, well-tailored, green suit, but he didn’t make an effort to seem scary. In fact, his face was approachable and relaxed as he regarded Alex’s mom.

“It’s very nice to meet you as well, Sergeant Henshaw,” Eliza replied, shaking his hand and giving him a friendly smile. “It’s very nice of you to visit my daughter after work.”

Dropping Eliza’s hand, J’onn gave Alex a wink that her mother couldn't see from where she was standing.

“Can't keep Alex out of the loop of our investigations,” he said, placing his hands at his waist. “That’s actually why I’m here. I have uncovered new evidence that I need to talk to her about.”

Eliza nodded.

“Of course, of course.” She turned to Alex. “Honey, why don't you and Sergeant Henshaw talk about your important business in your study? I’ll make you some tea.” It was obvious she’d said something of the same effect to Alex’s dad on more than one occasion, and the thought made Alex long for her childhood, when things had been easier.

“Sure, mom, thanks.” Walking forward, she gave her mother a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. Eliza seemed surprised for a brief moment, but then she smiled and put her hand on Alex’s cheek. Turning back to her partner, Alex allowed the feeling of familial comfort to run through her. “Come on, Hank, my study’s over here.”

Nodding, he gave her mom another smile, before following Alex down the hall and into the small room she had fashioned into a study. The space was stuffed to the brim with filing cabinets, a desk, and two chairs. Kara’s beautiful sketchbook sat on a small podium Alex had recently bought and set up in one of the cabinets. The desk was littered with books, pieces of paper, and ballpoint pens. Since the room didn't have a window, she flicked on the lights.

“You can sit in front of the desk,” she said, closing the door behind them and sitting down on her own desk chair. “I don't know if Kara was able to tell you this in some way, but Catwoman found Desaad.” No use beating about the bush.

“I know,” he said, sitting down and crossing his arms. “Kara got a message to me through Watchtower, our coordinator.” She nodded in understanding. “I heard his name in several different heads at the precinct as well, but I’m glad I won't have to find him myself, based on how little everyone actually seems to know about him.”

Moving her chair from one side to the other, Alex hummed in agreement and fiddled around with one of her ballpoint pens.

“I’m making a list of who can and cannot be trusted,” J’onn continued, sliding a folded up piece of paper out of the breast pocket of his crisp, white shirt. “Vasquez is on the good side, just in case you were wondering.” He grinned.

“I wasn't, but that's good to know.” She accepted the piece of paper and unfolded it, smoothing it out on her desk. Her eyes skimmed the two lists. Good cops, bad cops. It was disheartening to see how long the bad cops list was already. “Some of these I never would have guessed…” Thankfully, Officer Donovan was one of the good guys. She would have hated for Vasquez to discover their long-time partner was dirty.

She shook her head.

“I’m sorry you have to do this,” she said, glad to see Senior Criminalist Susie Chang on the  _ trust _ side, even though she wasn't a cop. “Listening to those assholes must be fucking draining.” She couldn't even imagine all of the vile things some of them would be thinking.

J’onn shrugged, recrossing his arms.

“It’s important,” he stated without fanfare, his face showing none of the emotional and physical strain that using his powers was surely putting on him. “Most of our colleagues are good people. They’re worried about their families and friends. These,” he pointed at the  _ not to be trusted  _ side, “are a few bad apples that we need to expose.”

She nodded.

“Is there anything else you found out?” She asked, just as there was a knock on the door. Probably her mother. Getting up from her chair, Alex walked the few steps to the door and opened it. “Hey, mom, thanks again for the tea.”

Her mother smiled as she handed over the tray.

“Of course, sweetheart. Everything going okay with the meeting?” She glanced inside, though it didn’t look like she was trying to snoop. This was the one room Alex hadn’t allowed her to clean or organize.

“Everything’s fine. Hank was just telling me some really important things,” Alex replied, looking over at her desk, where J’onn was busy making some room amidst the piles of papers and notebooks.

“Alright, I can take a hint,” Eliza said, giving Alex a motherly kiss on the cheek. “I hope the two of you have a productive session.” Before she left, she stuck her head in a little further and cleared her throat. “Would you like to stay for dinner, Sergeant Henshaw?”

He seemed caught off guard by the question.

“I wouldn’t want to impose myself on your evening, Mrs. Danvers,” he said, looking at Alex, who simply shrugged. She wouldn’t mind having him over for dinner. In fact, once Selina got home, the four of them would most likely have an excellent meal.

As far as she was concerned, it was completely up to J’onn.

“Oh, nonsense,” Eliza said, giving Alex’s arm a soft squeeze, as though she was expecting her to jump in with reassurances, too. “The more, the merrier. It’s much easier to cook for four people.”

She nudged Alex in the ribs, unconcerned with the hot tea in her hands.

“Um, yeah,” Alex chimed in, furrowing her brows at her mom, “sure. I wouldn’t mind it if you stayed.” It was true, but her mother still looked like she wanted to roll her eyes at how utterly incompetent Alex was in social situations.

J’onn seemed to be fighting a grin.

“Well, then I guess I will stay for dinner,” he said, warmth infusing his tone.

“Wonderful,” Eliza replied, patting Alex’s arm, as though she’d helped out after all. “I’ll let the two of you get back to working your cases.” With another smile, she closed the door behind herself, the sounds of her footsteps sounding down the hallway.

“Do you even like to eat human food?” Alex asked, finally setting the tray down on the desk and picking up one of the cups. Of course, she’d seen J’onn eat before, and she knew about his addiction to Oreos, but still. She didn’t want to assume anything about her alien friends.

“I do,” he confirmed, picking up the tea kettle and pouring the dark liquid into both of their cups. “I have to be careful with certain fruits, but other than that.” He shrugged his left shoulder and added heaps of sugar to his tea. “Chocolate actually gives me the most energy.”

Snorting, Alex took a sip.

“That is so unfair,” she said, leaning back in her chair and tapping her pointer finger onto the bad guy list. “But back to the point.” She really wanted to know if there was anything else before she relaxed into her evening with her friends and her mother. “Are there any other problems I need to worry about?”

His face turned grim, and he nodded darkly.

“There’s just one more thing,” he said, taking another sip of his tea. “And it’s strange as well. Something I rarely feel, and never when I’m around humans.” He looked more worried than confused. “I don’t know if Kara told you this about me, but I can’t read the minds of Kryptonians.”

She listened with rapt attention, taking in every single one of his words.

“I assume that has something to do with the sun?” She asked, wondering how different her life would have been if she had never become a police officer. Would she be dealing with mind reading and solar powered aliens if she’d become a bio-engineer?

J’onn nodded, cradling the small, white cup in his huge, dark hands.

“Yes,” he said, his body remarkably still for someone who was so obviously anxious about something. “When I tried to read Maxwell Lord’s thoughts today… I couldn’t.” He seemed disturbed by this, and he wasn’t the only one.

“That’s probably because he doesn’t have any,” Alex said, trying to bring some levity into the moment. “Wouldn’t surprise me at all if his head was as empty as his campaign slogans.” She took another sip of tea.

The thought of Lord being some kind of Martian-resistant alien was laughable.

“What do you think it means?” She asked, refilling her tea cup.

“I’m not sure… but I think we should take a closer look at his activities, if he’s going to any great lengths to hide his thoughts from telepathy,” J’onn said, holding out his own cup to Alex. When it was full, he started pouring sugar again.

“I don’t think he’s an alien,” Alex said, opening up the right bottom drawer of her desk and pulling out a bag of chocolates. “A shitty android, maybe, but not an alien. He’s too in love with himself to stage a campaign that would discriminate against him in any way.”

Nodding, J’onn took one of the chocolates.

“I think he might be using some form of extraterrestrial tech,” he said, studying the small chocolate cat for a second before finishing it in one bite. “Kryptonians alone had several ways to protect themselves from telepathy.”

She snorted.

“Wouldn’t that be fucking fitting?” She mused, throwing up the chocolate cat and catching it in her mouth. “To have him rail against aliens one moment, only to turn around and abuse their technology the next.”

What was he so desperately trying to hide that he would resort to shielding his own thoughts? Did it have something to do with Desaad and his schemes? Was it simply to hide the fact that he had rigged the election? Or was it something else entirely?

“I’m going to start investigating,” she said, straightening out her back. “I have plenty of free time on my hands, now that I’ve been suspended, and I think I need a new hobby.” Watching Lord would be painful, she had no illusions about that, but at least she’d have something to do.

She was more than ready to get back into the game.

 

-

 

“No, no, you need to use a different knife for that,” J’onn said, moving over to Alex and offering her the blade she was supposed to be using. Alex had absolutely no idea why she couldn’t just cut the tomatoes with the knife that was already in her hand, but she didn’t complain.

She didn’t even know how to set a table properly, so she wasn’t going to question J’onn’s knowledge on cutlery.

“Alright, fine,” she said, glancing over to her mother, who nodded and smiled, obviously pleased that Alex was following the directions doled out to her by a more experienced cook. Moving her head closer to J’onn, Alex scowled at him. Her next words were barely audible. “Your two-hundred-year advantage is so unfair.”

Grinning, he went back to cutting the onions, his Martian eyes apparently unaffected by the chemicals in the air. Yet another thing Alex could be unnecessarily offended over.

Her friends were all so much cooler than her.

It really was unfair.

 

-

 

Work had been mostly uneventful for Kara, especially since Alex had brought her mother to lunch, making Kara somewhat more shy and reserved with her affections. Weirdly, Eliza had given her a slightly stiff hug and a smile, something which drew a raised eyebrow out of her and a hesitant spark of hope for the future.

Maybe Alex had had a talk with her mother about their relationship. It was certainly a possibility. Or maybe Selina had spoken to her friend, also something Kara could see having taken place. After all, Kara felt like she’d been completely accepted by Selina as good girlfriend material.

She wondered what Selina would say if she ever found out that Kara was Supergirl, and thought about who Selina’s own secret identity was. At this point, Kara was pretty sure that Alex’s best friend was either a superhero or a supervillain herself. It just made sense.

Now, as Kara walked home from work at ten thirty, too lazy to change into her Supergirl outfit and fly home, she wondered how long it would take for her own circle of super friends to merge with Alex’s. Kara already knew Batman, even though she wouldn’t exactly call him a close friend.

And though she’d never personally met Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, or Catwoman, it was possible that Kara would run across them at some point during her super exploits. Would they recognize her? Would they care that Alex was dating a superhero rather than a villain?

She softly kicked a small pebble and bit her bottom lip.

Never in a million years had she anticipated that she’d worry about the opinions of the notorious Gotham City Sirens. She shook her head. She loved Alex, and she was glad to have found her, but Kara would have never guessed that her life would somehow grow even more fantastical and outlandish by dating an outwardly straight-laced cop.

She probably should have known better.

Things never turned out the way she thought they would.

Unlocking the front door of her apartment building, Kara quickly walked up the stairs, wondering if Lucy had prepared her a late-night snack. With her intense metabolism, Kara liked having snacks at all hours of the day. Flying and fighting burned a ton of calories, and while the sun helped her stay strong, food often took the edge off.

Lucy had been planning on working at the  _ Dirty Robber _ for a few hours after her day shift at CatCo Coffee, the way she usually did. But then, around lunchtime, one of her bosses had called to let her know that the bar would stay closed that evening due to personal reasons. Kara hadn’t asked what those reasons were, as they really didn’t concern her, but Lucy had grimaced and said something about Gabrielle’s wife getting into some sort of fight again.

So, Lucy had gone home to Kara’s apartment at six pm instead of working.

Now, at ten forty-five, Kara hadn’t expected to find her friend crying her eyes out, face stuffed into a pillow, with a half-empty bottle of wine on the table. The television was blaring some sappy romantic drama and Kara wasn’t immediately sure if Lucy was crying because of what she was seeing, or because of something else.

Closing the door behind herself, Kara shrugged off her coat, hanging it up quickly, before kicking off her shoes. All thoughts of Alex and her weird habit of picking strange friends vanished from Kara’s mind. Lucy needed her, everything else could wait.

In an instant, she was on the couch, having grabbed a packet of tissues from the kitchen counter.

“Hey,” she whispered, brushing some of Lucy’s hair out of her eyes, face intensely concerned. It looked as though someone had  _ died _ , Lucy was crying so hard. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

She really hoped it was the movie.

Sniffling, breath hitching, Lucy wiped roughly at her eyes.

“I was just watching this,” she hiccupped, clutching Kara’s pillow more tightly to her chest. “And I kept thinking about how happy you are and how perfect Alex is for you.” Her words cut out, swallowed up in a new sob. “And I’m happy for you, I’m so happy, but I, fuck, I realized that-- that--”

She threw herself into Kara’s arms, too shaken to continue for a moment.

“I’m so fucking  _ unhappy _ with how things are in my life. My marriage is nothing but a sham at this point.”

It was jarring to see her strong and assertive best friend in such an awful state. Lucy almost never cried, and the fact that she was doing it now,  _ openly _ , in front of Kara… It didn’t sit right with her, especially when her own happiness had been partially responsible for it all.

In a bid to comfort her best friend, her platonic soulmate, Kara wrapped her arms around her tightly, rubbing her back and just letting her cry. She wouldn’t tell her not to feel the things she was feeling. In fact, in a twisted sort of way, this was actually a strange kind of progress.

“You know… If you and James aren’t happy anymore… you can talk to me about it,” she said, cupping the back of Lucy’s head and stroking it gently. The state of Lucy’s marriage had always been an unspoken secret between them, and they’d never really talked about it, safe for that one time Lucy had been drunk and had spilled her pain onto Kara’s lap in a fit of drunken sorrow.

“He’s my best friend,” Lucy mumbled, voice barely audible over the television, which Kara turned off with the remote on the coffee table. “I love him. He’s family, but… I don’t--” She sobbed again, nails digging into Kara’s back. “I don’t think we’re right for each other anymore.”

It was like a dam had been broken, the words spilling out of Lucy like a shout she’d been holding in for years. Something she’d fought against, a truth she’d been trying to ignore that had finally found its way out of her mouth.

“He’s in Metropolis all the time, and I want him to be there; I want him to be happy,” she whimpered, voice conflicted as she buried her face in Kara’s shoulder. “But I don’t want to be there. I’m happy  _ here _ . Without him.”

Swallowing hard, Kara closed her eyes, trying not to imagine how awful it was to realize that your marriage was over. That you’d grown apart from one of the most important people in your life, after the two of you had shared so many moments together. A whole life.

“It’s okay to admit that,” Kara soothed, wanting nothing more than to heal Lucy’s wounds, even though she knew she couldn’t. All of the powers in the world couldn’t help her do that. After all, Lucy had been in a relationship with James for most of her life. They’d been going out since high school.

“I feel awful,” Lucy admitted, tears soaking through Kara’s blouse. “Maybe, if I’d just tried hard enough… Maybe we wouldn’t be in this position right now. If I wasn’t so damn stubborn all the time…” Her entire body trembled as Kara’s heart ached for her friend.

“Don’t torture yourself with what ifs,” Kara said, kissing the side of Lucy’s head. “People change, and they fall out of love all the time. This isn’t all on you. It takes two to make a marriage work.” She wasn’t sure if her words were helping, but she didn’t want to leave Lucy alone in her grief.

“You deserve to be in a relationship that makes you happy,” Kara finished, thoughts straying to Alex and how happy she made her. Lucy deserved something good like that, too. Sometimes marriages didn’t work out, and that was okay. It was a devastating loss now, but at the end of the day, Kara knew Lucy would be better for it. Eventually.

“I think-- I just, I need some time to think about this,” Lucy sniffled, pulling away from Kara a little to give her a tremulous look. “I think I just need to cuddle and sleep.” It was as though she was asking Kara for some sort of permission, and the thought made Kara reach out.

“Come on, let’s get ready for bed. We’re taking a mental health day tomorrow. Just you and me,” she said, taking Lucy’s hands. “No work, no partners, husbands, or girlfriends. Just the two of us.” She smiled reassuringly.

“I love you,” Lucy murmured, tears filling her eyes all over again.

“I love you, too, Luce,” Kara replied, tugging Lucy into another hug. “I’m proud of you.” Even though Lucy hadn’t made a decision outright, Kara knew what it would be. There was no denying that Lucy and James hadn’t been happy for years.

She just hoped they would stay friends.

 

-

 

> [Kara Kent]: Taking a mental health day with Lucy tomorrow, so I have to cancel our lunch plans. I’m sorry!  _ Sent 11:55pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers ♥]: Oh no, is everything okay??? Don’t be sorry! Anything I can do?  _ Sent 11:55pm _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: Thanks, but no, I just need to be there for Lucy. I think she might decide to leave James.  _ Sent 11:55pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers ♥]: Wow, shit, that’s a huge step… Give her my best, please?  _ Sent 11:56pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers ♥]: Oh, and before I forget: I love you.  _ Sent 11:56pm _ .
> 
> [Kara Kent]: I love you, too! Will keep you posted!  _ Sent 11:57pm _ .

 

-

 

Kara didn’t bother cutting the carrots with superhuman speed.

Sure, she could have, and she’d done so with the onions (she hated the smell), but there was no one to show off to and no need to hurry her actions. After all, they were having a lazy Tuesday evening and Lucy was standing next to her, heating up an oiled pan, before adding the onions for their grilled vegetables and feta cheese combo. Lucy had seen Kara use her powers about a million times, and didn’t expect her to do things faster than a human just because she  _ could _ .

They’d woken up together at around ten in the morning. The night before, after it had become clear that Lucy needed some love and care, Kara had begged their coworkers Hayashi and Kelly to please cover their shifts. Somehow, it had worked out for them, allowing Kara to forego her alarm.

The first thing Kara had thought upon waking and seeing Lucy sitting up in bed, was how much more relaxed and determined she’d seemed. Contrary to how she’d looked the night before, with her eyes full of tears and her body trembling as she cried into Kara’s shoulder, she’d appeared to be much more clear after a good night’s sleep.

Now, hours later, after they’d just finished their Warrior Angel movie marathon, Lucy was almost back to her usual self. She’d been ponderous and a bit reclusive all day, especially when Kara had asked her about which kind of movie she’d most like to watch.

They’d picked  _ Warrior Angel: The Movie  _ and its three sequels mostly because it didn’t completely revolve around romance.

Cuddled up together on the couch, Lucy had spoken rarely and had spent most of her time curled against Kara’s side with her head on her friend’s shoulder. A few times, she’d made a comment about the old special effects of the 70s, and Kara’s heart had leapt for joy every time Lucy’s humor shone through.

Smiling as she thought about it, Kara picked up another carrot.

“How many of these do you think we need?” She asked, holding up the orange vegetable and swinging it like a tiny lightsaber. She only just managed not to make the appropriate sound effect alongside it.

Lucy shrugged, cutting the feta cheese, and making sure the onions wouldn’t burn.

“Depends on how much you think you’re going to eat tonight.” She eyed the bags of groceries they’d bought not that long ago, from which Kara had been pulling their dinner piece by piece. “I don’t want to be the one responsible for you being hungry at the end of the night.”

Humming in thought, Kara started chopping the sixth carrot. Maybe they needed to use a bigger pan… Kara’s hunger could be unpredictable at times, especially today, when she’d been called to stop a bank robbery and another fire.

She’d just made a grab for a seventh carrot, when her phone lit up with a new text message next to her on the kitchen counter. She’d barely texted Alex, since she’d been focusing all of her energy on Lucy, but she knew her friend didn’t mind her checking her phone.

Kara had imposed that rule onto herself.

Wiping her hand on a paper towel, she looked down quickly to see who had texted her, catching Selina’s name just before the screen went dark again. When her fingers were clean, Kara picked up the phone.

“Selina’s texting me,” she mentioned to Lucy, before unlocking her cell and clicking on the message.

“I really don’t know how you can be friends with that woman,” Lucy grumbled in response, sautéing the onions before adding some of the ground garlic next to her. “The only reason I didn’t punch her in the face was that I didn’t want to make you look bad in front of Mommy Danvers.”

Kara hummed again, looking up from her phone before the picture had loaded in, and nudging Lucy’s calf with her socked toes.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that stuff on the couch,” she said, feeling genuinely sorry about how things had turned out during movie night. “I know she riled you up on purpose, but she’s really-- um, she’s cool once you get to know her a little better.”

She’d almost said that Selina was  _ nice _ .

Whichever words Kara could have used to describe her,  _ nice  _ really wouldn’t have been the correct term. There was no doubt in her mind that Selina was loving, and kind, and warm, at least when she wanted to be. But  _ nice _ was too bland a description.

“Having any body part of hers on top of me was terrible,” Lucy concluded, pouting a little, as though she was well-aware that she would most likely love Selina if she didn’t have to hold on to her grudge. “Honestly, Kara, you’re a saint.”

Snorting, Kara finally looked down at her phone again. What she saw brought a smile to her face and made a small, amused chuckle break out of her mouth.

It was a picture of Alex, her head pillowed on what Kara assumed to be Eliza’s lap. She was clearly asleep on her back, Caesar and Trish piled on top of her. Next to her face hovered a paper speech bubble, suggesting the illusion that Alex was speaking. Kara recognized Selina’s black nail polish on the fingers holding up the paper.

The speech bubble said:  _ I’m a gay nerd _ .

She turned over the phone and showed the picture to Lucy, who didn’t quite manage to hide her elated smirk, which Kara counted as a definite double-triple win on the  _ Make Lucy Feel Better _ front. Every smile was a victory.

“That’s the most accurate picture I’ve ever seen,” Lucy said, taking the phone from Kara’s hand and zooming in a bit. “But I thought the big cat hates Alex’s guts? Caesar, right?” Kara had told her about the various animosities in the Danvers household in a quiet moment over the weekend.

Kara shrugged.

“Maybe it’s a front? Or maybe he just likes putting his butt in Alex’s face, who knows?” She replied, accepting her phone and setting the picture as its new background. Smiling, she sent a screenshot of the new layout back to Selina while Lucy started taking care of their food again.

A second later, Kara received another text.

> [Selina Kyle]: Blessings.  _ Sent 07:39pm _ .

Switching off the screen, Kara had a feeling it was only a matter of time until she got a text about it from Alex, once her girlfriend had woken up from her evening nap. Selina would most definitely make sure Alex realized what she’d been made to endure in her sleep.

“You have to admit that she’s funny,” Kara sing-songed, now electing to use her super speed after all, if they wanted to get the vegetables into the pan on time. Her words surprised even herself, since she never would have thought she’d someday be defending the woman who had inadvertently ruined her life for a few months.

“Dream on, Kent,” Lucy retorted, adding some of the carrots and bell peppers Kara had already diced. “Never going to happen. The day I forgive her for what she did to you, is the day I--” Her voice was interrupted by the loud ringing of her cell phone.

They both recognized the ringtone, a loud and dramatic rendition of  _ The Rains of Castamere _ .

Groaning, Lucy plucked the phone from her jeans and stared down at the name flashing on the screen.

_ Lois Lane _ .

“I really don’t want to deal with her today,” Lucy sighed, furrowing her brows as the phone continued to ring ominously. “Maybe she’ll just go away if I don’t pick up… Maybe I’m just too busy for you right now, Lo.”

She glanced up at Kara, who lifted one eyebrow in gentle disbelief.

She’d often heard the expression that Lois was like a dog with a bone. It was why she was such a good reporter. She never stopped digging, never stopped calling, never stopped asking questions. Sadly, this quality didn’t always translate well into her relationship with Lucy.

Lucy sighed again.

“Yeah, who am I kidding, right?” She asked, before pressing the accept button and bringing the phone to her ear. Pushing the handle of the pan towards Kara, she walked out of the open kitchen and living room area and into Kara’s bedroom. Though she didn’t bother closing the door behind her. “Hey, sis…”

Frowning gently, Kara tried not to listen in, using her two hands to make dinner instead. With her left, she rhythmically turned the vegetables in the pan. With her right, she continued to cut other vegetables.

Kara was clumsy, but she had the whole ambidexterity thing down pat.

At least until Lucy started shouting.

“It’s none of your business what I say to James, Lois!” She hollered, her voice equally as pained as it was angry. “I sent him a text saying that we need to talk, it’s not like I insulted his mother!” Kara heard the sound of Lucy kicking the wall.

For a beat, there was nothing but the sizzling of the vegetables and Kara’s overactive heartbeat. Then, there was shouting again, and Kara turned off the oven. It was no use anyway, she couldn’t cook and pretend that everything was fine while Lucy was falling apart in the next room.

“I know this isn’t just about me. For fuck’s sake, Lois, I  _ know _ , okay? I know!”

The words sounded like broken glass being shoved out of Lucy’s mouth, and Kara couldn’t keep listening to this. Two of her best friends, two sisters, were tearing each other apart on the phone, when instead, they should have been talking it out.

Kara couldn’t stand it anymore.

Changing into her Supergirl outfit in less than a second, Kara opened her balcony door and zoomed outside, too fast for any human eye to capture. On the way, she dodged birds and planes, flying faster than she usually dared.

This nonsense had to end.

It wasn’t Kara’s place, but she’d had  _ enough _ .

In a flash, she’d crossed the United States, hovering over Metropolis for a second before zooming down and onto Lois’s balcony, cape fluttering angrily behind her as she knocked on the window of the apartment.

Through the glass she could see Clark and James sitting in the living room, startling from their quiet conversation by her knock, while Lois walked back and forth in front of the coffee table, loudly talking into her cell phone.

In her anger, she looked just like her sister.

Clark was on his feet first, and in front of the balcony door in three quick strides. His broad-shouldered body momentarily shielded Kara’s view of Lois, and he reached forward quickly to open the door for Kara, as though worried she was going to melt the glass with her heat vision.

“Hey, Kara, what’s going on?” Clark asked, looking back at Lois, probably wondering why Kara wasn’t with Lucy right now. He knew all too well how much the Lane sisters liked to pick on each other, and he’d talked Lois into apologizing for a particularly sharp comment on more than one occasion.

But Kara wasn’t here to chat.

“I’m ending this,” Kara said, pushing past Clark and grabbing Lois’s arm, who looked at her in confusion. Kara could see that her name was on Lois’s tongue, but before her friend could so much as open her mouth, Kara had wrapped both arms around her and was out of the apartment.

Behind her, she could hear Clark’s and James’s confused yells, and Lois was hollering at her, too, asking what the hell she was doing, phone clutched tightly in her hand so as not to drop it. Briefly, Kara wondered what Lucy would think about the yelling.

Or maybe the call had already been disconnected.

Conscious of Lois’s humanness, Kara didn’t fly as fast as she had on her way to Metropolis, but she also wasn’t slow. She wanted Lois and Lucy to talk as quickly as possible, and a six-hour flight just wouldn’t do.

Besides, Lois was tough.

Kara didn’t look back to see if Clark was following her. He obviously hadn’t reached her, and so she kept going, flying through the air, avoiding clouds. At some point, Lois stopped talking. She’d either elected to trust Kara, or she’d simply accepted her fate.

A little while later, they reached National City, Kara scanning her building and its surroundings ahead of time to see if anyone would be able to see them land on her balcony. When she was sure that no one was there, she quickly touched down and walked inside.

Lucy was standing in the living room, white-knuckling the kitchen island, phone laying on top of it.

When she saw Kara, who placed Lois back on her feet, Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, running forward and embracing them both, momentarily forgetting about how angry she’d been. A little sheepishly, Kara patted her back, immediately wondering if what she’d done had been the right decision, especially when Clark and James set down behind her on the balcony a few seconds later.

“I thought something had happened,” Lucy mumbled, pulling back, looking back at her phone. “I heard the screams and then I noticed that Kara was gone and I thought--” Her jaw tightened a little as she looked over at James. “Why are you all here?”

James lifted his hands.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. Kara’s the one who just showed up at Clark and Lois’s apartment,” he said, taking a step forward, before apparently thinking better of it.

Now that they were all standing together in Kara’s home, Kara regretted her decision instantly. Especially when Lucy looked at her, a betrayed expression taking root on her face, as though Kara had purposefully brought them here to hurt her.

Taking a step back, Lucy shuffled further into the kitchen area again.

Frantically, Kara tried to explain.

“I just thought, you know, maybe you and Lois could talk face to face,” she said quickly, walking over to Lucy and taking her hand. “I know arguing with her isn’t good for you.” Realizing how patronizing that sounded, she backpedaled a little. “I just mean-- I know how it gets to you. So I figured, if I just brought her here…”

Behind her, Lois seemed to come out of her sudden-flight-stupor.

“I love you to bits, Kara, but if you  _ ever _ pull this kind of stunt on me again, I will drop-kick you into your Kryptonian lady bits so hard that your future children are going to feel it,” she said, ruffling her long, dark hair, trying to smooth it back down. “Besides, Lucy is not going to listen to reason, whether I tell her stuff in person or not.”

Paling considerably, Kara threw her hands around Lucy, before she could attack.

How did she ever think this would be a good idea?!

“You’re one to talk!” Lucy said furiously to her sister, glaring at Kara so dangerously, that she was let go of immediately. Messing with Lane women was never a good idea. “I’ve been trying to talk to you about this thing for months, but every time I bring it up, it’s like you just shut down all of your logic receptors!” Her eyes seemed to be on fire. “All two of them!”

It was probably for the best that neither Lois nor Lucy had any kind of super powers.

“Because there’s nothing to talk about!” Lois exploded, fists trembling at her sides. “If you just moved your lazy ass back to Metropolis, everything would be fine! Everything  _ was  _ fine before you decided to move away.”

“Hey, hey, Lois,” James intervened, stepping forward and placing a soothing hand on her bicep. Amazingly, Lois didn’t shrug him off, something which Kara noted with quite a bit of surprise. Usually, no one but Clark was able to touch Lois when she was like this. “Lucy wasn’t happy in Metropolis.”

Taking back his hand, he looked at Lucy, regret shining in his eyes.

“I’m willing to make it work if you are,” he said, obviously determined not to let the last nine years go without talking about it first. It was like a shard of ice pierced Kara’s heart as she watched Lucy’s shaking shoulders become stiff with yet more anger.

“How can you even say that to me?” She asked, shaking her head. “Why don’t you just stop lying to yourself?” Maybe, if they’d had a calm discussion without two Kryptonians and one human standing next to them, all of this could have been avoided.

But, alas, Kara’s impulsivity had thrown a big, ugly wrench into that opportunity.

Quietly, her mind zapped to her teen years on the Kent farm, back to the kryptonite.

She pushed the thought away.

Hurting herself wouldn’t fix this.

“What are you talking about?” He asked, looking beyond stricken, but seemingly unable to take another step forward. Kara was so distracted by her own thoughts, she almost didn’t notice the tremor in his hands, so out of the ordinary for his usually strong and steady nature.

Lucy’s breath was shaky, her words just as tremulous as his hands.

“I know you’re in love with them,” she said, shoulders starting to shake again, tears gathering just at the corners of her eyes, quickly blinked away. Her body didn’t sink in on itself, but Kara had the strangest feeling that Lucy wanted it to. “I know.”

The room went deathly silent, the only sound Lucy’s heavy breathing.

Kara had absolutely no idea how she was supposed to react to this revelation. It took her a few good seconds before she even realized what Lucy meant by  _ them _ . It became abundantly clear when she looked into Clark and Lois’s faces and saw their matching guilty expressions.

James’s was worst of all.

Considering how none of them looked shocked by Lucy’s words - save perhaps for the fact that she  _ knew _ \- Kara figured they’d probably talked about this at some point. Maybe they’d decided that, since James was married, it could never be.

Kara certainly hoped they hadn’t done anything.

She had no idea what she would do if she found out Clark and Lois had helped James cheat on Lucy.

All she knew in this moment, was that she was totally, completely, one-hundred percent out of her depth. And all she could do was be there for Lucy. While she didn’t touch her, she stepped a little closer, offering silent support with her presence.

She probably looked confused as all hell, too.

“I don’t want you to stay with me, because you feel like you have to,” Lucy said, crossing her arms over her chest. Her body was tense with emotion, but she still wasn’t crying. “That’s not fair to you, and it isn’t fair to me, either. We both deserve better than that.”

James seemed heart-broken.

“Luce, come on…” He said, voice weak, a hint of pleading in his voice. For some reason, Kara had a feeling he didn’t really mean what he was saying, even if he wanted to. Nine years of marriage were a long time. And he, too, had spent most of his life loving Lucy.

“You’re my best friend,” Lucy said, shaking her head. “You’ve always been my best friend.” She clenched her jaw. “And I can’t keep seeing you be miserable. So, I think… I think we should end it.”

His mouth tense, James was quiet, unable to say anything at all, leaning back a little as Clark walked up to him in his Superman suit and placed his hand on James’s back. At the same time, Lois was staring at her sister like she’d never seen her before, something akin to awe in her brown eyes.

“It’s over, James,” Lucy said, words final.

Now that she had said her piece, she looked over to Kara, stepping closer, as though she was seeking her warmth and reassurance. Kara didn’t say anything either, just puffed out her chest, straightened up her posture, and tried not to glare at anyone.

She had no idea what the full story was, and before she did, she wouldn’t start passing judgement on her family and friends. For now, all she would do was open herself up for hugs, if Lucy needed one.

It was a strange moment overall.

With Clark and Kara in their superhero outfits, staring awkwardly as Lucy and James’s marriage of  _ nine years _ finally crumbled around them. From Lois’s many expressions alone, Kara could tell that she was angry with herself, too, and pissed that Lucy, her baby sister, eleven years younger than her, had been in the right this whole time.

Voice trembling just a bit now, Lucy spoke to Kara.

“Can I crash at your place for a while, until I get a chance to clean out the apartment?” They made eye-contact, and only now did Kara place her hand on Lucy’s arm, giving her a physical reassurance that she would be there. Always.

“Of course,” Kara said, squeezing gently. “You can stay here for as long as you like.”

At this, James stepped forward.

“You don’t have to move out of the apartment, Luce,” he said, wringing his hands in front of his torso in nervous guilt. “You can keep it. Keep whatever you want.” He’d most likely be staying in Metropolis full-time now, anyway.

But Kara understood perfectly why Lucy didn’t want to go back to the apartment immediately, back to the rooms she’d shared with James during happier times. What she needed was some time away from everything, and Kara was all too happy to give her that.

Especially since all of this was kind of her fault.

“I’ll call our lawyer in the morning,” Lucy said, not looking at James, but at Kara’s hair instead, “have him draw up the papers. I assume it’s going to be amicable?” She stepped even closer to Kara, who let go of Lucy’s arm and curled her fingers around her waist instead.

Clenching his jaw, James reached out to Lucy, before dropping his hand in defeat, knowing his touch wouldn’t be welcome right now. Kara watched this realization break like a bad taste over his handsome face.

“I’m so sorry, Luce, I never meant for this to happen,” he said, stepping back into Clark, who was now eyeing Kara guiltily, as though he’d personally wronged her. Kara had no idea what that was about.

Drawing herself up to her full height, Lucy shook out her hands.

“I know,” she said, voice steady once more. “I know you didn’t and I don’t blame you. We both know we got married for the wrong reasons.” She breathed in deeply. “I wish you’d trusted me enough to tell me.”

He nodded, looking down at the floor, whereas Lucy’s gaze turned to her sister and Clark.

“If you hurt him, I  _ will _ hurt you,” she said, eyes flashing dangerously.

It was obvious that Lois wanted to say something in retaliation, but before she could say a word, Clark took her hand, holding her back from making the situation even worse. Kara was more than glad for his foresight.

“We won’t,” he said, looking every bit the Superman that everybody loved, “I promise.”

“Good,” Lucy said, scowling softly as she looked back over to them all. “Now go away.”

Lois gave her an answering scowl, but Kara sent her a  _ look _ , causing her to huff. Thankfully, she stayed quiet otherwise. Kara really didn’t need another shouting match. Watching Lois keep her mouth shut was almost painful.

Finally, she threw her hands up into the air.

“Fine,” she said, before crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’ll fly you home,” Kara said to Lois, squeezing Lucy’s waist before letting her go. “Will you be okay here by yourself while I’m gone?” Turning towards her best friend, Kara rubbed both of Lucy’s arms, trying to give her even more comfort.

“Yeah,” Lucy said, nodding softly. “Yeah, of course. Take them back home.” As though realizing that the next time she saw James, he might not be her husband anymore, Lucy’s gaze drifted away from them all again.

They’d broken something Lucy had held dear in her life. Of course, Kara knew it hadn’t been easy for her these last few years, but still, Lucy most likely hadn’t expected to lose her husband like  _ this _ . Not just to another person, but to her own sister,  _ and  _ her sister’s partner.

“Okay, go make yourself comfortable. You know I’ve got your favorite wine in the fridge, if you want to pour yourself a glass.” Kara wrapped both arms around Lucy and hugged her tightly, pressing a long kiss against her temple.

She hated leaving Lucy so soon after everything that had happened just now, but bringing the other three out of the city as quickly as possible would ultimately be the better decision. After they were gone, Kara could be there for Lucy for as long as her best friend needed her.

“I’ll be right back,” Kara said, letting go of Lucy and walking over to Lois. “Are you okay flying with me this time? I’m sorry I just kind of… bowled you over before…” She hoped Lois wouldn’t be angry at her for too long, but to her surprise, she only smiled sadly.

“Course, kiddo,” she said, before turning to Lucy, obviously at war with herself. In what seemed to be a split-second decision, Lois started forward, enveloping Lucy in the biggest hug Kara had ever seen. “I’m sorry, sis, I’m so sorry.”

Lucy looked stunned for a second, then she reciprocated the hug, nails visibly digging into Lois’s back to pull her closer. Even with this display, which was definitely a step in the right direction, Kara was under no illusions that everything would be perfect now. But maybe they could finally work on their issues with one less obstacle in the way.

“I love you,” Lois said, pulling back and cupping both of Lucy’s cheeks. “You hear me?”

A single tear running down her cheek and her bottom lip trembling, Lucy nodded.

“I love you, too,” she whispered, knowing better than anyone that Lois only got tough on people she loved, and because she wanted them to do the best they could. Even when she needed to be called out for it, when she wasn’t right and made an even bigger mess of things.

 

-

 

On the flight back to Metropolis, Kara and Clark flew next to one another, both with a human in their arms, carrying them bridal style. Kara was still too angry to look at James, even though she knew it wasn’t really his fault.

He hadn’t decided to fall in love with Clark and Lois, but from what she’d gleaned so far, she wished he’d had the decency to break it off with Lucy sooner. She had a feeling he’d been in deep denial, even with himself.

After checking that no one was looking, they set down on Clark and Lois’s balcony, James giving Kara an apologetic look, before he made his way inside, vanishing quickly through the door. He, too, would need time now to deal with his new life as a divorcé.

Lois and Clark stood outside with her for a moment longer, Lois’s face looking like she’d just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Kara would have laughed at this comical expression on her forty-year old face, if the situation hadn’t been so decidedly unfunny.

Still, Kara gave her a hug, because she was well aware of how hard it was for Lois to articulate her feelings sometimes, especially when it came to Lucy.

“Call me tomorrow, okay?” She said, holding Lois close, who buried her face in Kara’s caped shoulder and nodded. Kara knew all of this couldn’t be easy for Lois, either, falling in love with Lucy’s husband. Especially since she’d been tasked with raising Lucy after their mother had died during childbirth.

Without another word, Lois let go and followed James inside.

Kara could see him through the wall, sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking a glass of juice, a forlorn expression on his face. She watched as Lois sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Turning her face away, she narrowed her eyes at Clark.

“Explain.”

Suddenly, Clark looked exactly like the younger cousin he’d always been supposed to be. With Kara glaring at him, his shoulders seemed to shrink in on themselves and he didn’t seem quite sure what to do with his hands.

“It just happened, Kara, I don’t know what else I can say.” He ran his hand through his hair.

Raising both eyebrows, Kara planted both of her hands firmly on her hips.

“That explanation is not going to cut it, Clark, when my best friend, practically your  _ sister-in-law _ , is sitting in my apartment right now, probably crying her eyes out over what the three of you did,” she hissed quietly at him, trying not to imagine Lucy being alone, exhausted, and devastated beyond belief.

His hand moved from his hair to his face, before his gaze turned from Kara to the apartment. She could tell that he, too, was using his x-ray vision to look at James, who had wrapped his arm around Lois’s shoulder. Clark’s face spoke volumes about his emotions. The love he felt for both of them.

“You know that my relationship with James has always been special,” he started, finally forcing his hands to his sides, his eyes finding Kara’s again. “Lois could tell that he and I… that we…” He stalled for a second, before plowing on. “That we love each other. I tried not to feel it, and I talked to Lois about it, because I love her, too.”

Kara could tell what a strain this must have put on his shoulders. Clark was a good person, who only ever wanted to do what was right, so of course he’d spoken to Lois when he’d noticed these feelings had developed.

At once, Kara felt both proud and exasperated.

“Believe me, Lois was even more shocked than I was, when she realized that she’d started to love James, too,” he continued, cheeks burning red under the light from the living room. He seemed to be in his early twenties again, like the first time she’d met him. More unsure of himself, less established in his role as Earth’s mightiest protector.

Loosening her tense stance, Kara looked at James and Lois again, both of them sitting close, talking quietly amongst themselves. She realized she had no interest in listening in on their conversation.

She shook her head.

“Did you ever…  _ do _ anything?” She asked tentatively, lifting her arms and crossing them so tightly she was a little afraid to break them off.

Clark looked horrified at her question.

“No! No, we just talked about how we felt, but we never-- No,” he said quickly, raking his hands through his hair, his handsome face marred with pain. “I would never turn James into a cheater, and he wouldn’t either. Neither would Lois. We decided it’d be best if we just ignored what was happening.”

Scowling darkly, Kara took a step forward.

“That’s stupid! If James knew he didn’t love Lucy anymore, he should have said something,” she whispered furiously, trying hard not to jar Lois and James out of their conversation in the kitchen. “She’s been stuck in this marriage purgatory for  _ years _ , Kal,  _ years _ .”

She let out a series of harsh, Kryptonian curse words.

“You weren’t there, you didn’t see her,” she said, shaking her head again. She had a feeling she’d be shaking her brain loose at some point. “If I’d known the three of you were in love, I could have done something. Why didn’t you  _ say _ anything? You could have come to me with this, any of you. I would have been there for you.”

Now he looked sheepish again, and more tired than ever. She hated seeing him like this, and without wasting another second, she wrapped her arms around his big waist and gave him the tightest hug she could manage.

He seemed to crumble in her arms, big and strong and yet so fragile.

So… human.

“I didn’t want to disappoint you,” he whispered, voice thick with grief as he clutched her cape in his big hands. “You’re so  _ good _ , Kara, I didn’t want to make you think less of me.”

His words sparked something in her mind. They were so reminiscent of her own thoughts about  _ him _ , it almost startled her. All this time, she’d thought he was living the perfect life. Had thought him to be the strongest and most determined person.

And now it turned out he was just as insecure as she was.

Maybe she should have been disappointed that he hadn’t turned out to be a god among men after all, but she wasn’t. Instead, she felt… relieved. She hated that he’d been suffering in silence, feeling like he couldn’t tell her, but she was glad that she’d seen this different side of him.

For some reason, she’d never really believed Chloe, or Lois, or Martha and Jonathan when they’d told her that Clark had stumbled on his journey to becoming Superman. She’d assumed he’d always been a perfect hero.

Closing her eyes at the revelation, she took a moment to simply hold him close.

Her baby cousin.

“I could never think less of you, even with this mess,” she said, putting every bit of conviction and strength into her words. “You’re a  _ heart _ person, Kal, you have so much love to give, and I’m glad for that every single day.” She ran her hand up and down his back. “And I’m also glad that you have two people in your life that you can open up to and share this love with.”

He took in a deep breath.

“Do you think Lucy will ever forgive us?” He asked quietly, shuffling his feet.

“Just give it some time, and tell Lois to cut it out with the snarky comments for the next year or so,” she said, the last part meant more as a joke, even though it would most likely aid in the healing process if Lois tried to be a little nicer to her sister.

Chuckling, he squeezed her more tightly, and she brought up her right hand to curl it around his neck, scratching gently through his hair. He was leaning down to hug her properly, and his bulky body enveloped her in warmth. Hugging him always felt like hugging a big, fluffy bear, and it was no different this time, despite the depressing circumstances.

“I can try to stop her, but you know how she is,” he said, letting himself be held for a moment longer, both of them clearly soaking in the feeling of their familial connection. “Thank you for being so good about this.”

“You’re my family, and we all make mistakes,” she soothed, keeping her eyes closed. “I’m just glad it’s all out in the open now. And I mean it, Clark, if you need to talk about anything, you can always call me, or fly over. I’m never too busy for you, just like you’re never too busy for me.”

They both pulled back from one another, and Kara gave him a sad smile, squeezing his arm.

“I love you,” he said, returning the smile.

“I love you, too.” She patted his shoulder. “You should probably go inside now. I think the three of you have a lot to talk about, now that Lucy and James have officially broken up. I hope it all works out for you.” Leaning up a little, she gave him a kiss on the forehead. “I need to get back to Lucy and see how she’s holding up.”

“Please tell her that I’m sorry,” he replied, the edges of his mouth curving down into an expression of deep regret. She hoped tonight would be last time she’d see him this upset. “I feel terrible about this.”

“She knows that. Like I said, just give her some time and space.”

When he was inside, she watched him through the wall as he walked up to Lois and James. A moment later, the three of them were hugging, and Kara let out a quiet breath.

James could be happy with Clark and Lois.

The only thing left now was to make sure that Lucy could be happy, too.

Either by herself, or with someone else.

Kara would be there with her through all of it.

 

-

 

By the time Kara got home to her apartment, she felt mentally and emotionally exhausted, but she knew her night wasn’t over yet. This outcome certainly wasn’t what she had been expecting when she’d kidnapped Lois from her apartment and brought her over.

When she set down on her balcony, she noticed the almost empty bottle of wine on the coffee table, and a couple of new bottles on the kitchen counter. Lucy must have run down to the store to get them while Kara was out.

Quickly speeding into her comfy  _ Star Wars _ pajamas, Kara sat down on the couch next to her best friend, who was staring at the television, tear streaks on her cheeks not yet dry. Lucy had moved on to watching the Warrior Angel TV series,  _ Greatcity _ .

Just in case Lucy needed space, Kara carefully kept her distance, only placing a single hand on Lucy’s knee.

“Hug?” She asked, making eye contact with her best friend.

Not saying a word, Lucy nodded, setting down her glass of wine in preparation for Kara’s love. A moment later, Lucy’s face was pressed against Kara’s chest, her hands digging into her back. While Lucy wasn’t crying anymore, her chest was still wracked with hiccups.

“I love you,” Kara whispered, kissing Lucy’s hair and running her hand along her spine. “I love you so, so much.” There was no response needed, and she knew Lucy wouldn’t give her one. This wasn’t about Kara.

As they sat there, watching Warrior Angel navigate through high school, Kara kept whispering sweet nothings, until finally, Lucy was asleep. The stress that Kara had inadvertently inflicted on her, coupled with her revelation from the day before, had completely drained her, but Kara couldn’t really say that she was sorry about it.

She felt awful about Lucy’s pain, but she knew in the end, it had been the best for Lucy to let James go, and for him to do the same. They’d both been stuck between a rock and a hard place, and had navigated their way out of it.

Turning off the television, Kara scooped Lucy up into her arms and carried her into her bedroom, shuffling her under the covers.

As Kara lay there, in the dark, with Lucy’s soft breathing filling her ears, her mind wandered to Alex, and she had her phone in her hands and unlocked before her mind had finished the thought.

 

-

 

> [Kara Kent]: I love you.  _ Sent 9:34pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Danvers ♥]: I love you, too.  _ Sent 9:34pm _ .

 

-

 

> [Alex Danvers ♥]: Ps. I am NOT a gay nerd.  _ Sent 9:42pm _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUUUN
> 
> so many things happened in this chapter! again! lemme know what you guys think about it hehe
> 
> as always, beta-d by the lovely Coara
> 
> find me on tumblr @goshdarnitjay


	22. A Clue in the Fridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex goes on a stake-out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome back! i hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> **Note** : Contains explicit sexual language.

Twirling a lock of her long blond hair around her finger, Alex stopped walking, leaned over her large, pink purse, and started digging for her lip gloss. Her sunglasses were huge and round, covering most of her face, and the fake diamonds on her cheek glittered in the sunlight. To top it all off, her pink nail polish complimented her pastel cardigan and white skinny jeans.

A few feet in front of her, Maxwell Lord was talking on his cellphone, unconcerned with who might be listening in.

Small and dark, with a red bat on the side, the device in Alex’s ear looked like a regular hearing aid, the same as any other used by millions of people all across the country, all across the globe.

But, of course, it wasn’t a hearing aid at all.

She smirked, and pulled the lip gloss from her purse, before starting to walk again, simply appearing to be window shopping as she followed Lord to wherever he was going. He was talking to Gordon Godfrey again, and she loathed to hear them gloat about how well Godfrey’s campaign was going.

So far, nothing too incriminating had come up, but Alex was still hopeful.

Besides, she had plenty of time.

-

With a great rumble, Alex turned her motorcycle into the precinct, ignoring the stares she got from her colleagues as she turned off her monster. Looking down critically at the machine, she drew her fingers along the side, coming away with dirt and grime. At some point this week, she’d have to give her baby a proper wash.

She didn’t think about  _ the incident _ as she pulled off her helmet. Most of her colleagues had already known about her past, prior to the leak of the report to the press. She figured they were probably more interested in her involvement with the Lawrence Dunwall case and what her connection to Supergirl was.

Locking everything down, she readjusted her regular sunglasses and made her way over to the front door, nodding to the cops who gave her a wave and a nod. She mentally checked off their trustworthiness, not at all surprised to see some of the bad cops giving her nods as well. She wasn't the only one who had to keep up appearances.

Today was Friday and Alex had been up at five am to drive over to Lord’s apartment, leaving the hero menace tracker in her parking lot again. Earlier this week, she’d broken into Lord’s garage with the help of Selina, so they could place a tracker on his car that would be almost impossible to find.

Selina had designed it herself.

Alex had also set up a camera and a listening device on the roof next to Lord’s building.

If he had been smart, like Alex, and worried that someone else was going to spy on him, he would have set up a machine that hindered surveillance tech to pick up noise from inside the apartment. Alex had set up  _ her _ scrambler a day after she’d punched Lawrence Dunwall in the face.

But, apparently, Lord didn’t think that was necessary for his apartment. Either because he didn’t think he needed it, or because he didn’t actually have anything to hide. At least at his apartment. In general, he seemed to spend very little time there, from what Alex could tell so far. He mostly slept, which wasn’t exactly riveting footage to review.

She’d also seen him entering various different buildings that didn’t seem to have any link, so she had a feeling that whomever he was meeting, they tended to stay on the move. Or maybe he had meetings with different people in those office buildings. As Chief of Police, Alex was sure he had certain obligations to the city that he couldn’t weasel his way out of.

It was good to have a hobby again, even if it did involve her hateful boss.

Alex had also spent a great deal of time with Kara when she wasn’t surveilling Lord’s shady behavior, mostly during lunchtime and after Kara’s shifts were over. Kara had helped her out with some of the footage, too. Since her Kryptonian eyes could see at a much faster rate than any human’s, and her beautiful mind processed information just as quickly, she’d looked through a ton of the overnight footage Alex had captured.

Of course, Alex hadn’t simply subjected her girlfriend to torturously boring footage without giving her some kind of incentive. She’d spent a lot of time on Kara’s lap, kissing her neck and massaging her shoulders while she tried to watch the video feeds.

They still hadn’t had sex, not with Selina and Eliza in Alex’s apartment, and Lucy in Kara’s, but they had been touching and caressing each other in stolen moments. Though they hadn’t talked about Kara’s Kryptonian physiology mixing with Alex’s human nature again.

Pulling her mind back to the present, Alex shouldered her duffle bag more firmly and pushed inside the precinct, nodding to their chief medical examiner, who gave her a sympathetic look, before coming over and squeezing Alex’s arm. She’d been talking with another detective, a tall woman with long, black hair, who nodded grimly to her. Alex grimaced back.

After Alex had reassured both of them that she was fine, she continued walking, the bullpen slowly coming into view. With a mischievous grin, she caught J’onn’s eye, and he smiled at her. She’d called him the day before to let him know about her plans ahead of time.

It wasn’t hard to spot Vasquez, who was sitting at their desk with a paper hat on their head, typing away at their computer, obviously hard at work. Next to them sat a half-eaten cupcake and an open box of J’onn’s homemade cookies.

The paper hat said  _ Happy Birthday _ .

With a grin, Alex walked up to them, lifting the duffle bag and letting it crash onto their keyboard, Vasquez startling terribly at the sudden interruption. The curses they let out would have been inappropriate for a work environment, but Alex only grinned.

“Ugh, Danvers, you’re killing me,” they grumbled, poking at the black duffle. “What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be suspended.” Getting to their feet, they raised both eyebrows, as Alex leaned against their desk and crossed her arms.

“You didn’t think you’d get out of seeing me on your birthday, did you?” Alex asked, winking at J’onn as he walked up to them. “I thought I’d treat you to lunch and give you our present.” She held out her fist and J’onn bumped it gently.

“I’m sorry I won’t be able to join you,” he said, clapping Vasquez on the shoulder. “I’m expected in court in a little while. Listed as an important witness in that stabbing incident from a few weeks ago.” He shook his head sadly.

“The scary defense attorney?” Alex asked, thinking about her own experience with the woman. There was no way in hell she was ever going to piss her off, if she could help it. She’d sooner move to another city again.

J’onn nodded.

“Can’t be late to see her,” he added, giving Vasquez’s shoulder a squeeze. “She’d have my head. But I’m sure the two of you will be just fine, and won’t get into any unnecessary trouble.” His mildly exasperated look said plenty about how much he didn’t believe his own words.

“Such little faith,” Alex teased, picking up her duffle again. “Go back to your desk, I’ll bring Officer Vasquez back in one piece.” She motioned for Vasquez to turn off their computer for the time being, as she shooed J’onn away, her gaze drifting to her own workplace as a result.

It had most of the stuff that had already been there when she’d gotten this job, but she’d taken her personal belongings with her. The obnoxious Supergirl mug, the picture of her mom she’d hidden in the bottom drawer, and her favorite ballpoint pens.

Vasquez seemed to notice her melancholy instantly, nudging her along and towards the exit after shrugging on their dark blue jacket with the NCPD logo sewn into the back. The paper hat was still squarely placed on their head.

“Come on, no sulking on my birthday,” they said, wrapping their arm around Alex’s shoulders and pulling her along, both of them waving to Senior Criminalist Susie Chang as they passed her.

“How old are you turning again?” Alex asked, wrapping an answering arm around Vasquez’s waist. “Let me guess…” She hummed thoughtfully, looking at her friend’s face as they exited the building. “Eighteen, right? You’ve got the whole baby face thing going.”

She laughed as Vasquez pushed her away.

“Jerk,” they said, stuffing their hands into the pockets of their police jacket. “I’m turning 24.”

“Right, right, so close,” Alex teased, ruffling Vasquez’s hair, careful not to destroy their birthday hat.

They shrugged her off, fighting a grin.

-

It took them less than twenty minutes to walk to CatCo Coffee, and Alex only registered Vasquez’s nervousness when the two of them were about to enter the shop. With a small frown, she watched Vasquez take off the paper hat and smooth down their hair.

Her eyes flit from Vasquez to what they were staring at inside.

“Seriously?” She asked, eyes finding Lucy, who was waiting on tables and picking up used cups and plates. She shook her head at her friend, who didn’t seem to have heard her. “Put the hat back on, you loser.”

When she poked Vasquez in the side with her elbow, they startled terribly.

“What?” They asked, hands fidgeting in front of their body.

“I said, put the hat back on, you loser,” Alex repeated her words, snagging the hat from Vasquez’s sweaty fingers. “Jeez, what the hell is up with you?” She looked back at Lucy, who was smiling at two customers.

“Nothing,” Vasquez mumbled, snatching back the hat.

Scoffing, Alex rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Vasquez was too sweet to stay exasperated with for very long, especially when they were nervous like this.

“She’s single again, just so you know,” Alex said, before turning back towards the door. She was held back only by Vasquez’s hand suddenly clamped around her arm in a desperate grip. She couldn’t quite hide her smirk.

“I thought you said she was married?” Vasquez asked, shuffling their feet a little. “N-Not that it’s any of my business, or that I care or anything.”

Their eyes flit to Lucy, to Alex, to Lucy again.

“Relax, Vas, it’s fine that you’re sweet on her.” Alex shrugged, patting Vasquez’s arm, eyeing their blushing cheeks. “But she's getting a divorce after nine years, so you might want to cool your horses for a while there.”

Nodding quickly, Vasquez snapped the hat back into place and took a deep breath.

A moment later, they were both waiting in line, Kara waving at them from a booth in the corner, her apron folded neatly next to her on the bench. Alex gave her a radiant smile and Kara winked, cheeks flushed with happiness.

Alex kept her hand on Vasquez’s lower back and tried to stop them from walking into anyone, since they seemed very determined to keep their eyes to themselves. Alex had a feeling they likely wouldn’t so much as  _ look _ at Lucy today.

With their orders in hand, they walked over to Kara, who caught Alex’s eye and patted the bench, as though Alex would decide to sit somewhere else if she didn’t indicate the open spot. The gesture made butterflies hum in Alex’s stomach.

“Hey,” Alex murmured, setting down her food and meeting Kara’s mouth halfway, their kiss short and sweet, but long enough for Alex to stroke her fingers along Kara’s gorgeous neck. Sadly, they had to pull away from one another all too soon.

“Hey,” Kara responded, grinning brightly, before her gaze moved away from Alex and found Vasquez, who had set their things on the other side of the table and was looking at them a little awkwardly.

“Good to see you again, Officer Vasquez,” Kara said, pushing past Alex, so she could give them a hug, which Vasquez was slow to reciprocate. They looked surprised and gave Alex a raised eyebrow, to which Alex only answered with a shrug.

“Um, it’s good to see you, too,” Vasquez responded, smiling a little hesitantly as they all took their seats. “Just call me Vasquez, though. I’m not on the job right now, and you’re Alex’s girlfriend, so… I don’t think we need to be that formal.”

Kara smiled.

“Alright,” she said, placing her hand on Alex’s thigh. “Happy birthday, by the way.”

“Right, right, I knew there had to be a reason we were here,” Alex interjected, grasping Kara’s fingers with her own and intertwining them before grabbing the duffle with her other one and hefting it up on her right leg. “You’re probably wondering what I have in this bag right here.”

Vasquez lifted one eyebrow and sucked on their banana milkshake.

“Maybe,” they admitted, finally relaxed.

“Yeah, do you want to find out before or after we’ve had lunch?” Alex asked, eyeing her own cheese sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes and the one that Vasquez had picked out, alongside a piece of banana cheesecake.

Vasquez was about to respond, clearly trying to swallow their mouthful of milkshake first, when Lucy came up to the table with a plate of cookies. Obviously startled by the sudden appearance of their crush, Vasquez tried to swallow too quickly, and started coughing seconds later.

At the pitiful display, Alex had to force herself not to sigh and cover her face with her hands.

-

Kara felt bad for Vasquez, especially when Lucy set down the cookies and started slapping them on the back, trying to get them to cough up whatever they’d accidentally inhaled. Their face seemed to grow hotter and hotter at the unforeseen attention.

“Are you okay, Officer?” Lucy asked, looking helplessly at Alex and Kara, as though wondering if either one were up for helping them. Kara tried for a smile, while Alex only shrugged, prompting Lucy to roll her eyes.

“Y-Yeah,” Vasquez squeaked, face flushed with embarrassment, seemingly unable to look Lucy in the eye. “Thank you, ma’am.” Their crush was unbearably cute, and Kara hoped that Vasquez would still be around by the time Lucy was ready for something else.

If she ever was.

Kara certainly wasn’t going to push her.

“Vas is fine,” Alex finally jumped in, patting the duffle bag on her right leg while squeezing Kara’s hand with her own. “They’re just so excited about all of the presents I got them.” She grinned, while Vasquez stared at the table.

Interest plain as day on Lucy’s face, she pulled her hand away from Vasquez’s back and picked up one of the cookies.

“Wish I could stay and see that, but I need to get back behind the counter. Kelly is about to take her lunch break.” She sighed and shrugged. “She did cover our asses last-minute, so I can’t really complain. Not too much, anyway.”

She turned back to Vasquez, whose face resembled a fire hydrant.

“Happy birthday, Officer Vasquez,” Lucy said, pushing the plate of cookies further towards them. When they mumbled out a  _ thanks _ , Lucy smiled, punched Alex in the shoulder, and walked back towards the counter.

While Kara stared after her, wondering for the umpteenth time whether Lucy fancied Vasquez back, Alex rubbed her abused shoulder. She seemed much less fascinated with the whole situation than Kara, but maybe that had more to do with the fact that she was so excited about the presents she was keeping to herself.

Kara already knew what was inside that duffle - she’d talked to Alex about how she and J’onn had come up with the idea a few weeks ago. Even though she didn’t really know Vasquez, she couldn’t wait to see the excitement on their face.

“She’s so violent,” Alex grumbled, letting go of her shoulder and taking Kara’s hand again. “Anyway, can we get to the presents now, Vas? Before lunch is over.” She looked down at her watch. “I’m tired of waiting.”

Kara pulled her hand free and slid it up Alex’s back, fingers digging into the hair at the nape of her neck, enjoying the feeling of smooth hair gliding against her skin. Being in love was so weird. She saw Alex almost every day at this point, and still… when she wasn’t there, Kara missed her terribly.

Face back to a healthier color, Vasquez made a gesture with their hand, indicating that Alex should show them what was hidden inside the bag.

With a grin, Alex unzipped it.

“This one comes in stages,” she said, handing over a small, rectangular package, almost completely flat. It had the shape of an envelope, and Kara was unsurprised when Vasquez ripped open the dark blue wrapping paper to reveal just that.

“I wonder what’s in there,” Vasquez pondered, words teasing.

“Probably a bike,” Alex responded, completely dead-pan.

“Or a pony,” Vasquez said, flipping open the white envelope and pulling out a clear, black card. “Is this where you confess your undying love for me, Danvers? ‘Cause I wouldn’t feel comfortable with that, what with your girlfriend sitting right there.”

Kara giggled, kissing the side of Alex’s face, who snorted in derision.

“I would be devastated,” Kara teased, pulling gently on Alex’s hair and more than a little gratified when goosebumps broke out on the skin of Alex’s neck. “But I’d understand.”

With a raised eyebrow, Alex turned her head.

“Would you now?” She asked, completely missing how Vasquez smirked triumphantly.

“Yeah, of course, Vasquez seems like a really sweet person.” Kara leaned forward, whispering into Alex’s ear. “Though, in case you think about leaving, let me just remind you that I’m the best superhero in the world. That’s very hard to top.”

Feeling smug about the blush spreading across Alex’s nose, Kara pulled back with a self-satisfied grin on her face. A moment later, before Alex could find the words to respond, they both startled when Vasquez  _ screamed _ .

For a split-second, Kara considered going into full-on Supergirl-mode.

When her head finally caught up with her gut, she realized it hadn’t been a scream of terror, but rather an exclamation of disbelieving  _ joy _ .

“What did he write?” Alex asked, taking the card from Vasquez’s shaking fingers. Looking down at the neatly written, white words on the black page, Alex rolled at her eyes at her friend’s antics, prompting Kara to look over as well. She could see what Alex found so amusing. Of course he would use a silver marker. Drama queen.

“Dear Officer Vasquez, Alex notified me that today is your birthday. She has also told me about the many accomplishments you’ve achieved in your short career as a police officer, and that you are a fan of my work. For that, I thank you,” Alex read out loud, Kara enjoying the sound of her voice as she listened.

Vasquez seemed to be vibrating in their seat.

“It is wonderful to know that I inspire people like you to do good in the world, as I try to do every night in Gotham,” Alex continued, raising one eyebrow. “Wow, he really went for it there.” At Vasquez’s scowl, Alex huffed. “Fine, fine, I won’t comment on the totally legitimate mutual respect you have for one another. Jeez.”

There were more words on the page, still, and Kara took the card from Alex’s hand.

“I thought that you would be happy to hear from me, and I have sent along some things you might like.” Kara smiled at his kind words, and the obvious happiness on Vasquez’s face. “I hope this next year will bring you nothing but good luck, and I wish you a very happy birthday. With the highest regards, Batman.”

Alex spread her arms along the back of the booth and grinned at Vasquez.

“I told you I’d score you an autograph,” Alex said, smug satisfaction all over her face, only breaking when Kara poked her side with her elbow. Now pouting, Alex took the card back from Kara. “This reads like a love letter.”

Kicking Alex under the table - clearly noticeable by Alex’s sudden yelp - Vasquez took the card and gently placed it back in the envelope. Kara wondered if they would frame it. They certainly seemed like the type.

“You’re a big jerk, Danvers, and a bully,” Vasquez asserted, slipping the envelope into the inside pocket of their jacket, keeping it close to their heart. They rolled their eyes when Alex kicked them right back.

Kara loved seeing their quick rapport.

Sliding her hand from Alex’s neck down to her waist, she moved closer to her on the bench. Everything about Alex only seemed to draw her in, and Kara was all too happy to let herself fall.

The next present Alex handed over wasn’t much bigger.

“ _ Oh my god _ ,” Vasquez whispered as they ripped away the wrapping paper, coming face to face with a batarang, one of Batman’s most notable weapons. They held it in their hands as though it were a priceless artifact.

Next up were a pair of Batman’s gloves and an old utility belt, both of which made Vasquez let out small noises of excitement as they noted the signs of usage, making it very clear that Batman had once worn these items himself.

Alex could only shake her head, but Kara poked her in the side every time she got too snarky, which she was perfectly ready to do. Vasquez looked so  _ happy _ , Kara didn’t want anything to take that away from them, not even her sassy girlfriend.

“There’s just one more thing,” Alex said, pulling out a medium-sized package with dark red wrapping paper, which glittered in the sun like red rubies, not at all Batman’s style. Kara was intrigued. She hadn’t heard about this one. “I couldn’t deter her.”

“Her?” Vasquez asked, furrowing their brows as they gingerly opened the paper. When they saw what was inside, they blushed a deep crimson. “This is really… um…” They held up the tacky leopard print handcuffs by their pointer finger.

“Weird?” Alex suggested, Kara’s eyebrows pulled high up on her forehead as she studied what else Vasquez had unearthed. “Wrong? Inappropriate? Gross?” Vasquez still seemed unable to form words. “Oh wait, I’ve got another one: Grotesque!”

Kara didn’t think the other things in the package were all that bad.

A pair of silky red boxers with a print of Catwoman’s signature goggle- and cap-combination was clearly visible, alongside a small, white card, and a box of heart-shaped chocolates. Kara had no trouble whatsoever ascertaining who had sent this little care package.

“Why would Catwoman give me this?” Vasquez asked, picking up the small card and opening it, blushing again to the roots of their hair with chagrin as they turned it around, so Kara and Alex could see it. “ _ See you soon _ and a lipstick mark? What does that even mean? Is she threatening me?”

Kara glanced sideways at Alex, feeling like whatever Catwoman was promising, it probably wouldn’t involve any violence. From what Alex had told her, Catwoman loved to tease people, and to rile them up with her raw sexuality.

“She insisted,” Alex said, shrugging. “She somehow managed to read Batman’s note, too. Don’t ask me how she did that, though. I’m one-hundred percent sure she didn’t open the flap.” For a second, she hesitated. “Okay, ninety-nine percent sure.”

Vasquez stared down at the lipstick mark.

“She called Batman a  _ fucking nerd _ , too,” Alex added, making air-quotes around the rather colorful description with her fingers. “And she knows that you’re still working her case.” She glanced at Kara, who knew all too well which case Alex was talking about.

While Kara was under no illusion that she would ever get  _ Paws and Claws _ back, she wondered if Vasquez would be the one to figure out Catwoman’s identity. Not that Kara necessarily wanted them to. After all, Catwoman was Alex’s friend, and Kara didn’t want her to suffer.

“She scares me a bit,” Vasquez admitted, poking at the handcuffs.

“She should,” Alex said, nodding as though to emphasize her point. “She would eat you alive.”

“Do you think she means it? The whole  _ see you soon _ thing?” They picked up their sandwich after looking at their watch, Kara checking the time as well. Her break was almost over, but at least she only worked until three today.

Alex shrugged at their question, taking a sip from her hot chocolate. It was cooled down enough by now that she didn’t run any risk of burning her mouth.

“She might. Catwoman likes riling up cops. That’s why I’m stuck with her now,” Alex said, leaning into Kara’s side and sliding the arm she had on the back of the booth onto Kara’s shoulder. Maybe she, too, was dreading the moment Kara would have to go back to work. “Don’t worry, she never managed to seduce me, so you should be fine.”

A sliver of jealousy surged through Kara’s veins. Did Alex have  _ any _ female friends that didn’t want to sleep with her? Selina, Catwoman… Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy had hit on her before, too. Were Stef, Lena, and Alex’s mother the only women in Alex’s life who didn’t want to have sex with her?

If Kara didn't know any better, she would have assumed Alex’s life was some sort of lesbian wish fulfilment fantasy, or a badly written television show.

She shook her head at the thought.

-

After Alex and Vasquez had left the coffee shop, Kara made her way back behind the counter, where Lucy was already busy preparing orders. When she slid into position, Hayashi smiled at her, before he went back into the kitchen to help Winn with the new sandwiches and cookie batches.

A glance at the clock on the wall told Kara that she’d be done with work in a little under two hours, and the thought had her feeling even more cheerful than she’d already been. She and Alex were going to spend some time hanging out at Alex’s apartment, since Mrs. Danvers and Selina were out on some sort of girls’ day.

Alex’s texts about the details had involved the words  _ spa _ ,  _ movie theater _ , and  _ food _ .

With such an excellent afternoon and evening on the horizon, Kara took her customers’ orders with a flourish, tapping her foot along to the music on the radio.

Her thoughts strayed to the piles of clothes she’d already left at Alex’s apartment. A pair of fluffy pajamas, a selection of underwear, at least two blouses, and one beautiful sundress that Kara really couldn’t afford to lose. And the sight of her very own toothbrush there made Kara feel a rush of butterflies every time she looked at it.

As though to ruin her good mood, her mind drifted to the hero menace movement and their attempt to end Alex’s life, shattering her happy musings. It took all her effort to keep the fear at bay that Alex would get hurt on her way to the apartment. Things were certainly going smoothly right now, and Kara wouldn’t ruin her happiness by anticipating something horrible happening again.

“Alex’s colleague is cute,” Lucy said in a quiet moment, taking a sip of water from the glasses they hid behind the counter. “Especially that whole  _ ma’am  _ thing. Do you know how old they are?” She picked up one of the smaller cookies.

With a smile, Kara leaned her hip against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. It was good to see Lucy trying to move on, even though it had barely even been a week.

Not that Kara thought Lucy would already try something new.

She knew her friend too well for that.

“Officer Vasquez turned 24 today,” Kara answered, accepting the cookie Lucy was holding out to her, glancing periodically at the front door to check for any potential customers. Another hour and Kara could fly to Alex’s apartment.

“They look really cute when they blush, too,” Lucy mused, staring off into the distance, a veil of melancholy falling over her face. “Looking at them was a really nice distraction from the appointment with my lawyer later tonight.”

Lucy would be signing the papers finalizing her divorce in a few hours, and Kara shifted uncomfortably where she stood, still feeling guilty that she’d brought about so much change in her best friend’s life. It hadn’t been her decision to make, to force the issue, and yet she’d made it anyway.

“I’m sorry,” Kara said, consciously keeping herself from ripping the blouse she was wearing underneath the burgundy and gold CatCo Coffee apron. She had no idea how Lucy could have forgiven her so easily.

“Stop apologizing, Kara,” Lucy said, flicking Kara’s nose before squeezing her upper arm. “This would have happened with or without your involvement. We’ve talked about this.” She handed Kara another cookie. “James and I were never going to work it out. Never.”

Nodding, Kara chanced a glance back up at her best friend.

“I still should have asked you first,” she mumbled, looking back at the front door.

“Yes, you should have,” Lucy agreed, hand sliding down to Kara’s forearm. “But it’s done now. It happened, you did a stupid thing, and it all worked out in the end.”

Nodding, Kara uncrossed her arms and took Lucy’s hand.

“I owe you so many favors,” she said, mind rattling with different things she could do to somehow make it up to Lucy. She’d forced the confrontation, and now her friend had to live with the consequences. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to Alex’s apartment after your meeting? We’re going to order pizza and hang out.”

With a soft shake of the head, Lucy gave Kara a smile.

“Thanks, Kara, but I don’t want to ruin your date night, and I think I need some time to myself,” she said, squeezing Kara’s fingers. Hugging behind the CatCo counter was still an absolute no-go, so they had to make do with this. “Seeing Detective Dumbass make those insufferable goo-goo eyes at you all night would just be depressing.”

For a moment they stood in silence, perfectly aware that there was nothing for them to do but wait for it all to pass. The pain Lucy felt over the marriage she’d lost, and the guilt Kara was clinging on to.

A few seconds later, the moment was shattered by the front door opening to reveal a new customer.

With a shake of the shoulders and a determined look, the two of them went back to work.

-

Gasping in pleasure, Kara dug her fingers gently into the bottom of Alex’s dark blue t-shirt, consciously throttling her natural reaction of wanting to rip the fabric into tiny pieces. Her eyes were closed, and her left leg was thrown over the back of Alex’s thighs, keeping her close.

It was now three-fifteen in the afternoon, and Kara had been in the apartment for all of five minutes. The second she’d walked in through the front door, she’d had Alex by the front of her shirt, kicking the door shut behind her as she walked her girlfriend into the direction of the bedroom.

Alex hadn’t protested.

“Can you feel this?” Alex asked, biting gently at the skin of Kara’s neck, left hand holding her up while the other gripped onto Kara’s thigh and kept it in place.

They were in Alex’s bed, seizing the opportunity of an empty apartment to make out without running the risk of someone else walking in on them. That one time Eliza had caught them kissing in the study had been awful enough.

“Yes,” Kara breathed, one hand leaving Alex’s shirt to run her fingers through Alex’s hair. “But don’t bite too hard, I don’t want you to hurt your teeth.” Her words were a little stilted, as she was desperately trying to keep her hormones and powers under control.

Kara wasn’t planning on having sex today, but this make-out session would be a great opportunity to test herself. She’d never felt an emotional connection quite like this with someone before. It was scary and exhilarating all at once.

Humming against Kara’s skin, Alex nuzzled her nose up against Kara’s jaw, placing kisses along the way as her right hand slowly slid up Kara’s thigh. Her nails dragged along the denim of the jeans, until she reached the bottom of Kara’s blouse.

“Okay?” She asked, obviously waiting for Kara’s to give consent or tell her to stop.

“Yes,” Kara said, leaning her head further back to bare more of her skin to Alex’s kisses. She’d missed their prolonged make-out sessions. They’d barely had opportunity to touch each other like this during the past week.

When she felt Alex’s fingers move under her blouse, Kara could feel the tell-tale signs of her heat vision. It was faint, and Kara was still in control, but she could tell that her muscles were reacting to her girlfriend’s ministrations.

Still, Kara pushed onwards, bringing her right hand back to Alex’s waist.

When Alex stopped moving, Kara realized her own body had grown tense in the anticipation of her heat vision misbehaving in some way.

“Don’t stop,” Kara whispered, opening her eyes and looking down at Alex, who was watching her like a hawk for any sign that she should get off of Kara. “My heat vision is linked to my arousal… so I’m just...“ She bit her bottom lip. Alex looked so  _ gorgeous _ with her hair disheveled like that. “I’m trying to figure out how to turn that off.”

Sitting up, Alex clasped both of Kara’s hands with her own.

“Is there any way I can help you with that?” She asked, looking adorably determined, despite the fact that her hair was standing up at odd angles and her lips seemed to be a little too red from their kissing.

“I don’t know, maybe I just need more practice,” Kara mumbled, thinking back to high school and college and how little time she’d actually spent receiving pleasure. Of course, that had been completely by her own design.

Leaning back down again, Alex released Kara’s hands.

The kiss started out slow, Alex’s hands back on the mattress, keeping her steady as she took Kara’s mouth. Her lips caressed Kara, before she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, tongues meeting only briefly.

“We can practice together,” she husked in between kisses, moving her lower body so her thigh was pressed against the apex of Kara’s legs. Kara knew there was no way for Alex to feel how wet she was through the jeans, but she flushed scarlet either way. “Just tell me if it’s too much.”

“Okay,” Kara said, hands trembling as she put them back on Alex’s soft skin. “Can you…” Her fingers moved up Alex’s muscled back, taking the fabric with her. “Can I take off your t-shirt?” It had been weeks since their first sleepover, and Kara was more than ready for another look. A proper one this time.

Alex’s cheeks filled with color, too.

“Yeah,” she said, swallowing harshly as she sat back up once more, Kara following her lead.

Fingers grasping firmly onto the shirt, Kara pulled it up slowly, keeping eye contact with Alex for as long as she could.

She didn’t dare look down at Alex’s naked breasts after the t-shirt was gone.

Following their CatCo celebration of Vasquez’s birthday, Alex had gone home and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. She’d also taken off the bra she’d been wearing, which Kara had noticed the second she’d pulled Alex close during their first kiss at the door.

“It’s okay, you can look,” Alex said, gently taking her shirt out of Kara’s hands, before intertwining their fingers. Her expression wasn’t tough to read. The heavy blush and half-lidded eyes gave Kara a very clear indication of Alex’s state of arousal.

“I’m afraid if I look down, my heat vision is going to punch a hole through your sternum,” Kara whispered, mentally chastising herself the second the words left her mouth. Talking about burning Alex alive probably wouldn’t count as sexy talk.

Relief flooded her when a smile spread over Alex’s face and she chuckled.

“Don’t worry,” she said, letting go of Kara for a second, before she curled her fingers around the backs of Kara’s hands, pulling them closer, “I have that effect on everybody.” She winked, and Kara took a deep breath, too wired to tease Alex for her cheesy comment.

When she felt soft skin and hard nipples in her palms, Kara closed her eyes instinctively.

Having Alex this close and being able to touch her was intense, and it took every bit of willpower she had to keep herself under control. If it was this difficult  _ now _ , how the hell was Kara going to cope with it when Alex and her actually wanted to sleep with one another?

Maybe she should go to the fortress, consult her mother about how to keep this from happening. This whole thing was like a terrible metaphor for premature ejaculation, and Kara was definitely over it.

“Kiss me,” she whispered, eyes burning from the strain of keeping her powers contained. She let out a sigh of relief when Alex let go of her hands and wrapped them around Kara’s back instead, leaning further into her as their lips met once more.

A second later, Kara was on her back again, Alex kissing her passionately, making small noises of pleasure every time Kara caressed her chest.

Kara knew she could do this all day, letting her fingers glide over Alex’s nipples, her abdominal muscles, the waistband of her sweatpants. Having her strong and beautiful girlfriend quivering and shaking was phenomenal.

She was pulled from her reverie, when Alex rolled her hips into her, pressing directly against the seam of Kara’s jeans. The movement surprised her, and she whimpered at the indirect stimulation.

At another roll of Alex’s hips, Kara realized that they needed to  _ stop _ .

Pressing her fingers against her eyes to ensure that no heat vision could possibly escape, Kara let out a sharp breath as Alex coupled the next roll of the hips with a particularly well-placed bite and kiss against the skin behind Kara’s earlobe.

“So,” Kara said shakily, one arm curled around Alex’s back, “what do you think about that whole Lucy and Vasquez situation?” It was the first thought that entered Kara’s mind. She could have just told Alex to stop, she realized a few seconds later, but her big, Kryptonian brain was just a little preoccupied at the moment.

At any rate, her words had the same effect.

Alex stilled, the scent of her arousal heavy and thick all around them, making it hard for Kara to pay attention to anything else. They definitely needed to take a shower after this, or Kara wouldn’t be able to think for the rest of the day.

Her mind conjured up an image of Alex and her in the shower together. Naked.

That really didn’t help her situation.

“You, uh, want to talk about this now?” Alex asked, thighs tensing as she pushed herself up a bit, Kara still refusing to take her hand away from her eyes. With Alex around, especially while she was half-naked, Kara needed to be very careful.

She cleared her throat.

“Yeah, um, I was just… you know… wondering if Officer Vasquez knows that Lucy just got out of a very long and very tough relationship,” Kara rambled, startling a little when Alex grabbed her free hand and placed it back on her abs.

“So this isn’t at all about your heat vision giving you trouble and you being embarrassed about it?” Alex asked, a hint of teasing infusing her tone. When Kara chanced a peek through her fingers, she saw Alex’s smirk.

“Nope, no, no way,” Kara said, squeezing her eyes shut again when her gaze strayed to Alex’s naked torso. “This is just me being a really good friend.” She gasped when Alex rolled her hips again, and the visual image of Alex kneeling over her,  _ riding  _ her, was just too much.

“Of course,” Alex said roughly, fingers digging into Kara’s hand as she continued to move back and forth. “So you definitely don’t mind if I just keep doing this while we discuss Lucy’s future love life?”

It was like Alex had absolutely no idea how much danger she was putting herself in.

Kara’s mouth was open to respond, but the words wouldn’t come.

Instead, at a particularly sharp thrust, Kara felt like fire was spreading through her veins, a warm heat filling her muscles, as her entire body tensed. She just about managed to pull her hand free from Alex’s stomach so she wouldn’t crush it, as she threw her head back and opened her eyes.

Her orgasm caught Kara completely by surprise, as her eyes seared burning holes into Alex’s ceiling, her fingers shredding the mattress, her body lifting Alex clear off the bed as she arched her back.

When it was over - roughly half a minute later - Kara realized Alex wasn’t on top of her anymore, but had instead left the bedroom to get the fire extinguisher, since the holes in her bedroom ceiling were smoldering.

Muscles buzzing pleasantly from the aftershocks, Kara waved her off.

“Let me,” she said, taking a deep breath, forcibly pulling her gaze away from Alex’s beautiful musculature. Her arctic breath blew out whatever fire she’d left behind, but now that her orgasm was wearing off, Kara could feel the guilt and shame flood her veins. “I’m sorry.”

Furrowing her brows, Alex put down the fire extinguisher.

“What for?” She asked, eyes staying on Kara as she sat back on the bed, obviously unconcerned with the fact that she wasn’t wearing a t-shirt. “I can get the ceiling fixed at some point.” She shrugged, sitting next to Kara and stroking her cheek. “Besides, I was the one who kept going.”

Kara was still on her back, hands trembling as she grasped Alex’s arm.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had an orgasm, especially one that felt like this. Masturbation wasn't really something Kara was interested in.

“You looked amazing,” Alex whispered, thumb gliding over Kara’s bottom lip. “And your heat vision is… beautiful.” Smiling lovingly, she leaned down and gave Kara a sweet kiss. “You were gone for a while there.”

Blushing heavily, Kara looked down at the chunks of mattress she’d pulled free.

“Our, um,  _ climax _ …” She stammered, looking back at Alex, and being relieved when she didn’t find any fear on her girlfriend’s face. “It’s longer. I don’t know if it’s more intense, I haven’t really… had much experience.”

Moving around on the bed, Alex shuffled onto her stomach and propped her head up on her free hand.

She twisted her mouth into a guilty grimace.

“Was it okay that I kept going? I wasn’t totally sure if you actually wanted me to stop or not,” she said, biting her bottom lip. “I should have asked and clarified, I’m sorry. I got caught up in the moment, but that’s no excuse.”

Curling onto her side, Kara reached out and soothingly stroked Alex’s chest, over her collarbone and sternum, feeling the soft skin of her shoulders and neck.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she said, pushing Alex onto her back and cuddling into her, feeling incredibly needy after what had just taken place. “I was just scared of hurting you, that’s why I tried to change the subject.”

Her eyes flit to the ceiling again, and her chest felt tight and cold.

She could have seriously hurt Alex with their little stunt.

“Which is why I think we shouldn’t let it get this far again until I’ve talked to my mother at the fortress,” Kara said, leaning up to gage Alex’s reaction. “She left behind an imprint of her consciousness there, maybe she can help me figure out how to control myself.”

Nodding, Alex placed her hand over the one Kara had on her bare chest.

“How come you never talked to her about it before?” Alex asked tentatively, running her thumb over Kara’s skin. “You really have to explain to me at some point how your technology works, by the way, because leaving behind your consciousness is seriously intense.”

Alex’s enthusiasm was adorable.

“I wanted to talk to her about it in college,” Kara confessed, drawing Kryptonian words into Alex’s skin.  _ I love you _ . “I had a long-time girlfriend, and I really wanted to try it with her, but I don’t know.” She sighed. “I never felt comfortable telling her who I was, and that really complicated things between us.”

Humming in understanding, Alex gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“If you want, I can come to the fortress with you,” she said, voice as non-threatening as she could have possibly made it. “If you’re fine with me meeting your mom and everything.” Suddenly, she seemed shy.

“She would have loved you,” Kara whispered, thinking of her mom and Alex being in the same room together. “My mom was a great judge of character. I wish you could have met her. The  _ real  _ her.”

“Me, too,” Alex said, pulling Kara back into her embrace.

-

Saturday morning, Kara woke to the feeling of Alex’s arms holding her tightly.

Maybe she should have been used to it by now, but she still relished in the sensation as she turned onto her back. Alex’s face was relaxed, her hair an unruly mess from a night of deep sleep, and her arms tightened a little as she felt Kara move.

“What am I going to do with you?” Kara asked, glancing up and away from her girlfriend’s serene face, taking in the patches of masking tape Alex had put over the scorch marks and holes on the ceiling. Rolling onto her side, Kara wrapped her arm around Alex’s waist and snuggled under her chin, sighing contently as she listened to her slow breaths and steady heartbeat.

“You better not get yourself killed,” she mumbled, hugging Alex closer and squeezing her eyes shut tight. “I’ll make you a deal. You make sure you stay alive, and I’ll make sure I’ll stay alive.”

Alex’s silence may as well have been a nod, Kara thought to herself.

As she lay there, basking in Alex’s warmth and comfort, Kara tried to remember the last time she’d been this scared, and yet so incredibly happy.

-

The keys rattled in her hand as Kara unlocked the front door of her apartment at two in the afternoon.

After spending her Saturday morning with Alex and Selina - who seemed to know instinctively that she and Alex had gotten up to some sexual things in the bedroom - Kara had gotten a call from Lucy, telling her to hightail it to the apartment.

Lucy hadn’t sounded upset on the phone, nor did she seem to be in any imminent danger, so Kara was still in a pretty good mood when she walked inside. After all, it wasn’t every day that Kara managed to have an orgasm without destroying an entire building.

With a smile on her face, Kara hung up her coat and shucked off her shoes, waving to Lucy, who was making lunch in the kitchen. She’d turned on Kara’s radio and was moving her hips to the music, her shoulders more relaxed than they had been in a long time.

The sight was almost enough to make Kara trip over one of her bags by the door.

“Hey,” Kara said, joining Lucy in the kitchen and leaning against the counter, “you seem chipper.”

_ Especially for someone who’s just signed divorce papers _ , Kara thought to herself, though she was smart enough to keep that comment to herself. She didn’t want to bring it up and somehow push Lucy out of this excellent mood.

“I had the best night of my life,” Lucy gushed unceremoniously, grabbing Kara by the shoulders and pulling her into a hug. “ _ And _ the best morning. I mean, I felt awful last night, because of the divorce and my shit life and how sad it all was, but,” she shook her head, “the rest of it was just… phenomenal.”

She pulled back, leaning up high on her toes and giving Kara a kiss on the forehead.

“Flying Lois over here and forcing me to face my own shit was the best idea you ever had, Kara,” she continued, twirling on the spot, before going back to the soup she was making. “I was mad at first, but not anymore.”

Furrowing her brows, Kara crossed her arms over her chest.

“Did you…” She hesitated, momentarily unwilling to accuse Lucy of anything. “Did you  _ take  _ anything last night?”

Lucy snorted.

“What, like drugs? Please,” she said, tasting the soup before adding a bit more salt.

“It’s a fair question,” Kara defended herself, holding up both hands. “‘Cause it sounds a bit like you had an excellent  _ trip _ , if you know what I mean.” Kara had never had the opportunity to indulge in drugs, since her Kryptonian body didn’t respond to them, but she’d heard stories from friends, especially during college.

Another snort.

“Oh, yeah, I had an excellent trip this morning,” Lucy boasted, putting a lid on the pot full of soup and turning towards the kitchen island to cut the bread she’d bought into fine slices for dipping. Just as Kara opened her mouth to ask for a clarification, Lucy kept talking. “An excellent trip into an even more excellent vagina.”

At Lucy’s content sigh, Kara’s face flushed scarlet.

Oh boy.

-

“I’m getting close,” Alex said, her earpiece crackling with Selina’s response.

“Alright, I’m going to be on the roof. He should be in there, but we are not going to engage him today. Remember our plan. Surveillance only,” she said, sounding like she was jumping through the air.

“Yeah, yeah, you don’t have to keep telling me. I know, I’m not going to do anything,” Alex replied, adjusting her long, black wig and hoping that the sun wouldn’t melt her dark make-up too badly. Today’s look was less suburban mom and more goth chick extraordinaire.

“I’m just saying, Supercop. Remember that time you clocked that drug dealer in the face, because he’d called the cops on Harley and she landed back in Arkham?” Selina admonished, the wind almost overpowering her words.

Alex rolled her eyes, her white contact lenses just a little bit unpleasant.

“That was a one-time thing. He deserved it,” Alex replied, making sure her apathetic hunch looked perfectly morose.

“Or remember that other time you round-house kicked the Penguin because he tried to gas Ivy’s flowers?” Selina seemed to be full of stories today, and Alex was in no mood to deal with it. At all.

“Can we get back to the mission?” She asked, feeling for her gun under the guise of scratching her back.

“Just one more. I do love thinking about that time you dressed down that police pig at your old precinct, because he called me a hot piece of ass he was jealous you got to fuck every night.” Selina hummed in appreciation, a dull thud coming from her end of the line. “You were so sweet when you were young.”

Grumbling in a perfect impression of a surly teenager, Alex sulked over to the alley behind the  _ Goodness Club _ , where Desaad apparently held a fetish party once a month.

“You know what I remember about that day? You sending me an inappropriate bathtub picture that sparked all of that nonsense in the first place,” Alex ground out, leaning against the wall and pulling out her cellphone. To anybody paying attention to her, she’d look like any other goth in National City who was waiting for their friends to show up.

“It’s your own fault you don’t know how to sext in secret,” Selina teased her, making Alex snort in derision. “Anyway, I’m on the roof now. Are you in position? We need to place these things at the proper angle, if we want them to pick anything up.”

“I’m here, let’s get this thing ready,” Alex said, sliding her hand into her pocket to retrieve the surveillance tech Selina had given to her.

Time to get started.

-

“What do you mean you fell headfirst into Siobhan’s vagina?” Kara squeaked, several minutes after entering the apartment. She was holding a slice of bread that Lucy had pressed into her hand.

Lucy shrugged as she grabbed the pot of soup off the stove and put it on an already laid out table mat on the kitchen island.

“I signed the papers, and I felt like shit, so I figured I should probably take my mind off stuff by getting some work done,” she said, pulling plates and cutlery out of Kara’s drawers while Kara stood there frozen, completely gobsmacked.

“And so you decided the best way to work was to sleep with our friend?” Kara asked, still holding onto the bread but not eating it. “I told you not to make this any weirder than it already is! First Selina and now you?”

Raising one eyebrow, Lucy put her hands on her hips, obviously offended.

“You said not to sleep with  _ Selina _ , you never said anything about Siobhan,” she said, getting the orange juice from the fridge and indicating to Kara that she should eat. “Besides, I didn’t go to the  _ Silver Banshee _ to have sex with Siobhan, it just sort of happened.”

Kara threw her hands into the air, bread flopping helplessly back and forth.

“How does that just sort of happen, Lucy? How?” Never in a million years had Kara thought that her two friends would actually sleep with one another. They’d always flirted a bit, but that had just been part of their personalities, nothing more.

Would things get strange now? Was Siobhan some sort of rebound? Siobhan didn’t even like to date people, so how was this whole thing even going to work? Was it a one-time thing, would it affect their professional relationship?

And how did Kara fit into all of it now - would she have to take sides? Switch to another art gallery?

“Kara, relax, before your head explodes,” Lucy soothed, grabbing Kara by the arms and forcing eye contact. “I went to Siobhan’s to talk about some of your paintings and the price we’d negotiated for them. We talked, Siobhan noticed that I wasn’t wearing my ring anymore, I cried a lot, we got drunk, and then we fell asleep.”

“Oh…? But you said…?” Kara forced herself to still, and Lucy let her go, gesturing at the soup again.

Kara nodded, sitting down at the island and grabbing a spoon. She had a feeling if Selina ever found out about this, she’d be smug beyond belief, and since Selina had a knack for finding out all sorts of things she wasn’t supposed to know...

“And then this morning we woke up and… I don’t know, we just kissed and then we had some of the best sex I’ve ever had in my entire life,” Lucy concluded, eyes going a little vacant as she thought back to her morning.

Kara was trying not to eat, for fear of spewing it all out when Lucy would inevitably make some of her more colorful comments. She really didn’t need to hear about Lucy’s sex life, but she seemed so  _ happy _ that Kara didn’t have the heart to tell her to stop talking.

“I don’t know,” Lucy said, dunking her bread slice in the soup. “Maybe I just feel that way because it’s been years since James and I had good sex, but Siobhan is really,  _ really  _ good.” She seemed to be deep in thought while Kara tried not to crush her spoon. “James and I used to have so much fun… he was always up for anything…”

Closing her eyes, Kara fought the images her mind was trying to conjure up.

-

With the machinery in place, Alex tapped on the earpiece to activate the second line. Immediately, her ear filled with voices from inside the club. They were talking about shipments and alcohol deliveries, while Alex acted like she was playing around on her phone, pulling up Tetris to make it look even more believable.

“Sounds like he’s not here yet,” Selina said over their line of communication, as the voices of the two men continued to talk about their club and restocking purposes. “But they’re talking about the upcoming  _ Dark Side Party _ , so we’re definitely in the right place.”

Before Alex could respond, a third voice joined the other two on the line, with a slick, New Zealand accent. The man spoke in drawling tones, greeting the other two, words drawn together almost lazily.

“ _ Gentlemen _ ,” he said, his tone instantly rubbing Alex the wrong way, “ _ how is the party planning? Do we have everything set up for the next meeting? _ ” Alex wished she could see him, wished she could charge in there and beat the information out of him.

“ _ Yes, Mr. Desaad, sir, everything is ready to go _ ,” another voice answered, this one light and skittish, like he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to be there and associate with this dangerous man. Maybe he knew what fate would befall Desaad as soon as Alex would get her hands on him. “ _ The shipment will arrive on the twenty-ninth _ .”

“ _ Excellent _ ,” Desaad drawled, more jovial than bored now. “ _ You know the boss loves it when everything goes to plan, and I am getting very tired of listening to his whining _ .” There was the sound of scraping chairs and Alex wished they’d already installed a set of cameras. “ _ As soon as we get rid of that flying red skirt, we can move on to our next phase _ .”

The blood seemed to boil under Alex’s skin as she listened to his disgusting words, and she clenched her left hand into a fist.

Bastards.

“If you go in there and screw this up for us, I will kick you so hard that Kara will have to go and find your vagina on a different continent,” Selina’s voice buzzed in Alex’s ear. Her words didn’t relax Alex one iota.

“Alex, I swear to god,” Selina said again, obviously not satisfied with Alex’s silence. “Do not make me come down there.”

“I’m fine,” Alex growled, almost squeezing her phone to death as she heard one of the men make a joke about aliens and their inability to control themselves. How Supergirl wouldn’t be able to stop herself from going after them. How they would win.

If Alex had anything to say about it, she was going to shoot each and every one of them before they ever laid a hand on Kara.

-

“Maybe I should ask Siobhan who did it better, me or Alex’s girl crush,” Lucy said, eating another spoonful of her soup, while Kara’s plate was still mostly untouched. “I mean, I know it was me, but I still want to hear her say it.”

“Uh-huh,” Kara hummed in agreement, the bread in her head trembling a little.

“You know, when I walked in there last night, sad and depressed, I realized something when Siobhan flirted with me like always,” Lucy continued, pouring herself another ladle full of soup. “I can honestly flirt back now if I want to. I don’t have to feel guilty anymore, because it’s not working out with James.”

She smiled, and Kara returned it in full. No matter how uncomfortable the thought of Lucy and Siobhan was to her - based on the fact that they were all  _ friends _ \- if it made Lucy this happy, Kara would always put her own issues aside.

“And she was all like: ‘ _ Lucy Lane, back on the market? _ ’ when I told her about the lawyer, and I realized that yeah, I  _ am  _ back out there,” she said, blowing on her spoonful of soup. “I just needed someone to talk to who wasn’t so  _ in  _ it, you know? So involved.”

Nodding gently, Kara moved her foot along the kitchen island and tapped her toes against Lucy’s shin.

“I get that,” she said, not the least bit jealous that Lucy had confided in someone who wasn’t her. Kara had been smack-dab in the middle of the drama, after all, since she’d been the one who lit the fuse on the Lucy and James powder keg. “As long as the two of you are… good about it…”

A mock-shudder wracked Lucy’s body.

“You have no idea how amazing Siobhan is in bed, Kara. Seriously, she looks all sensuous and like she’d be great at sex, but let me tell you, that impression is false. She’s even  _ better  _ than she looks.” She swirled the spoon around in the air, and Kara had no desire whatsoever to know if the swirling had anything to do with how Siobhan conducted herself in bed.

“That’s… nice…” Kara said, wishing she could forget this conversation after it was done.

“She just goes for it, and she’s not shy about what she’s doing,” Lucy continued, putting down the spoon and giving off a dreamy sigh. “The way she swirls her tongue and god, Kara, the way she  _ sucked  _ was just… wow.”

Unseen, Kara pulled her phone from her jeans and unlocked it behind the island.

“And she really knows how to use her fingers. She must have gotten a lot of practice over the years, because she knew  _ exactly _ where to touch me.” Lucy’s cheeks were flushed from the pleasant memories, while Kara tried not to break her phone again as she pressed on Alex’s chat window.

“Ugh, Kara, you can’t imagine how good it felt to just be  _ touched  _ again. To be wanted like that was amazing. And Siobhan just knew how to eat me out so good; I think I came three times in less than half an hour. I’m just glad I can walk again after all of that this morning.” Her tirade was giving Kara heart palpitations, who wanted nothing more than to press her hands to her ears and sing very loudly, so Lucy couldn’t tell her anything else.

Moaning inappropriately at the memory, Lucy fanned herself with her hand.

“That is… so… wonderful,” Kara said slowly, trying to keep the smile on her face.

“You’d think she’d be all about being hard and fast, like really quick and dirty fucking, and she’s very good at that, trust me, but she can do deep and slow just as good.” Lucy fanned herself harder, mock-shuddering one more time.

“That is… wow… great… great for you…” Laughing awkwardly, Kara started typing frantically under the counter, left hand out of sight while she pretended to eat soup with her right one. The mangled piece of bread lay next to her plate.

“And she just would not get tired. We had sex for  _ hours _ this morning. I’m not even kidding. I mean, we had little breaks in between, but Kara, that  _ woman _ . That woman knows what she’s doing.” Sipping on her juice, Lucy closed her and smiled again. “And you should see her face when she comes. Just gorgeous.”

Kara’s fingers tightened on the spoon, the metal crunching under her super strength like butter.

“You know what, I’m just-- I’m just going to leave that to you. I don’t need to see that,” Kara sputtered, holding onto the spoon, desperately trying to hide the fact that she’d bent it out of shape.

“I’m just saying, Kara, you know how great she looks in those sinfully tight pencil skirts and blouses. And now imagine her without those,” Lucy insisted, leaning forward and shuddering  _ a third time _ for effect. “Just thinking about her thighs around my shoulders, or her breasts in my mouth… I swear, I could jump her again right now and it’s only been two hours.”

If it hadn’t been for the crystal-enforced case, Kara’s phone would have been a broken mess on the floor.

“S-So… do you think you’ll see her again?” Kara asked, then chastised herself for her poor wording. She just felt too flustered. Maybe this was Lucy’s punishment for Kara’s dumb decision-making. “Obviously you’ll see her again, but do you think it’s going to be something… serious with you two?”

Maybe the conversation would be over soon… Hopefully Lucy wouldn’t try to explain every single sexual position she’d partaken in this morning in graphic detail.

Lucy shrugged.

“No, I don’t think Siobhan wants that kind of meaningful human interaction. She’s great at sex, like, I wasn’t being facetious, she’s  _ so good _ , but it was just sex,” she said, breaking off another piece of bread and chewing on it thoughtfully. “Besides, I just got out of a fricking nine-year marriage with years of dating the same guy before that. I just want to have some fun.”

Humming in understanding, Kara nodded and gave Lucy a small smile.

“You deserve to have fun, Luce,” she said, happy when her friend nudged back her foot with her own. “Is it weird that I’m kind of glad it was with Siobhan, after all, and not some stranger?” She finally started eating her soup in earnest, using her heat vision from under her glasses to heat it back up again.

“Yeah, it took care of a lot of the pre-sex anxiety I probably would have had otherwise,” Lucy agreed, shrugging a little at the thought. “Since Siobhan and I  _ have  _ kissed before and everything.”

These words finally made Kara spit out her soup.

“What?” She asked, whipping up her head and staring at Lucy, who was looking in an entirely different direction, the embodiment of fake innocence. “When? Why?  _ What _ ?”

Sighing, Lucy dragged her eyes back to the pot of soup.

“It happened a few months ago… It didn’t mean anything. I was lonely and sad and Siobhan was there… we were working on something in her office, I don’t even remember what it was, and then we were just… kissing,” she said, mouth twisted down into a small scowl. “I already knew how James felt about Clark and Lois, but it didn’t feel right.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kara asked softly, eyes wide, now genuinely hurt that Lucy hadn’t confided in her about any of this. She’d been trying not to let it get to her, the fact that her best friend had never talked to her about her marital problems, but now?

Lucy sighed again, rubbing her face and putting down her spoon.

“It was after a really rough fight with James, and I didn’t want to put you in a position where you had to hide anything for me. Knowing about me kissing someone else while I was still with him would have eaten you alive,” she said, giving Kara a pleading look.

While she was loathe to admit it, Kara knew Lucy was right. James was her friend, and knowing that Lucy had kissed someone else would have weighed heavily on her conscience, no matter how much she would have worked against that feeling.

Before Kara could say another word, though, there was a loud and frantic knock on the door.

-

Alex was using every ounce of willpower she had not to storm into the  _ Goodness Club _ to gun down those three bastards and all of their friends right this very second. Only Selina’s continued whispers were keeping her grounded in this moment.

“I’m going to shoot each and every one of those assholes in the face,” Alex whispered furiously, pressing the back of her head against the brick wall behind her. “I’m going to tear them apart limb from limb. I’m going to feed them their own spines.”

“They probably don’t even have any, baby, don’t bother,” Selina responded, sounding just as angry as Alex. “Maybe we should give them a taste of their own medicine and use one of those special bullets they like to use.”

“Right between the eyes,” Alex agreed, momentarily distracted by her game of Tetris being interrupted by a text message from Kara. She’d never approve of using such excessive violence, and Alex would make sure that she wouldn’t have to get her hands dirty.

Opening up the text, Alex was surprised to see an assortment of scared emojis clogging up her screen. Four small emojis breaking out into sweat, three emojis with their small hands placed on their scared little faces.

She typed back quickly.

> [Alex Big D Danvers]: Everything okay, babe?  _ Sent 02:35pm _ .

“We need to figure out where this shipment is going to anchor. Something tells me it’s not all brandy and blood wine,” Selina murmured, clearly already thinking twenty steps ahead. “Maybe they’re smuggling more of those silver bullets, so to speak.”

“They probably are,” Alex agreed, worried when she got back another text comprised entirely of emojis. This one with at least  _ ten _ tiny faces broken out in sweat. Something wasn’t right, and it was throwing Alex off her game.

> [Alex Big D Danvers]: Kara? Do you need me to come over?  _ Sent 02:37pm _ .

“I think something’s wrong with Kara,” Alex said, listening with one ear as Desaad started listing the things they’d need for his next party, including chains, whips, and handcuffs. Alex was more than offended, too, that Desaad was dragging the BDSM community down with him. “She’s sending me really cryptic messages. I’m worried.”

Just as she was done talking, she got another text from Kara. More emojis. Nothing else.

“If you need to head out, we can pick this back up later,” Selina answered, voice instantly concerned for Kara’s safety, giving Alex a warm feeling in her chest. “And I can work on finding out which dock the shipment is going to arrive at while you take care of our girlfriend.”

“Thanks, Selina,” Alex said, taking the surveillance tech off the wall and slipping it back into her pocket, Desaad’s voice instantly gone from her ear. A welcome relief. “Oh, and by the way, as soon as I’m home, I’m changing back my contact info.”

She walked briskly along the street, Selina’s soft chuckle in her ear.

“Such a dirty mind, Supercop, always jumping to conclusions.  _ Big D _ stands for  _ Big Drama Queen _ , obviously,” Selina teased, just as Alex rounded the corner and was out of sight of the club. The words made Alex snort.

“You’re a lot of things, cat brain, but a liar isn’t one of them,” Alex countered, looking for a good place to change out of her get-up before running all the way to Kara’s.

“Fine, you got me there, baby, I thought it was very appropriate, given the state of your mattress…” She laughed, the wind whipping through her words again. She was on the move, too. “I’m just glad Liza and I gave you some time to get it on.”

Groaning in disgust, Alex hurried into a short side alley and ripped off the black wig, stuffing it into her backpack and getting out the make-up removal tissues she’d brought along for emergencies like this. She didn’t want to show up to Kara’s apartment looking like death, no matter how much she respected other people’s decisions to dress like this.

Goth wasn’t really her style.

Changing back into her own attire (which involved little more than changing shirts and jackets and popping out the contact lenses), Alex looked like her own self again in under five minutes. The rest of the way to Kara’s apartment, she jogged, looking down sporadically at her phone to see more and more emoji-laden text messages.

Kara needed her, and Alex would be there.

-

“Kara? Are you in there? Are you alright?” Alex called out, fist hammering against the front door until she heard footsteps, her hand on her gun, just in case she needed to shoot a kidnapper or a hero menace movement supporter in the kneecap.

When the door swung open to reveal a flushed and uncomfortable looking Kara, Alex relaxed marginally, her heart only slowing down when she saw that no one else but Lucy seemed to be in the apartment.

At the sight of her, Lucy rolled her eyes.

“Hi,” Alex said, giving Kara a weird look as she stepped inside, kicking off her shoes and shrugging off her backpack with her goth disguise. “What’s going on?” She looked to Kara, who grimaced.

“I slept with Siobhan,” Lucy said casually, almost making Alex trip over her own backpack. She certainly hadn’t seen that development coming. If Selina ever found out about this, she would be unbearably smug about getting in there first.

“You did what? When? Why?” Alex asked, barely stopping herself from asking  _ how _ . Just one more emotional scar Alex didn’t need.

“I’ll make you some coffee,” Kara said, giving Alex a soft kiss, before whispering in her ear. “I’m really sorry, I wasn’t trying to get you to come here.” She seemed genuinely regretful, and Alex was suddenly afraid.

When she was sitting on the stool next to where Kara had clearly eaten her lunch, Lucy offered Alex the bread basket.

“Siobhan and I had sex this morning, and it was great. I’ve just been telling Kara about it,” she said, smiling at Kara, who smiled back, albeit with a much more forced expression. As Lucy moaned in pleasurable memory, Alex stiffened immediately. She did  _ not _ want to hear this.

The coffee was done after Lucy had raved about Siobhan’s glorious backside looking absolutely magnificent while Lucy ate her out from behind. But before Alex could make a cutting remark about oversharing, Kara had sat down next to her and was digging her nails into Alex’s thigh, telling her without words to shut up.

It was absolutely terrifying, and while Lucy gushed, Alex slipped her phone from her pocket, pulling up Vasquez’s chat window. She was just glad she’d turned off the connection between her earpiece and Selina’s. Her best friend would have had a field day with this information.

When Vasquez started texting back questions of concern, Alex sighed inwardly.

It truly was a vicious cycle.

-

> [Alex Big D Danvers]: I can never come back to work, your crush has scarred me emotionally. I am but a husk of a woman. Tell Hank I’m sorry.  _ Sent 03:21pm _ .
> 
> [Officer Ass-For-Days]: What are you on about now???  _ Sent 03:32pm _ .
> 
> [Officer Ass-For-Days]: And what the hell were all of those emoji texts?  _ Sent 03:32pm _ .

-

“I’m glad Lucy had such a great time, but a warning would have been nice, before you dragged me headfirst into this nightmare,” Alex said, before taking a sip from her coffee and burning her mouth.

Leaning forward, Kara gently breathed her arctic breath onto Alex’s lips and tongue, careful not to overdo it and freeze Alex’s flesh solid by accident.

When Alex seemed fine again, Kara pulled back and shrugged.

“What did you think all of those emojis were about?” She whispered back, taking Alex’s hand and holding it tightly. She felt strangely relieved to share this pain with her girlfriend, even though she could have done without the second retelling of Lucy’s morning.

“I thought you were being kidnapped and needed my help and the only keys you could reach were the scared emojis,” Alex replied, holding out her coffee for Kara to cool down. “I don’t know, Kara, anything but  _ this _ .”

She shook her head, the corners of her mouth pulled down.

“I am scarred for life,” she said, taking a less hazardous sip of her coffee. “How am I supposed to ever look at Siobhan again after this? I’m telling you, you need to look for a different gallery for your paintings.”

Kara smiled, gently rubbing Alex’s back, her girlfriend’s overly dramatic reaction almost enough to push aside the awful, awful images that Lucy had left in her mind.

“Now every time I look at her, I’m going to be thinking about how high up her leg can go, and about her intimate tattoos,” Alex continued her tirade, talking about the Gaelic inscription on Siobhan’s inner thigh. “I don’t-- I can’t do that, Kara, I am not prepared to deal--”

Before she could finish her thought, Lucy popped her head out of the fridge.

“You do know I can still hear you, right?” She asked, a new bottle of orange juice in her hand. “I’m literally five steps away from you and you’re not even whispering.” She waved her hand back and forth between them, as though to indicate the lack of space.

“Oh, I know,” Alex said, scowling at Lucy and putting down her coffee, “I was hoping you’d find a clue in the fridge.”

Now Lucy was scowling, too.

“I liked you a lot better when I didn’t know you,” she said, closing the yellow door, putting the juice on the counter and crossing her arms over her chest. “But you know what? I’m just going to decide not to get offended over this. Because I got laid and you did not.”

When Alex smirked, Kara’s cheeks flushed.

“Actually,” Alex started, before Kara clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her.

But the damage was already done.

To Kara’s great shock, however, Lucy didn’t react poorly to the revelation that Kara and Alex had fooled around a little the day before. Instead, a pleased smile took root on her face. Lucy knew exactly how much Kara struggled with having sex once she’d found someone she really liked.

In a second, Lucy was around the counter, hugging Kara tightly to her chest.

When Alex rolled her eyes, Kara laughed, hugging Lucy tightly to her. Whether or not Lucy had intended their lunch conversation as a punishment or not, Kara’s overwhelming feeling in this moment was  _ relief _ .

Because no matter what else Lucy’s hook-up with Siobhan had been, it had made one thing very clear for Kara.

Lucy would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at Lucy getting some. bless. just what she needed - some distraction!
> 
> as always, beta-d by the wonderful and kind Coara
> 
> find me on tumblr @goshdarnitjay


	23. Little Miss Grumpy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex ruminates about things. Selina comes by to talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everybody! I'm still totally lagging behind on replying to your comments, but I also recently went back to ch12+ to reply to old comments as well. Just letting you know, in case you don't have an AO3 account and don't get those nifty alerts. 
> 
> Anyway! I think a lot of you will enjoy this chapter!
> 
>  _Notes_ : Blood cw, non-consensual kissing mention.

> [Alex Spoilsport Danvers]: Why are you the one sending me scared emojis now, Vas?  _ Sent 08:14pm _ .

 

-

 

On Tuesday morning, Alex found herself accosted by Selina just as she’d been about to finish her sets of barbell workouts. 

 

While she was on her back with the heavy metal bar in her hands, she stared up at the masking tape she’d put on the ceiling, thinking about how beautiful Kara had looked on Friday afternoon. Alex had been almost afraid to be bucked off, as Kara’s entire body had seized up and lifted her clean off the mattress.

 

The unencumbered strength Kara had displayed was exciting, and as Alex pushed and grunted under the weight, she wondered whether or not Kara would ever be able to control herself. 

 

What she’d told Kara roughly two weeks ago had been true. Even if they could never have sex in the traditional sense, or even at all, Alex would deal with it. Kara was a magnificent person, and Alex wouldn’t let something like a little heat vision deter her.

 

She’d seen Kara’s fear after she’d brought her to orgasm. The fear that Alex would be scared of her powers, her strength, the alien expression of her body during sex. It was clear that she was afraid Alex would leave, even if she only felt that way in rare moments.

 

The thought made Alex work harder, pushing the barbell up and down with more force than necessary.

 

As the door opened, Alex glanced over.

 

“Whoa, slow down there, tiger, wouldn’t want those beautiful muscles to rip,” Selina admonished her gently, walking inside and closing the bedroom door behind her. “What else are Kara and I going to stare at when you go on another tirade like a cute, moronic drone?”

 

Raising one eyebrow, Alex placed the barbell back in its holder and sat up, sweat running down her face and neck. 

 

“Every day I wonder what I did in my life to deserve a friend like you,” Alex replied sweetly, wiping her face and neck with her towel. “Maybe I drowned kittens for a living in a previous life and so the benevolent gods sent me you in retaliation.”

 

Sitting down on the bed, Selina wiggled her eyebrows.

 

“Or maybe the good lords and ladies realized that you’re incapable of recognizing danger, and so they sent me to you to be your guardian angel,” she retaliated, stretching out her naked leg and poking Alex directly in the cheek with her toes.

 

Moving her face out of reach, Alex pouted and rubbed at the offended skin with her towel.

 

“Gross,” she said, using her towel to fan herself.

 

“Yeah, well, you fucking love me, so tough luck,” Selina said, looking innocently down at her black nail polish, an entirely too pleased expression on her face. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about the shipment on the twenty-ninth.”

 

Getting up from her workout bench, Alex slipped the muscle shirt off her body and walked over to the bathroom, where she threw it into the hamper, leaving her in nothing but her shorts and black sports-bra. 

 

They’d already alerted J’onn to their plan to raid the boat, and he’d been all too happy to offer his services. Since he’d started using his telepathy, all bets were off now. He might as well get involved in the rest of it, too.

 

“Did you find out where it’s going to anchor?” Alex asked, rubbing her shoulders and chest with her towel. She could only take a shower once this conversation was over, and she didn’t feel like waiting around in her sweat.

 

“I did,” Selina said triumphantly, getting up from the bed and sauntering over to Alex, letting her fingers dance over Alex’s bare abdominal muscles. “You should be very proud of me, Supercop, I had to act like I actually  _ enjoyed  _ the company of one of those disgusting alien haters.”

 

A second later, she placed her entire palms over Alex’s stomach.

 

“Well done,” Alex said, voice dead-pan as she wrapped the towel around her neck, holding onto each side with one of her hands. “Are you feeling me up just because, or does that have anything to do with the shipment?”

 

“Just checking how my six friends are doing, now that Kara is going to be touching them on a regular basis,” Selina sassed, digging her nails into Alex’s skin. “That is actually another thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

 

“Kara touching my abs?” Alex asked, half-perplexed, half-amused.

 

“No, though if you felt like sharing your sex life with me, I  _ definitely  _ wouldn’t complain about a few dirty details,” Selina responded, leaning down to give Alex a sweet kiss. “I want to tell Kara that I’m Catwoman.”

 

For a second, it was as though the world had stopped spinning.

 

“What?” Alex asked, furrowing her brows.

 

“I want to tell my girlfriend that I’m Catwoman,” Selina repeated, clearly enunciating every word, as though Alex’s brain function had been severely diminished all of a sudden. “And I just wanted to give you a head’s up about it.”

 

Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs from her mind, Alex raised one of her eyebrows, feeling mildly offended. It had taken Selina  _ eight months _ to tell Alex about her secret identity.  _ Eight _ . And now all of a sudden she was cool with Kara knowing about it?

 

“Really?” Alex mock-sulked, stepping back from Selina and pursing her lips. “After… what? Like, three months? One of which you didn’t even really know her?” She slipped the towel loose from around her neck and slapped Selina’s naked thigh with it. “Don’t you think you’re moving a bit too fast?”

 

Selina sat back on the bed and shrugged.

 

“Are you telling me that the woman you love can’t be trusted with this secret, Supercop? Because to be honest, I’m feeling a little offended on Kara’s behalf, here,” she teased, leaning back on her elbows and showing off her naked mid-riff even further. The white crop-top didn’t do much to hide the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra.

 

Crossing her arms, Alex tried to fight a grin.

 

“I would trust Kara with my life, I’m just surprised you’d risk telling someone who you barely even know about your illegal activities,” Alex sassed back, taking a step to the side and leaning against her wardrobe. This really was interesting. 

 

“What can I say, baby? I guess Kara’s just the love of my life,” Selina said, wiggling her eyebrows and giving Alex her best cheshire cat grin. “You just wait. One day I’m going to sweep her off her feet right under your nose and you won’t even notice.”

 

With a snort, Alex pushed herself away from the closet and let herself fall onto the bed next to her best friend, once again staring at the pieces of masking tape on the ceiling. 

 

“Real talk,” Alex said, turning her face to the side and looking at Selina’s profile, “it took you eight months to tell me anything, and we became friends way before that, so what gives? And I’m not saying that Kara can’t be trusted, but you never reveal who you really are, unless you’re absolutely sure.”

 

“Real talk?” Selina mocked, turning onto her left side and poking Alex into the nose. “I like you better when you aren’t so serious.” Gently, she settled her hand on Alex’s cheek. “It took me eight months to tell you, because you’re a jerk.”

 

“Oh please,” Alex replied, settling her own hand over Selina’s, “you love it when I get serious. And the fact that I’m a jerk only makes you want me more.” She laughed when Selina rolled her eyes. “I  _ am _ serious, though. Why?”

 

Obviously suppressing a sigh, Selina closed her eyes and stroked her thumb along Alex’s skin.

 

“There are people out there who want to kill all of us,” she finally confessed, her body seemingly closing in on itself as she opened her eyes once more to give Alex a haunted look, “and Kara is right in the middle of it. I just want all of us to be on the same page, and I want her to know that I’m there to kick ass and take names.”

 

Something about her words gave Alex pause.

 

_ Kara is right in the middle of it _ .

 

That almost sounded like Selina  _ knew _ . Alex supposed it was possible that her friend had somehow sussed it out, or that she was merely guessing at this point. But no less, Alex wouldn’t say anything to her about it, not unless she’d gotten explicit consent from Kara.

 

Selina seemed to sense her thoughts.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she said, shrugging her left shoulder, “I’m not supposed to know or say anything about it, because she hasn’t told me and it’s not my place, bla bla bla. I get it, this stuff is private.”

 

When Alex didn’t respond, Selina sighed.

 

“I know that you know, baby, it’s fine. I don’t expect you to say anything,” she said, patting Alex’s face in a slightly patronizing gesture. “But this shit is real and Kara is in danger here and she needs to know that she can count on me and on the rest of us to see her through this.” 

 

She smiled, leaned forward, and gave Alex another friendly kiss.

 

“She’s your girl, so she’s my girl,” she said, giving Alex a wink, right before she was buried under Alex’s body. “Ew, gross, Supercop, now your sweat is all over me.” She paused for a second, before she wrapped both arms around Alex to hug her back. “You know what that means, baby… shower time. Just you and me and the soap.”

 

“I’m not going to drop it for you,” Alex mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut and soaking in the feeling of the hug. The warmth and familiarity. She wasn’t even mad that Selina had figured out Kara’s identity much faster than she had. Not too much, anyway. “Thanks…” 

 

“Shut up,” Selina countered, stroking up and down Alex’s naked back, occasionally snapping her bra a little. “Kara and I are part of the  _ Alex Danvers Buddy System _ . We need to stick together. And what better way to do that than with some secret identity bonding?”

 

Feeling sluggish, Alex hummed in agreement, before Selina’s words could truly sink in.

 

“Wait…  _ Alex Danvers Buddy System _ ?”

 

Selina laughed.

 

-

 

> [Alex Spoilsport Danvers]: Seriously, Vas, what gives??  _ Sent 8:22pm _ .

 

-

 

Wednesday night, Eliza Danvers had grabbed her laptop and left the living room to do something or other in Alex’s study. After dinner, she’d talked about important online shopping, before she’d vanished into the small, windowless room, with a kiss on the cheek for Alex and a squeeze on the shoulder for Kara.

 

It had been an altogether strange situation, and Kara still couldn’t figure out if she should be worried or glad that Eliza had bestowed such a supportive gesture on her. 

 

For some reason, Kara had also found a wedding magazine on her side of the bed in Alex’s bedroom. 

 

When she’d asked around about it at breakfast, Eliza had seemed apologetic about leaving the thing just lying around, but Kara wasn’t convinced of her sincerity. The woman had grown considerably warmer towards her over the last few days, but still. 

 

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Kara and Eliza had watched some TV together while Alex had been called away last-minute by Selina on Monday night. 

 

When the new episode of  _ Jane the Virgin _ had been over, they’d switched to a wedding channel.

 

Kara had made a few off-hand comments about where and when she’d like to get married someday,  _ maybe _ , which had resulted in an hour-long discussion about the merits and demerits of a summer-wedding versus a spring wedding.

 

And yet…

 

She pushed the thought aside as she felt Alex’s lips on her neck, leaving behind gentle kisses.

 

“Alex, your mom could come back any second,” Kara said, making no move to deter Alex from what she was doing. “I don’t want her to find us making out again, the first time was bad enough.”

 

Kara had been sitting on the desk, Alex standing in between her legs, the sundress rucked up high on Kara’s thighs. Sadly, they’d forgotten to lock the door, and Kara had been too preoccupied with Alex to notice the footsteps.

 

“We’re not making out,” Alex husked, nibbling gently on Kara’s jaw. 

 

“You know what I mean,” Kara protested weakly, trying to pay attention to an old  _ The Wire _ episode they were watching on Netflix. It was difficult, with Alex’s tongue gliding along her skin, and Alex’s hand slowly creeping under her comfy, red jumper.

 

“My mom is probably really busy right now,” Alex breathed, mouth moving along Kara’s cheek. “She’s not going to come back anytime soon.” 

 

With Alex’s mouth so close to her own, Kara felt powerless to resist. Ducking her head, she caught Alex’s lips in a hot, open-mouthed kiss, closing her eyes and grabbing the front of Alex’s dark blue sweater. 

 

“You’re a terrible influence,” Kara whispered in between kisses, pulling Alex closer.

 

“You love me,” Alex replied, turning her face to the side and grinning happily, making it harder for Kara to keep kissing her. 

 

“Yes,” she husked, moving her hands from Alex’s sweater to her hair, kissing her harder again, moaning softly, happily, as Alex wrapped both arms around her, holding her tightly. “I love you very much.”

 

They were so involved in their kissing, that Kara almost didn’t hear the small vibration on the coffee table, indicating that one of their phones was blowing up with messages. Alex didn’t seem to have noticed anything at all.

 

When the buzzing didn’t stop, Kara pulled away, wondering who wanted to get in contact with them so badly. For a second, she was too distracted to follow through on her plan of checking, since Alex had followed her lips with her own, pulling Kara into another round of sweet caresses.

 

“Mmh, we really,” Kara mumbled, eyes half-lidded, “really need to check,” she moaned softly when Alex’s nails dug into her back, “check the-- check-- phones.” She could have used her super strength to stop Alex, but a significant part of Kara just wanted to do  _ this _ . 

 

When another minute had passed and the phone buzzed  _ again _ , Kara pulled back one more time, biting her bottom lip as she stared down at Alex’s kiss-swollen lips and dangerously sexy smile. 

 

“How dare you,” Kara husked, tempted to dive right back in, before the responsible,  _ Supergirl  _ part of her brain kicked in, and she looked to her right, relieved to see that it wasn’t her own phone lighting up with no doubt countless messages by now.

 

“You should check your phone, could be something important,” she said, leaning further away from Alex until her back hit the sofa again. Her motor-skills felt seriously impaired as she clumsily patted Trish’s head. Thankfully, Alex’s cat didn’t seem to mind, purring away loudly while Kara watched as Alex grabbed her phone.

 

Her hair was sticking up again. Kara loved messing it up.

 

“I have about one-hundred messages from Officer Vasquez,” Alex said, pronouncing the name strangely, making Kara furrow her brows. “That’s Vasquez with an A and two Ss at the end.” Kara watched as she unlocked the screen and started reading.

 

With every word she was scanning, Alex tensed and seemed to get angrier and angrier.

 

Her face turned red, and a pulsating vein at her left temple seemed to be close to bursting.

 

“What’s wrong?” Kara asked, arousal momentarily forgotten, as Alex closed her eyes to reign in her anger. Kara had rarely seen her sweet girlfriend this furious, and she wondered what could have possibly happened. 

 

Maybe the hero menace movement had attacked again?

 

Alex seemed too angry to even form words.

 

Sitting back up again, Kara placed a tentative hand on Alex’s back, slowly rubbing it in circles, trying not to look down at the phone and infringe on her girlfriend’s privacy. Though, if Kara was at all honest with herself, her curiosity was through the roof.

 

“Just,” Alex squeezed out through gritted teeth, “give me a second.”

 

A moment later, she was typing furiously on her phone, waited for a response, typed again, before handing the phone over to Kara. Then, she was on her feet, walking back and forth in front of Kara’s painting, vein still pulsing.

 

With furrowed brows, Kara looked down at the phone.

 

> [Selina Is Hilarious]: I may or may not have done something that you won’t approve of. _Sent_ _8:56pm_.

 

The first text seemed to be pretty standard-issue, as far as Selina’s reckless behavior was concerned. She was very much like Lucy in that regard, Kara thought to herself, wondering how she could arrange a friendship between the two.

 

When Alex kicked the wall, Kara hurriedly read on.

 

> [Alex Spoilsport Danvers]: UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE CENTURY.  _ Sent 8:57pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Spoilsport Danvers]: Can I tell Kara?  _ Sent 8:57pm _ .
> 
> [Selina Is Hilarious]: Only if you promise you won’t still be mad at me once I come home.  _ Sent 8:57pm _ .
> 
> [Alex Spoilsport Danvers]: WE’LL SEE.  _ Sent 8:57pm _ .

 

Now even more confused than before, Kara looked back up at Alex, who had her arms crossed so tightly across her chest, that they looked as though they would break off at any moment. She’d turned her back on Kara, her eyes fixed on the small, blue artifact in Astra’s painted hand.

 

“I don’t get it? What do you want to tell me? What did Selina do?” Kara asked, startling a little when Caesar lumbered over and slumped squarely onto her lap. Now that Alex was gone, he seemed to be seizing the opportunity to cuddle Kara.

 

Alex’s shoulders were shaking with anger.

 

“Read Vasquez’s texts,” she said, nails visibly digging into her arm. 

 

“Okay…” Kara said, pressing the back button and selecting Vasquez’s name. Kara wasn’t sure how far back she should go, so she scrolled up through the messages to find the first one from this evening. 

 

There were a fair few from forty minutes to about half an hour ago that consisted mostly of terrified emojis, reminding Kara of her own texts from Saturday afternoon. When she reached the first one, her eyes inevitably caught sight of a text message Alex had sent to them a day before.

 

> [Alex Spoilsport Danvers]: Shut up, I’m not a sap just because I think Kara’s the one for me.  _ Sent 6:44pm _ .

 

Swallowing hard, Kara sent a glance at Alex’s tense back, chest full of complicated and wonderful emotions. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on them, but once all of this weirdness was over, Kara would bask in the knowledge that Alex thought Kara was _ the one _ .

 

Scrolling back down through the emojis and Alex’s responses to them - before Alex had decided that kissing Kara’s neck would be more fun - Kara stopped scrolling when she hit the most recent messages. 

 

> [Officer Vasqu-ass]: You fucking knew. You knew the entire fucking time.  _ Sent 8:50pm _ .
> 
> [Officer Vasqu-ass]: You KNEW and you let me go on this wild fucking goosechase anyway.  _ Sent 8:50pm _ .

 

“God damn it, Selina!” Alex suddenly exclaimed, making Kara jump and gaze up from the phone. It didn’t look as though Alex had actually meant for Kara to respond with anything, so she lowered her eyes back onto the screen.

 

This really was strange. 

 

> [Officer Vasqu-ass]: Fucking Catwoman was just in my apartment.  _ Sent 8:51pm _ .

 

Kara’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the message, thoughts rattling around in her mind, instantly connecting dots and loose threads she had dismissed throughout the last few months. If Catwoman had been in Vasquez’s apartment… and if Alex was angry at Selina for doing something she shouldn’t have…

 

> [Officer Vasqu-ass]: Or should I say your friend Selina was just in my fucking apartment. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that you knew who she really was. I can’t FUCKING believe you.  _ Sent 8:52pm _ .

 

She lowered the phone, turned off the screen, and put it back on the coffee table, shaking her head at her own stupidity. She should have known all along. How had she not seen this coming? How had she not realized who Selina really was?

 

“Now it all makes sense,” Kara said, placing Caesar on the couch, getting to her feet and walking over to Alex, who was shaking a little less now, though her muscles were still tense. “That’s why you call her  _ cat brain _ .”

 

The words seemed to startle Alex out of her anger.

 

“That’s what you’re taking away from this?” She asked, looking away from Astra’s painted features, into Kara’s eyes. “Not that Selina just revealed her goddamn fucking secret identity to Vasquez, who’s a fucking  _ police officer _ ?”

 

Smoothing her right hand soothingly over Alex’s tense stomach, Kara smiled a little.

 

“So are you,” she said, leaning down a little and giving Alex a kiss on the cheek.

 

“Well,” Alex replied, seemingly out of sorts by Kara’s calm reaction, “I’m different.”

 

The weak rebuttal made Kara snort.

 

“You’re not a regular cop, you’re a cool cop,” she said, enjoying the way the corner of Alex’s mouth twitched in disbelief. No matter what happened next, Kara would never understand how she could have been so blind. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it. You literally have three friends. Honestly, how did I not  _ get  _ this?”

 

Alex’s pout was instantaneous.

 

“Hey! I have more than three friends!” She defended herself, muscles relaxing for the moment as she mock-glared at Kara.

 

“Of course you do,” Kara placated her, moving her hand gently back and forth on Alex’s sweater. “But you need to calm down. It’s not good for you to stay this angry for too long, and Vasquez isn’t going to tell anybody about what they found out. They’re good people.”

 

Alex’s body seemed to sag in on itself.

 

“I know,” she said, unfurling her arms and rubbing her face. “It’s not even really about that… I trust Vasquez. I just didn’t want to get them involved in all of this shit.” Genuine distraught was plastered all over her face. “They’re so happy and  _ good _ . And this fucking secret identity stuff can ruin people’s lives. I don’t want that to happen to them.”

 

Knowing exactly what Alex was talking about, Kara cupped both of her girlfriend’s cheeks.

 

“It’s not your fault that they found out, and it’s not your responsibility to look after all of your friends,” she whispered insistently, making sure Alex was listening to her. “Vasquez is a great officer, they can handle themself.”

 

With a sigh, Alex curled her hands around Kara’s wrists.

 

“They’re so young. I just don’t want them to become a target and to get hurt over something we did,” she mumbled, eyes darting away. Her words made Kara want to hug her tightly and never let go. 

 

“They’re three years younger than you,” Kara reminded her, teasing Alex as gently as she possibly could to lighten the mood. Kara understood Alex’s worry and reservation. It was why Kara rarely ever told people about her own secret. Knowing about it was dangerous.

 

“Well, still,” Alex grumbled back, closing her eyes. “I guess I should text them back and apologize…” Gnawing on her bottom lip for a second, she looked back up at Kara again. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell  _ you _ , either. Are you angry at me that I let you make friends with a criminal?”

 

Her beautiful hazel eyes were full of worry, and Kara smiled softly at the sight.

 

“Oh, yeah, I’m furious. Can’t you tell?” She said quietly, leaning down and giving Alex a small kiss. “I distinctly remember you telling me that your inappropriate friends come with your  _ package _ . I knew what I was getting into, and I  _ like _ Selina, whether she’s a somewhat reformed villainess or not.”

 

Tapping Kara in the shin with her socked toes, Alex’s shoulders seemed to sag with relief.

 

“Selina wanted to tell you who she is anyway. This whole thing with Vasquez just got in the way before she could do some sort of grand reveal,” she said, stroking Kara’s wrists with her thumbs. “And you should know that Selina thinks you’re Supergirl.”

 

These news shocked Kara all over again. Since she was sure Alex hadn’t told her, she had no idea how Selina could have  _ possibly  _ worked out her secret identity. Sure, she’d seen Kara a few times without her glasses right after waking up, but that situation was entirely removed from how the Supergirl persona usually looked.

 

“Why does she think that?” Kara asked tentatively, letting go of Alex’s face and walking over to the windowsill, where she patted the six caladium plants Alex had liberated from a crime scene. Absentmindedly, her eyes wandered over to Herbert, Alex’s semi-sentient pet plant.

 

Sighing, Alex seemed to take a few steps towards her, whereupon a mighty hiss filled the room. With a small glance over her shoulder, Kara saw that Caesar had his paw outstretched, his claws clearly visible, and that Alex was glaring down at him from where she was standing next to the couch.

 

“You’re not exactly a master of disguise, Kara,” she said, sticking her tongue out at Caesar and taking the longer route to Kara, around the right side of the coffee table. “And I think Selina checked under the masking tape and saw the scorch marks we made.”

 

Kara flushed.

 

“Of course she did, as though the whole thing wasn’t embarrassing enough,” she grumbled, stretching out her right hand and letting Herbert wrap his vines around her fingers. Even though she’d met the plant a few weeks ago, she still found him extremely fascinating and adorable.

 

“There’s nothing embarrassing about your heat vision,” Alex said, slipping her palm against Kara’s free, left hand and holding on tightly. “And Selina was bound to find out one way or another. She’s a thief, she has a knack for uncovering things. And she’s not going to say anything to you, unless you explicitly tell her. She knows the secret identity code, or whatever.”

 

Thinking back to how Herbert had curiously gnawed on her fingers when Kara had first picked him up, she narrowed her eyes at her girlfriend. 

 

“But she told  _ you _ that she thinks I’m Supergirl, even though you didn’t tell her,” she said slowly, trying to figure out how all of that fit together. Then again, if Selina had seen the scorch marks, it was easy for her to assume that Alex  _ knew _ . At least about the alien part.

 

“Yeah, because she’s my best friend, and she knows me.  _ And _ she knows you, and the kind of relationship we have,” Alex said, squeezing Kara’s hand and watching fondly as Herbert ambled closer in his pot to wrap more of his vines around Kara’s midriff, hugging her tightly. 

 

_ Photosynthesis buddies _ , Kara thought, stroking the tiny plant’s green maw.

 

“Do you think she’s going to tell your other friends? Harley and Ivy?” Kara asked tentatively, unwilling to make assumptions about Selina. Alex had talked about their relationship before, and how the three Gotham City Sirens tended to share everything with one another. 

 

She hoped Selina would have enough integrity not to tell them.

 

“I would never,” a voice spoke suddenly from across the room, startling both Kara and Alex out of their tender moment. 

 

The gun that was hidden behind one of the caladium plants was in Alex’s hand before Kara could even blink, centered and ready to fire on Selina’s mildly stressed face. It took almost as little time for Alex to realize whom she was threatening.

 

“Goddamn it, Selina, I told you to use the front door,” Alex vented, lowering the gun and putting it back in its usual hiding spot. The places Alex could whip out guns from were starting to become almost comical, if the reasons for why she had them in the first place weren’t so awful.

 

“I figured why bother?” Selina said, placing her thumbs in the belt loops of her high-waisted jeans, the only sign that she was nervous about Alex’s wrath. “I know Liza is locked up in the study, looking up possible wedding venues for the two of you, and now that Kara knows,” she shrugged, “I didn’t want to ride the elevator.”

 

“One day, you’re going to make me shoot you by accident,” Alex growled, shoulders back to being tense. 

 

“Only because you’re so trigger happy,” Selina countered, obviously regretting her words as soon as she saw Alex’s hurt expression. Roughly, she raked a hand through her short, black hair. “I didn’t mean it like that, I know you’re just trying to protect yourself, and me, and everybody else.”

 

While the TV blared in the background, Alex opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Kara watched this happen a few more times, before Alex shook her head, stalked over to the coffee table, snatched her phone up, and roughly shouldered past Selina into her bedroom. 

 

When Kara made to follow her, Selina held up a hand.

 

“Don’t bother. You can’t talk to her when she’s like that,” she said, trying to sound annoyed and failing miserably. It was clear that she was upset about what had happened, too, most likely about how it was affecting Alex.

 

“You know why she’s so angry, right?” Kara asked, antsy to ignore Selina’s advice and go after Alex anyway. In Kara’s book, there were few things that couldn’t be improved by a hug or a warm word. Not fixed, but definitely made better.

 

Stepping forward, Selina patted Herbert’s tiny head.

 

“She’s pissed that I compromised my identity and put myself at risk, and that I made a stupid, impulsive decision to break into Officer Vasquez’s house, so I could play with them a little,” Selina said, rolling her eyes and letting out a derisive noise. “But she’s always pissed about that, and she always gets over it.”

 

Furrowing her brows, Kara placed her hands on her waist and shook her head.

 

“That’s not it at all,” she said, establishing eye contact between them. “Yeah, sure, she worries about you, but you know who else she worries about?  _ Vasquez _ .” She saw the confusion plain as day on Selina’s face.

 

“Vasquez is fine. It’s not like I’d do anything to them, and they’re not going to say anything, either. They’re a sweet kid; I was just messing around with them a little.” She waved her hand around, as though it should have been obvious to Kara. 

 

“Alex didn’t want them involved with all of our baggage,” Kara finally said, watching as the realization dawned on Selina’s face. “That’s why Hank and Alex have been working alone, without involving them in anything.” 

 

She sighed. 

 

“My family motto is  _ Stronger Together _ , but I can see why this made her so angry,” Kara said gently, reaching out and squeezing Selina’s bare arm. “Look, I know you didn’t mean to tell Vasquez who you really are, but…”

 

Looking away, Selina nodded.

 

“But I’m the one who fucked it up, so I’m the one who needs to apologize.” She blew out a breath. “This sucks. I only wanted to have a little fun, and now I’ve ruined it all.  _ Again _ .” She wiped a hand across her face.

 

“It’s not that bad. I’m sure Vasquez would have figured some of it out sooner or later, you just need to talk to Alex,” Kara said, disentangling herself from Herbert and placing both hands on Selina’s shoulders. “She loves you too much to not forgive you.”

 

It took everything inside of Kara to speak those words, but she knew they were true. She just had to remind herself that the love she and Alex shared was different, and that Selina wasn’t trying to take Alex away. And that she couldn’t, even if she tried.

 

A look of pain crossed over Selina’s face.

 

“I’m sorry, Kara,” she said, curling her fingers around Kara’s left wrist. 

 

Kara’s brows stayed furrowed. That was unexpected. She had no idea why Selina was apologizing right now. She hadn’t done anything to Kara. In fact, she’d shown a great deal of faith and trust by wanting to tell her that she was Catwoman.

 

“I don’t understand,” Kara said, surprised when Selina clenched her jaw.

 

“I never really apologized for what I did to you and Alex; when I kissed her and you saw it, and Alex got drunk.” She pulled away from Kara’s hands and turned around, her back to Kara. “I wanted to tease her and it backfired, and it made Alex fall back on old habits, and it made you...“ She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

 

It felt like a frog was suddenly lodged deep in Kara’s throat as she started forward, rounded Selina and pulled her into a tight hug. Seeing this side of Selina, a side almost no one ever got to see, was strange and uncomfortable, but Kara pushed through.

 

Because Alex needed Selina, and Kara understood that all too well. If she ever lost Lucy, there was no way Kara would know how to go on. There was something special about found family, and Kara had adopted Selina as her own, too.

 

“I forgave you for that weeks ago,” she said, relieved when Selina hugged her back and buried her face in Kara’s shoulder. “Thank you for apologizing.” As she stood there, holding her new friend, Kara realized she’d grown familiar and comfortable with Selina’s scent. 

 

She closed her eyes and tried to be as supportive as possible.

 

“I can’t believe I’m hugging Catwoman,” she whispered, trying to lighten the mood and feeling immensely vindicated when Selina laughed. “Seriously, there’s probably some sort of law that makes hugging between heroes and villains illegal.”

 

Humming, Selina pulled away, and gave Kara a gentle kiss on the cheek. Not even a hint of her usual playful attempts of planting one directly on Kara’s mouth. Kara understood her restraint. This moment seemed too weighted, too important.

 

“I’m sure there are exceptions for mostly reformed and, more importantly,  _ sexy _ villainesses,” Selina said, winking. “Thanks for the peptalk. I can’t believe Supercop managed to date the one person in all of National City who’s probably just as super as the letter on her chest suggests.”

 

Blushing a little, Kara smiled as she watched Selina walk towards Alex’s bedroom door.

 

“I’m going to see if Little Miss Grumpy is in a particularly forgiving mood. If not, I’m just going to sex her into submission, if that’s alright with you.” She was obviously kidding, and Kara realized suddenly that she didn’t mind the banter one bit.

 

“When you get back, we need to talk about what you did with my painting,” Kara said, grinning when Selina gave her a thumbs up, before she knocked on the bedroom door and slipped inside. 

 

She really was something else.

 

Feeling weirdly free, Kara sat down on the couch, patted her lap and watched as both Caesar and Trish scrambled to sleep on her. When she heard the scratching of terracotta on wooden floors, she knew Herbert was on his way, too.

 

With the remote in one hand, the television playing a damn good TV show episode, and her other hand stroking two cats, Kara instinctively knew everything would work out between Alex and Selina. 

 

She chalked that one up to her Kryptonian instincts.

 

-

 

“I don’t want to talk to you right now.” Vasquez’s words rang loud and clear through the receiver as soon as Alex realized that her fifth call had been accepted. “Stop calling me, or I’m going to arrest you for stalking an officer of the law.”

 

When they were done talking, Alex expected them to hang up immediately, but to her great relief and surprise, all she heard was their soft breathing instead of a dial tone. 

 

_ No time like the present _ , she thought.

 

“I’m calling to apologize,” she said quickly, lying on her bed and staring up at the masking tape on the ceiling. “I didn’t want to put you in danger, so I didn’t tell you that I know her true identity. I’m sorry, I made a decision on your behalf without asking, but I would do it again.”

 

Her words were coming fast, and even though she had a feeling she wasn’t exactly helping her cause, she pushed through. Vasquez needed to hear this, and more importantly, Alex needed to  _ say _ it.

 

“You are one of the best people I have ever met, and I care about you, and you don’t have to deal with this shit,” she plowed on, wondering if Vasquez would understand her point of view. “I was trying to protect you, and I know how patronizing that sounds, but you have no idea what’s been going on.”

 

There was nothing but silence for a moment, and Alex was already bracing herself for Vasquez to hang up on her. When she closed her eyes and counted to ten, she imagined their elated expression from a few days prior. The happiness plastered plain as day on their face as they’d unwrapped Batman’s presents.

 

She wished she could go back to that.

 

Then, Vasquez spoke.

 

“That’s crap.”

 

Alex froze.

 

“What?” She asked, completely taken aback by their directness.

 

“It’s bullshit. Your stupid reasoning,” Vasquez said again, sounding less angry and more exasperated. “When has less information ever actually fucking helped anyone, Danvers? Name one instance where ignorance was ever the way to go?” 

 

Unsure of what to say, Alex tapped her fingers on her stomach, trying to come up with an example. 

 

“If the hero menace movement or someone else wants to know Catwoman’s or Batman’s identity, it doesn’t matter if I know about it or not, they’re going to kill me anyway,” they continued, a sharp edge to their voice. “If someone is after you, then I am on their fucking radar no matter what, whether you tell me shit or not. And I, for one, would prefer it if you  _ actually told me shit _ .”

 

Mumbling to herself and feeling severely dressed down, Alex rubbed her face with her free hand.

 

“And it’s not like I would expect you to actually tell me  _ who  _ your masked and caped friends are, I know that stuff is private. But I’ve spent weeks trying to figure out how to track her down, when you knew  _ all along _ where she was.” They were talking themself into a rage, Alex could tell.

 

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled again, sinking lower on the bed until her head hit the mattress. She’d never felt less like the assertive detective she was, and to be told off by her friend wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.

 

“Just tell me what’s going on, so I can actually help you. Or, if you don’t want that, because you’re so goddamn concerned about me, just tell me what we’re up against, so I can at least take care of myself, and make my own damn decisions.” At the end of their little speech, they were breathing heavily, and Alex felt at least three heads shorter than before.

 

They did…  _ sort of _ … have a point.

 

“I’m sorry,” she repeated herself.

 

“So you keep saying,” Vasquez replied, huffing a little in annoyance. 

 

“I mean it,” she said, rubbing her eyes.

 

“Yeah, I know,” they whispered, sounding just as tired as Alex felt. “I don’t like fighting with you, but you need to pull your head out of your ass. That whole ‘I’m not telling you stuff to protect you’ shtick is so overused.”

 

She wanted to apologize again, but she fought the urge.

 

“Honestly, all that time I poured over those Gotham files, when I could have been outside playing  _ Pokémon Go _ . It’s not like I can arrest her, now that I know, so what’s the point?” They sighed, their voice almost back to their regular tone. “When I saw her standing in my living room, I thought I was hallucinating.”

 

Alex could imagine the scene perfectly. Vasquez having a nice evening, maybe playing some  _ Minecraft  _ or  _ Fallout 4 _ , and then suddenly seeing Selina in her provocative and dangerous Catwoman suit across the room. 

 

“And I thought to myself, this can’t possibly be real,” they continued, the soft voices of Vasquez’s television ringing through the receiver. “I was wearing her goddamn boxers, too.” The annoyance was back. 

 

“Did she do anything?” Alex asked, wondering if she even wanted to know the answer to her question. Probably not. She was already furious enough with Selina, even though Vasquez’s words had given her reason to pause and reflect about why she was so angry in the first place.

 

“You mean besides hitting on me shamelessly, pressing me against a doorjamb and kissing the everloving crap out of me after I figured out who she really was?” Vasquez replied sarcastically, making Alex flinch. “No, yeah, her visit was peachy.”

 

Groaning, Alex face-palmed.

 

“Shit, Vas, I’m sorry. I didn’t think she’d  _ actually _ show up at your place.” This was downright embarrassing. “How did you figure it out?” Since Vasquez had actually met Selina on more than one occasion, Alex wondered if her friend had recognized her on sight, despite the mask. 

 

“I locked myself in the bathroom to get away from her, which she found just hilarious, by the way, and then she said that I was even cuter than  _ Supercop _ , which is  _ you _ . And you know who else called you Supercop right in front of me?” The question was obviously meant to be rhetorical, so Alex didn’t answer.

 

Instead, she only sighed.

 

“You’re too smart for your own good,” Alex complained, weirdly relieved that Vasquez had sussed it out. She would have to talk to J’onn about letting Vasquez in on some of the other stuff that was going on. It went against every cell in her body, but deep down she knew Vasquez was right. 

 

Ignorance wasn’t bliss, it was dangerous.

 

-

 

Twenty minutes after Selina had left, Kara was still sitting on the couch with Caesar, Trish, and Herbert, watching TV and texting Lucy, vaguely alluding to the fight Alex and Selina were having. She didn’t talk about any details, of course, but Lucy was sympathetic nonetheless.

 

When Alex finally left her bedroom, the first thing she did was to get a Capri Sun from one of the bottom drawers in her open kitchen. She hesitated for a moment while Kara watched, then stooped down and grabbed two more.

 

Selina wasn’t exactly smiling when she sat down next to Kara, but she didn’t seem as upset as she had when she’d gone into the lion’s den. Without much fanfare, she grabbed Caesar from Kara’s lap and cuddled him close to her, face pressed against his thick fur.

 

He purred, and Kara smiled when Alex held out a Capri Sun to Selina.

 

_ A peace offering if I ever saw one _ , she thought, smiling happily.

 

-

 

Monday morning, Kara walked into CatCo Coffee with a queasy feeling in her stomach.

 

The date was the 29th of August, and she knew that tonight, at ten pm, Alex, J’onn, Selina, and Vasquez would be raiding a hero menace shipment. Even though Kara was aware that the cargo would likely be full of kryptonite, she wished she could accompany her friends. After all, the people they were working against didn’t even shy away from murdering innocent civilians.

 

They’d be shooting to  _ kill _ .

 

And Alex had been shot and hurt enough times in her life.

 

The fact that Kara had to wait at Alex’s apartment until it was over was intensely nerve-wracking, and she was glad Lucy had promised to wait with her. Since Eliza wouldn’t know the details of what they were doing, Kara would likely have to comfort her, too.

 

As she shuffled inside, shoulders drooped, she almost missed the new addition to CatCo’s ambiance.

 

When Lucy stopped her from entering the back by pointing to the side, Kara slowly lifted her head, furrowing her brows as she spotted a new painting hanging over a couple of booths to her right. 

 

It took her a few seconds to realize what she was looking at.

 

“What is that doing here?” She asked Lucy, staring at the sprawling city tinged in red and gold. The glowing crystals and flying space crafts. She could pinpoint the exact date of every brush stroke she’d placed on the canvas.

 

“Ms. Grant had it put up on Sunday, I guess,” Lucy responded, squeezing Kara’s arm. “She bought it at your vernissage. I suppose she’s been keeping it in her apartment for a few weeks.” She shrugged. “You know I don’t have anything to do with the transport.”

 

Nodding dumbly, Kara blinked repeatedly.

 

Seeing her own painting here in the coffee shop was strange and unexpected. Sure, the color palette harmonized well with the tables and chairs and their overall aesthetic (gold and a dark shade of red), but for Ms. Grant to put it up there so prominently… 

 

“I’ll be right back,” she said, opening the door to the corridor that led to Cat’s office. She’d walked through this hallway too many times to count, but as she made her way through it now, she wondered what she would say to her boss about this sudden act of kindness.

 

Passing Ms. Grant’s personal bathroom, Kara stopped in front of the closed door to the office and stood there for several seconds, waiting to see if the words would come to her spontaneously. 

 

Knowing that they wouldn’t, even if she dwelled there for decades, Kara lifted her hand and knocked on the sturdy wood. Ms. Grant liked her privacy, and a place for her to retreat when her customers and employees became too annoying for her to bear.

 

“Come in,” Cat called out, voice as strong as ever.

 

Fingers trembling, Kara opened the door and stepped inside, gulping a little when she met Ms. Grant’s sharp, calculating gaze. How such a small human could intimidate her in any way was one of the great mysteries of Kara’s life. 

 

Cat’s blonde hair was roughly shoulder-length and slightly wavy. Kara could see that she was wearing a striped, black-and-white blouse, and an ostentatious necklace that seemed to be encrusted with diamonds.

 

“Good morning, Ms. Grant,” she said, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room with her fidgeting hands in front of her torso.

 

“Kiera,” Cat replied by way of greeting, raising one eyebrow as she assessed Kara’s attire. “Why are you not in your work clothes? Why are you making me look at that awful, awful rag you keep insisting is actually a coat?”

 

Looking down at her beige trench coat, Kara bit back a reply about her fashion choices. This wasn’t about how her boss kept trying to change her carefully crafted Kara Kent disguise (no matter how well-intentioned Ms. Grant’s sharp comments were). 

 

“I, uh, I couldn’t help but notice that there’s a new addition to the main room,” she said, nudging up her glasses and giving Ms. Grant a wide, nervous smile. 

 

Cat put down her pen and leaned back in her chair.

 

She said nothing.

 

“It’s my painting. My painting’s here,” Kara said, trying to clarify what she was talking about. Her boss always wanted her to be as direct as possible when they worked on something together. She also knew that Cat hated Kara’s nervous habits, so she stilled her hands.

 

“So it is,” Cat confirmed, her disapproving expression turning just a bit friendlier.

 

“I wanted to thank you. You know, for putting it up,” Kara continued, wondering why her boss wasn’t responding like she usually was, with snide remarks and encouraging words doled out with equal fervor. 

 

Humming thoughtfully, Cat got up from her chair and strolled around her wide, mahogany desk, making Kara more than a little anxious. She wasn’t afraid that Ms. Grant would be unfairly mean for  _ thanking  _ her, but she could often be unpredictable.

 

“Kiera, tell me, how long have you worked here?” She asked, trailing her fingers along the back of her light beige sofa. 

 

The question was unexpected, but the answer came to Kara instantly.

 

“I’ve been with this CatCo for almost five years now, Ms. Grant,” she responded, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her coat to hide their twitching. Where was her boss going with this? Over the last few years, they had developed a sort of friendship with one another, albeit one tightly controlled by work, so Cat wasn’t very likely to fire her.

 

At least Kara hoped so.

 

“Almost five years,” Cat repeated the words, nodding. “And before that, you worked for one of my other offices for two years.” She said, making it abundantly clear to Kara that she’d read up on her personnel file recently. “So you’ve been with my company for almost seven years now, Kiera, and yet it never occurred to you to apply for a higher paying job here? I’m disappointed.”

 

Trying not to let her boss’s final words get to her, Kara shrugged, as Cat rounded her sofa and cocked her waist, crossing her arms over her chest. The way she was walking reminded Kara of a dangerous predator.

 

Or, indeed, a cat.

 

“See, Kiera, loyalty is very important to me. I reward loyalty, I  _ like  _ people who are dedicated,” Cat continued, waving one of her hands around. “As far as my ability to like  _ anyone  _ extends, of course.”

 

“I don’t know what to say, Ms. Grant.” 

 

What she definitely wouldn’t and  _ couldn’t  _ say, was that the only reason she’d started working at this job, was because her art didn’t always pay rent, and that she’d needed a steady income in college. And that when she’d moved to National City, staying on with CatCo had seemed like the logical next step.

 

There was absolutely nothing wrong with her reason for working at CatCo’s, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t be what Cat wanted to hear.

 

“You can say that you’ll apply for the position of assistant manager that just opened up,” Cat said, walking back to her desk and picking up a stapled together stack of papers. “Jenna vacated her position here to work at headquarters.” 

 

Headquarters, the huge CatCo Coffee office building in the city, was full of employees with impressive business degrees, and Kara hadn’t ever been inside of it. She’d taken a few business classes in college, but she’d never intended to use them for anything.

 

Many of Cat’s best employees had worked themselves up from small jobs just like Kara’s. The only reason Ms. Grant wasn’t inside of that ginormous building herself, was that she enjoyed the idea of delegating from afar.

 

And that her lackeys in upper management couldn’t annoy her day in and day out.

 

Or so she’d said.

 

“You want me to be assistant manager?” Kara asked, carefully taking the papers and looking down at them. She’d never considered doing another job here, mainly because she’d been too busy with being Supergirl, but now that this opportunity was being presented to her…

 

“Well, not if you keep gawking with that gaumless expression,” Cat said snidely, snatching the papers back and giving Kara a  _ look _ . “How many times have I told you to find a spine, Kiera?” She raised both eyebrows, and her words made Kara’s brain rattle with memories.

 

“Um, three-hundred and forty-six times over the last four years, Ms. Grant,” she answered, wanting to cringe at every single occasion her boss had told her to be more assertive. If she only knew how persuasive Kara could be when she was dealing with criminals.

 

Cat shook her head.

 

“Well, if you decide to do the smart thing and apply, we’ll see how you’ll fare in a position with a bit more authority. Maybe that will finally get you to walk a little taller,” Cat said, holding out the stack of papers with one hand.

 

Smiling brightly, Kara accepted them and used the opportunity to pull her boss into a quick hug. She’d never felt self-assured enough at work to express her gratitude before, but now with this vote of confidence, it was like anything was possible at CatCo’s.

 

“Thank you,” she said, surprised when Cat actually hugged her back. “And, again, thank you for hanging up the painting here. That means a lot to me.” It wouldn’t be enough to distract her from what would happen that night, but it had been a nice surprise.

 

“I kept it in my living room for a while, but then I decided it would be better for all of us if more people saw it,” Ms. Grant replied, pulling away from Kara and patting her shoulder. “Now go to work, and take those papers home with you. I’ll expect an answer in twenty-four hours.”

 

Still grinning, Kara nodded, clutching the application tightly to herself.

 

-

 

They were in Alex’s car, driving over to Vasquez’s apartment to pick them up for their heist. Selina was on the passenger seat, drinking tea from a black Thermos. She didn’t seem nervous, but Alex knew better. 

 

Since Wednesday night, Selina had been thinking about how best to apologize to Vasquez for her behavior, mainly on the behest of Alex. Even though Alex had thought long and hard about what her friend had said, she still wasn’t okay with the way it had all come about. 

 

What was more, she knew how much Selina genuinely liked Vasquez as a person. The knowledge that she’d caused them emotional pain had been tough for her to swallow. 

 

Alex would have a lot to talk about during her next session with Dr. Zhou. And not just about her need to protect her family and friends. 

 

“Do you know what you’re going to tell them?” She asked, taking a left and blindly poking Selina’s side. “Or do you need me to give you some pointers?” Alex had plenty of experience with giving good apologies.

 

Scoffing, Selina took another sip from her tea.

 

“Please, I’ve got this,” she replied, sliding down a little in her seat. “By the end of the night, we’re going to be riding off into the sunset together.” Her bluster was obviously fake, but Alex didn’t call her out on it. That would most likely do more harm than good.

 

“Alright, if you say so,” she said, taking a right. They were almost there now.

 

“You know what I want to know?” Selina asked, turning her whole body towards Alex. “How in the hell you ended up dating a superhero. Honestly, I’m offended - I always had you pegged as the villainess type, what with your dark brooding and big muscles.” 

 

Raising an eyebrow, Alex parked her car at the side of the road in front of Vasquez’s apartment building and gave Selina a skeptical look.

 

“That’s your criteria for someone who’s into bad girls?” She asked, turning off the engine and unbuckling her seatbelt. “Dark brooding and big muscles? Kara has big muscles, too. Personally, I think we look great together.”

 

Putting the cap back on her Thermos, Selina gave Alex a small smirk.

 

“I just thought you’d be like your big bad Batdaddy. You know  _ he _ has a soft spot for the bad girls.” She wiggled her eyebrows, almost making Alex gag.

 

“Please don't talk about Batman’s sex life. That’s so fucking gross,” she complained, wishing Selina had never gone down this line of conversation in the first place.

 

“Just one more thing, Supercop. Remember months ago, when I asked you if Supergirl would go on a date with me, and you told me that she’s not my type?” She asked, grabbing her knapsack and pushing the bottle into it. “You could have just told me that you wanted her all to yourself, instead of rudely telling me to back off your woman.”

 

If there had been a pillow in the vicinity, Alex would have smacked her with it. Alas, she had to make do with flicking Selina’s ear, before she opened her car door and stepped out onto the road. Vasquez was waiting for them inside, and while they had plenty of time until the shipment was set to arrive, Alex wanted to be there sooner, rather than later.

 

J’onn would meet them there, too.

 

“Right, it was my plan all along to seduce Supergirl,” she said, voice dead-pan as she walked up to the intercom. “I mean, Super _ cop _ , Super _ girl _ .” She gave Selina a smirk. “It only fits, don’t you think?”

 

Nodding wisely, Selina placed her hand at her chin in a thoughtful gesture.

 

“Right, right… maybe one day she’ll actually grow the ovaries to call herself Super _ woman _ , too, so you don’t sound like a registered sex offender.” It was obvious that she was joking, and that she wasn’t really ragging on Kara for her superhero pseudonym, so Alex didn’t get offended. Not much, anyway. 

 

“You know the media gave her that name,” she defended her girlfriend, finding Vasquez’s name on the list of doorbells. “And as long as they don’t call her something gross.” She shrugged. “If Kara wants to change it at some point, I’m sure she’ll be more than happy for you to help with her campaign.”

 

When Selina didn’t respond, Alex shot her a glance, unsurprised that she had crossed her arms over her chest and was staring intently at the intercom. Since Alex had pressed Vasquez’s doorbell, it was only a matter of seconds or minutes until they would be downstairs.

 

“Who is this?” Vasquez’s voice crackled through the speaker and Alex wasted no time pressing the button to respond.

 

“It’s Alex and Selina.”

 

Since Vasquez knew that they were coming, she wasn’t quite sure why her friend didn’t give them the okay immediately that they would be right down. Instead, it took them a good few seconds, in which Alex wondered if something had gone horribly wrong. 

 

It shouldn’t have, since no one but them should be aware of the fact that they would be attacking the shipment. On Thursday, Alex had driven over to Vasquez’s apartment, had swept it for bugs, and had set up one of Batman’s scramblers to make sure no one could listen in. After that, she’d confiscated Vasquez’s phone and laptop for Selina-maintenance.

 

And only after all of that had Alex told Vasquez the whole story. Excluding everybody’s secret identities, of course. That wasn’t Alex’s call, and it had nothing to do with her wanting to protect Vasquez. 

 

The intercom crackled again.

 

“Is she going to kiss me again?” They asked tentatively, making Selina look stricken, before she could hide the emotion behind an eye-roll. 

 

“No, don’t worry about it, Selina is here to apologize for her behavior on Wednesday. She’s not going to accost you without your consent again. And if she tries anything, I’m going to kick her,” Alex said, giving Selina a premature kick for good measure.

 

“Alright, I’ll be right down,” they responded, and Alex pulled back.

 

“Ow, what was that for?” She cried out when Selina gave her a gentle whack across the back of the head. “I was only trying to help your ungrateful ass.” She rubbed her head, trying hard not to pout. 

 

Rolling her eyes again, this time with genuine exasperation for Alex’s behavior and words, Selina took a few steps away from the door, so Vasquez would feel comfortable enough leaving the building. Alex was impressed. By the looks of it, Selina actually regretted her impulsive actions.

 

Coming to a halt next to her, Alex gave Selina’s forearm a squeeze.

 

“Love you,” she murmured, grinning when Selina smiled a little through her anxiety.

 

“Love you, too, Supercop,” Selina responded, stiffening a little when the door opened and Vasquez stepped into the last rays of sunlight. They would blend in almost seamlessly with the darkness once it was ten pm, wearing a pair of black pants, a black sweater and a pair of black boots. 

 

So as not to draw suspicion, they’d thrown on a big, dark red leather jacket.

 

In their left hand was a duffle bag, no doubt holding both their bulletproof vest and an assortment of guns and other weapons. It would fit in well with both Alex’s and Selina’s duffle bags. After all, none of them had any idea how much firepower they would actually need to take down Desaad and his goons.

 

“So,” they said, hand visibly tightening on the duffle as they looked at Selina, “are we going?”

 

When Selina seemed unable to speak, Alex nudged her elbow with her own.

 

“I, uh, I wanted to say I’m sorry,” Selina said, words stilted as she took a step forward, giving Vasquez an apologetic look. “I wanted to have some fun, and I did it at your expense, and I promise it won’t happen again.” She pulled back her shoulders and gave Vasquez a small smile. “I hope that we can work through this at some point, because you’re great, and I would very much like to be your friend.”

 

The words were incredibly sweet, and Alex wondered how much it had cost her friend to be this honest, when usually she hid behind dirty jokes and banter. In this moment, Alex felt extremely proud, and she crossed her arms over her chest to keep herself from reaching out.

 

Of course, she should have realized that the moment wouldn’t last.

 

“Maybe friends with benefits, who knows,” Selina finished, apparently unable to stop herself from making that final, lascivious comment. When Vasquez blushed and stuttered, Alex face-palmed openly, sighing as Selina shrugged. “Hey, I’ve got to be who I’ve got to be.”

 

Neither Alex nor Vasquez said a thing in response.

 

-

 

J’onn was waiting for them in an empty parking lot close to the dock. They would have to get into position soon, and Alex shook out her hands as she stepped from her car. It had been a while since she’d raided anything, and never with only four people. 

 

Vasquez would be positioned on a rooftop closeby, functioning as their eyes from the sky through the scope of their sniper rifle. Alex hoped they wouldn’t have to resort to sniping people, but she also didn’t want to take the chance.

 

“You good?” Alex asked, stepping up to J’onn and squeezing his arm. 

 

He nodded, grabbing her shoulder in a fatherly gesture.

 

“I’m fine. I’m more worried about you. Don’t jump in front of a bullet for me again,” he said, repeating what he’d told her many times since she’d been shot. “The only thing that can hurt me is fire. You don’t have to worry about me. Keep  _ yourself  _ safe tonight.”

 

Glancing over to Selina and Vasquez, who had opened up her trunk and were pulling out their bulletproof vests, Alex placed her hand over J’onn’s and held on tightly. 

 

“No dangerous maneuvers on your own.” He emphasized his words by shaking her shoulder a little, his eyes intense. When she only mumbled a response, he cupped her neck and leaned in closer to her. “If you get yourself killed, I will follow you into the afterlife to drag you back myself.”

 

“Only to kill me again, because you’re so angry?” She asked, a half-smile etched onto her lips.

 

He shook his head.

 

“No, I’m going to leave that honor to Kara and your mother,” he said, smiling and giving her a wink. “I’m serious, Alex. Take care of yourself. Everyone knows what they’re supposed to do, and if we all focus on what’s important, we will get through this.” 

 

Nodding, she smiled and turned back to Selina to accept her vest. 

 

J’onn was right. They were all highly trained in their own ways, and Alex needed to think about herself, too, if she wanted to make it home to Kara. Her girlfriend was likely going out of her mind with worry already, and Alex would hate to let her down. 

 

“Alright, let’s do this,” she said, slipping on her bulletproof vest and tightening the straps. She also had four ski masks ready to go in her bag, as well as black gloves and night-vision goggles. 

 

Even though she was nervous, she couldn’t wait to get back out there.

 

“I feel like a member of a secret government agency,” Selina said, looking down at her own outfit, which consisted of a black, long-sleeved top, black tactical pants with a multitude of pockets for weapons, and black combat boots. “Just call me Agent Kyle.”

 

Snorting, Alex rolled her eyes, and slipped the four ski masks out of her duffel, handing them out to her friends. She was wearing the exact same outfit as Selina, and she had to admit that she wasn’t entirely off base. 

 

“Alright, Agent Kyle, why don’t you lead the way,” Alex sassed, following up the masks with the gloves and goggles from the trunk of her car. 

 

Once they were all decked out in their gear, Vasquez left them to take position on the building they’d scoped out for the job. They nodded to all of them, then saluted to J’onn, a smirk playing across their lips. They wouldn’t start wearing the ski mask until they were up on the roof.

 

“Agent Vasquez requests permission to vacate the premises,” they joked, Selina preening at the fact that they were picking up her joke. It seemed to Alex that Selina’s heartfelt apology had made them relax considerably, even though they were still miffed at them all for keeping them out of the loop.

 

_ Not safe _ , Alex reminded herself,  _ just ignorant _ .

 

“Permission granted, Agent,” J’onn replied, adjusting both the ski mask and night vision goggles on his face. “Keep your nose clean up there.” He grabbed their shoulder, too, and Vasquez nodded, chest puffed out in a display of determination.

 

In less than thirty minutes, they would all have to bring their a-game.

 

Alex only hoped everything would go well.

 

-

 

The adrenaline was still pumping furiously in her veins, as she drove through the streets of National City, Selina sitting next to her, hand on Alex’s bleeding, right arm. 

 

“Christ, Alex, hold still, you’re going to get blood all over the console,” Selina admonished her, just as Alex’s hand left the steering wheel to change gears in front of a red light. Alex knew Selina was frantic because of the new bullet hole, which, in her opinion, was barely a scratch, and her voice matched her anxiety perfectly.

 

“I was grazed, I’m fine,” Alex replied, checking the rearview mirror to look at J’onn and Vasquez, whose facial expressions relayed that they were concerned, too. J’onn had his arms crossed over his chest, while Vasquez was holding onto Alex’s semi-automatic, just in case they were followed.

 

“I swear to all that is good and holy, Alexandra, if you don’t stop wiggling your arm around...” Selina said again, just as they turned the corner and pulled into the parking lot of an old warehouse. “I don’t even know why  _ you’re  _ the one who’s driving! The first thing we’re going to do once I get you in there, is to bandage you up, you hear me?  _ First  _ thing!”

 

“Yes, fine,” Alex grumbled, pulling her arm free of Selina’s blood-stained hands and getting out of the car, ignoring the stinging pain all along her right bicep. She hadn’t merely been shot there. “And I’m not downplaying my own wounds again, alright? It’s honestly just a graze that’s bleeding a lot.”

 

Making her way around the car while the other three got out as well, Alex opened the trunk, trailing blood as she went. Ignoring the unconscious man for a second, bound and gagged as he was, Alex made a grab for the four small black suitcases they’d liberated from the shipment. 

 

Before she’d put them in there, she’d used one of Batman’s extremely localized electromagnetic pulses to destroy any tracking devices on both the cases and their hostage.

 

By the time she had reached the side entrance of the warehouse, Selina had caught up with her, leaving J’onn to carry the man while Vasquez kept vigil with the semi-automatic. As she stood there, bleeding and tired, Selina unlocked the door and ushered her inside. 

 

The place was surprisingly clean, with an assortment of chairs and a couple of tables strewn across the big open area of the hangar they were walking into. A couple of first-aid kits had already been prepared, and Selina dragged Alex along by her recently-healed, left arm. 

 

“Put those down over there,” she commanded, Alex obliging instantly and setting the four suitcases onto one of the tables. “Now you’re going to call Kara and tell her to come over so she can look at you and be very angry that you pushed me out of the way of that bullet.”

 

Pushing Alex forcefully onto one of the more comfortable looking chairs, Selina grabbed one of the first-aid kits and pulled out a pair of scissors. While Alex slipped her phone free and Selina cut off the right sleeve of her black top, J’onn carried the unconscious man inside and Vasquez closed the door behind him, relocking the door.

 

“Are you going to make a joke about scissoring me?” Alex asked tentatively, wondering just how angry Selina truly was. And alright, so maybe Alex  _ shouldn’t  _ have pushed Selina out of the line of fire. Maybe Selina could have handled that herself.

 

But the instinct to protect had simply been too strong.

 

“If you don’t call Kara right this second to tell her that we’re back and that you’re mostly intact, I’m going to take these scissors and stick them where the sun doesn’t shine,” Selina grumbled, wiping away the blood to reveal both a bullet wound  _ and _ a stab wound. “What is  _ wrong  _ with you?”

 

“Don’t blame me for something the bad guys did,” Alex defended herself, selecting the number one on her speed dial and pressing the phone to her ear, waiting for it to connect. “It’s not my fault that the guy had a really big knife.”

 

Grumbling to herself, Selina took out the disinfectant, just as J’onn placed the man on a very uncomfortable looking chair that had been welded to the floor, and tied him up with both handcuffs and ropes and chains. 

 

Alex would have called it overkill, if she wasn’t perfectly aware of what these hero menace dickheads could do. None of them wanted to take any chances with this guy, which was why J’onn cut off the man’s sleeves and the lower part of his suit pants. A quick check of his socks revealed two knives. 

 

The call connected just as Alex hissed in pain as the antiseptic hit her open wounds.

 

“ _ God damn it _ ,” she cursed, hearing a gasp from the other end of the line.  _ Shit _ . “No, no, Kara, I’m fine, nothing happened-- ow, Selina.” She glared at her friend, who had pressed maybe a bit too forcefully as she listened to Alex’s lie.

 

“Did anyone else get hurt?” Kara asked, sounding as though she knew exactly that Alex wasn’t being absolutely honest with her. There was a small commotion on her end, which sounded suspiciously like the voice of Alex’s mother. “Mrs. Danvers wants to know if she needs to buy bandages.”

 

Alex would have smiled, if she weren’t too afraid that Selina would bite her head off for deigning to look anything but intensely remorseful. 

 

“I swear it’s not as bad as you probably think it is,” Alex soothed her, a quick glance to the side confirming that Selina seemed satisfied with her answer. “Tell mom that everyone is fine. Selina has some bruises, so maybe she should keep the ice packs at the ready. Vasquez and Hank are both okay.”

 

She watched as J’onn pulled a syringe from a bag on one of the tables and stabbed the man’s leg with it. A sedative, no doubt, to make sure he wouldn't wake up too soon, or wouldn't try to feign being unconscious so he could listen in on their private conversations.

 

“I’ll be right there,” Kara said, her tone strong and decisive. “I love you.”

 

Warmth spread through Alex’s body, soothing some of her anxiety. The adrenaline was pumping through her veins, making her recollection of what had actually happened sort of vague and hazy. Hopefully that would clear up once her body had calmed down. 

 

“I love you, too,” Alex replied, just before Kara severed the call. 

 

Brandishing a needle and thread, Selina looked questioningly at Alex. 

 

“This needs stitches, do you want me to give you some local anesthetic? I raided one of the hospitals downtown just in case,” she said, gently stroking Alex’s shoulder with her fingers. She’d washed her hands in a plastic basin before pulling on gloves. While she seemed shaken by Alex’s new injury, the needle was absolutely steady.

 

Shaking her head, Alex grimaced a little.

 

“I don't want my arm to be useless, if we get attacked,” she replied, even though she was pretty sure they hadn't been followed. She couldn't rule it out one-hundred percent, and if her dominant hand wasn't working during that one-percent chance, Alex would never forgive herself. “Just do it without.”

 

Selina kissed her sweaty temple, but she didn't protest.

 

“This is really going to hurt,” she said, holding the needle tightly with her gloved hand. She’d just been poised to start, when Supergirl swooped down through an open window in the ceiling and closed it behind her. They’d given her a key ahead of time to unlock the deadbolt Selina had installed a few days ago. Since Selina had bought the warehouse a few weeks prior, no one had batted an eyelash at the strange addition. 

 

“Hey,” Alex said, almost on her feet by the time she remembered that Selina had been about to stick a needle into her. With a chagrined expression, Alex sat back down. Besides, Vasquez was in the room, too, and they didn't know who Kara really was. “We got the stuff.”

 

Kara gave Vasquez a look out of the corner of her eyes, obviously disappointed that she couldn't kiss Alex in greeting and pat her down to make sure she was truly alright. 

 

Still, her voice was perhaps a bit too tender when she spoke to Alex.

 

“Hey… everything alright?” She took a step forward, face screwing up when she saw the flesh wound that Alex's arm had been turned into. “Did you get shot again?” Seemingly unable to stop herself, Kara stopped next to Alex, tentatively touching her shoulder. 

 

Her hands were shaking.

 

“Shot and stabbed,” Selina grumbled, finally sticking in the needle, unconcerned with Alex’s entire body tensing from the pain. 

 

Kara’s hand drifted to Alex’s neck, holding her gently as Alex grabbed onto Kara’s arm, nails digging into the suit, into the impenetrable skin.

 

After six harrowing stitches that made Alex feel almost ready to pass out, Selina tied off her handiwork and mopped up the new blood that had been spilled, before wrapping the whole thing with clean bandages. Panting heavily, Alex leaned her head against Kara’s stomach, eyes closed, her arm burning with pain.

 

“I hate you,” Alex grumbled to Selina, words half muffled by Kara’s proximity. 

 

“Suck it up,” Selina responded, finishing off her wrapping with a gentle kiss to the bandage.  “You want to look like a Swiss cheese, you’ve got to live with the consequences. Now let go of Supergirl, before Agent Vasquez and I go tattling to your girlfriend about your extra-marital activities with Earth’s mightiest alien.”

 

Alex’s head whipped up immediately, while Kara brought some distance between them, face flushed to the roots of her hair. 

 

Eyes shifting to the left, Alex noticed that Vasquez was now pointedly looking away from them all, as though they didn't want to make anyone think they agreed with Selina. For the moment, though, Alex was simply glad that Kara's identity was safe.

 

“Is that him?” Kara asked suddenly, obviously desperate to change the subject. She looked like she’d been on the verge of lovingly cradling Alex’s head, just before Selina had killed the mood. “Is that Desaad?”

 

J’onn nodded, arms crossed over his chest.

 

“Alex knocked him unconscious with the butt of her rifle,” he said, just as Selina undid Alex’s blood-stained, bulletproof vest. “I gave him a sedative. He should be dead to the world until morning.” His eyes drifted to the four suitcases. “That’s what they were smuggling among all the alcohol.”

 

Kara’s head turned to the suitcases as well, a look of fear in her eyes.

 

“We haven't opened them yet,” Alex said, getting up from her chair on wobbly legs and having Selina cut straight down her top so Alex could slide it off without having to raise her arms. Even though the wounds were reasonably shallow, they hurt terribly. “But if there's really kryptonite in there, you should step back.”

 

When Selina pulled a clean shirt out of a duffle bag, Alex looked down at herself, noticing that there was blood on her abs, too. Thankfully, it didn't seem to have come from any other major wounds she’d somehow neglected to notice. 

 

She would have to take an epic shower once she was home.

 

Before Alex could walk over to the table, shirt still unbuttoned, J’onn held up his hand and shook his head.

 

“Let me,” he said, voice gruff, “just in case there’s some kind of hidden defense mechanism. You’ve been cut up enough.” He didn't exactly glare at her, but he didn't seem pleased, either.

 

When he typed in the code - no doubt acquired with his telepathy - Kara took a few more steps back. She shuffled behind Selina, since Alex seemed to be off-limits to her while Vasquez was around, and slipped her hand into Selina’s, holding on tightly. 

 

Alex’s eyes were drawn away from the adorable display, when she heard the clicking of the first suitcase. 

 

Unbidden, she took a step forward to get a better look, raising both eyebrows when a vial of green liquid came into view, sloshing around a little when J’onn picked it up. 

 

“Liquid kryptonite,” J’onn confirmed, moving the vial back and forth. There were three more identical vials, encased in black foam to keep them from moving around. “With a lead casing in the suitcase to ensure that none of its radiation lingers anywhere.”

 

He placed the vial back in the case and closed it, moving on to the second one. Then the third and fourth. Each one held the same thing. Four vials of liquid kryptonite. In total, sixteen vials of Kryptonian death sentences.

 

If it had been up to Alex, they would have smashed each and every one right then and there.

 

“Supergirl, you should take these to the Fortress. Jor-El and Alura will know what to do with them,” he concluded, face tense. 

 

“Wait,” Alex objected, shirt finally buttoned. “We should send one of these vials to Dr. Isley, so she can see if they’ve changed the formula in any way.” She walked over to the table and took the suitcase. “Supergirl can fly it over to her.” She looked at Kara, who nodded. 

 

“And then we need to find out where these fuckers are getting their kryptonite from,” Selina added, hand still firmly clasped in Kara’s. “Maybe I can torture the information out of him. I have a lot of free time and unresolved aggression.”

 

Alex almost felt inclined to agree, but then she saw Kara’s stricken face. And besides, J’onn was a mind-reader. They’d just have to ask Desaad a question and wait for him to answer in his mind. They’d have the location of the kryptonite mine soon enough, or the lab that was producing this liquid variation.

 

Right now though, the only thing Alex wanted to do was to go home. 

 

-

 

Following quickly after Alex, who was soaked with blood and sweat, Kara tried not to worry about her girlfriend’s slow speed. Alex practically slunk into her bathroom, steps worryingly unsteady. 

 

After all had been said and done, and after Kara had brought the vials to the Fortress for safe-keeping, she’d flown back to Alex’s apartment while J’onn had driven the other three back in Alex's car. As she’d soared through the air, Kara hadn't been able to get that image out of her head, of Alex with her bloody, wounded arm.

 

When Alex had finally come inside, Mrs. Danvers had insisted on patting Alex down herself, even though Selina had assured her that everything was alright. Now, Eliza was busy tending to Selina, while Lucy made them all tea. Before Kara had vanished into the bedroom, she’d seen Vasquez make shy conversation with her while J’onn looked at them fondly. 

 

“Another shirt ruined,” Alex grumbled, unbuttoning her shirt and turning to Kara. “Can you help me take it off?”

 

She looked so sweet and earnest that Kara couldn't stop herself.

 

With two quick strides, she had Alex pinned against the shower, mindful not to jostle her right arm, as she pulled Alex into a rough, life-affirming kiss. While Alex struggled to keep up, mouth moving as best as she could, Kara slipped her hands into Alex's hair. 

 

Whimpering needily, Kara pushed their bodies closer together, hands sliding inwards to cup Alex’s cheeks. 

 

She needed to feel Alex, needed to feel how alive she was. How unharmed. 

 

“I was so scared,” she whispered in between kisses, tears pricking her eyes as she wondered what could have happened if the bullet or the knife had somehow cut deeper, or at a different angle. “I love you. I love you so much.” She kissed her again and again, desperate in her attempts to bring them closer.

 

“I’m sorry,” Alex breathed, arms wrapping around Kara’s back, holding her tightly. “I’m okay. I’m fine.”

 

Stroking Alex’s face, Kara pressed their foreheads together and let a single tear escape. Living without Alex after she’d just found her seemed unbearable. Kara didn't even want to think about it.

 

“I know it's a terrible thing to say, but I wish it had been you on that roof, not Vasquez,” Kara whispered, kissing Alex’s cheeks. “With a safe distance between you and the danger.” She sniffled. “I just want to wrap you up in my arms and never let you go.”

 

Alex’s eyes were full of regret.

 

“Vasquez is the better shot,” she replied, lifting her left hand and stroking Kara’s hair. “And I’m never going to be very good at staying out of the excitement. Same as you.” She smiled sadly. “But I promise I'll always try to come home to you.”

 

Kara wasn't sure if she would ever stop worrying about Alex, but she wasn’t about to tell her to stop. She knew that Alex would never ask her to stop being Supergirl, and Kara wouldn't disrespect her girlfriend’s choices. 

 

“Sap,” she mumbled, because she didn't know what else to say.

 

“You can't get enough of the sap,” Alex replied cheekily, kissing Kara gently. “Now I’m going to need you to get out of the bathroom, so I can take a shower. I’m gross.” She looked pointedly down at the dried blood on her abdominal muscles. “But first, help me out of my shirt and bra, please.”

 

Nodding, Kara took a step back so Alex could turn around, before she brought her fingers to Alex’s shoulders and slowly started sliding down the shirt.

 

Alex’s back was slightly blue in some places, something which Kara hadn't noticed before, as though she’d been shot in the back as well. The thought was incredibly painful, and after she’d taken off Alex’s bra, she hugged Alex gently around the waist, leaned down her head, and kissed the bruises.

 

“You should've told me that your back was hurt, too,” she said softly, hands fanned over Alex’s abdomen. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Alex replied, voice soft as she placed her fingers over Kara’s. “I wasn't sure if the bruises were showing yet, and I didn't want to worry you any more than I already have.” She paused for a moment, then squeezed Kara’s hands, while Kara pressed her cheek against Alex’s naked shoulder, taking in her warm skin. “Can you help me tape up my arm, so it doesn't get wet?”

 

“Yeah,” Kara whispered, trying to quell the overwhelming feelings of  _ relief _ , “of course.”

 

-

 

When Kara walked back out into the living room, the first thing she saw was that Selina was draped over the couch with her head on J’onn’s lap. Her eyes were closed, a couple of ice packs and frozen vegetable bags on her various bruises. Seeing her like this was awful, especially because she’d been out there to help Kara.

 

But before she could dwell on her guilt, Kara was enveloped by Eliza. 

 

The hug was so unexpected, Kara barely had time to worry that her girlfriend’s  _ mom _ was so close to her. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Eliza and held on tightly, closing her eyes and taking in the feeling of parental affection, even though Eliza wasn't her own mother.

 

“Thank you for taking care of her,” Eliza said, cupping the back of Kara’s neck. “I’m so glad she has you.”

 

They weren't drawing a scene, mainly because Selina seemed to be asleep, J’onn was reading a magazine, and Vasquez and Lucy seemed to be deep in conversation, Vasquez’s face about as red as a fire hydrant.

 

“We take care of each other,” Kara replied, pretty sure that she had finally been fully accepted by Alex’s mother. It was a bitter-sweet victory, since Alex had been hurt in the process, but she was sure she’d feel better about it once Alex was well again. 

 

Pulling away, Eliza cradled Kara’s cheek and smiled shakily.

 

Kara smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think! Especially about Selina finally apologizing to Kara and realizing she tends to act before she thinks and how that sometimes leads to unwanted consequences! but also Selina being like "i gotta be who i gotta be, even when i realize i messed up" 
> 
> Also Alex refusing any sort of numbing agent while getting her arm sown shut. tsk tsk tsk. so rugged. And who doesn't love some Eliza/Kara bonding! 
> 
> As always, edited by my wonderful beta Coara!
> 
> And if you want to find me, look me up @goshdarnitjay on tumblr. Although i've mostly been replaying skyrim for the last couple of days and haven't really been _on_ tumblr. So there could be some minor delays on replies haha.


	24. Do it for Kara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex wakes up the morning after the big raid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but there was a bird that flew against the back door and I had to wait and watch it until it flew away. Alongside my damn cat, who was chomping at the back door to eat that little birb, basically. Bad kitty. ANYWAY, this chapter should make many of you very happy! And we also discuss some philosophical issues of hero-ing etc.
> 
>  **Note** : Blood cw, racist rhetoric cw.

When Alex woke up at five am on Tuesday morning, roughly seven hours after she’d raided a hero menace shipment and slammed the butt of her rifle into Desaad’s head, she tried to remember everything that had taken place in more detail.

 

As she lay there with Kara’s head on her chest and Selina’s breath hitting her neck, she envisioned the moment.

 

Vasquez shooting out the lights on the ship and the dock.

 

Selina and J’onn behind her as she charged forward.

 

Shooting four kneecaps before being shot in the back herself.

 

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried not to think about Vasquez’s frantic voice in her ear, calling out for Selina to step to the left. Tried not to imagine seeing the gun pointed at her friend, then charging forward and being shot again herself after she’d already been cut.

 

Slowly unfurling herself from Selina’s and Kara’s grips, Alex carefully ambled from the bed. Looking over, she saw her mother sleeping next to Selina, her back turned away from all of them. How they’d managed to stay in place all night without anyone rolling off was a mystery to Alex.

 

After peeing, brushing her teeth, and throwing on a bra, a shirt, and a pair of running shorts, Alex slunk into the living room. Vasquez and Lucy were asleep on the pullout couch, Lucy’s hands curled around Vasquez’s right bicep. They looked very sweet together, but Alex felt too heavy inside to be happy about it.

 

Maybe the stress was finally getting to her.

 

J’onn was sitting on a chair, staring out into the early morning sky, Herbert and Trish on his lap, Caesar curled up at his feet. He would have looked like a statue, if his hand hadn't been moving back and forth on Trish’s back.

 

“Did you sleep at all?” Alex whispered, coming to a stop next to him and placing her hand on his shoulder.

 

“No,” he replied, tapping his own ear, “I’ve been listening.”

 

Before leaving for Alex’s apartment, they’d set up a monitoring device, just in case anything happened at the warehouse. Desaad likely wouldn't wake up for a few more hours yet. But even if he did, the sack on his head would prevent him from assessing his surroundings.

 

“You want some coffee or tea?” She felt bone-tired, and the wound on her right arm hurt every time she moved. So much for confining her injuries to her left arm only. Just one more scar. “I have Oreos, too.”

 

He shook his head, and she understood his mood perfectly.

 

“I’m going for a run, you want to come with?” She figured that while J’onn probably didn't _need_ to run to get in shape, it might help him clear his head. Alex certainly felt like she needed some of that herself. “There’s a nice park not too far from here. And if there’s two of us, they might be a bit more hesitant to retaliate.”

 

She was under no illusion that the hero menace movement wouldn’t guess that they’d been the ones to raid the ship. She just hoped they wouldn't go after Vasquez or Selina. J’onn and her were inextricably linked to the whole thing through their involvement with Supergirl, but maybe the others could get off scot-free.

 

For a moment, J’onn hesitated, before he nodded his assent. He gently placed Trish and Herbert on the windowsill, then moved away into the corner. As soon as he was there, his clothes changed to a pair of dark green sweatpants and a red polo shirt.

 

“So cool that you can do that,” Alex said, shaking her head. Now that she’d seen J’onn in his true Martian form, she could guess why he liked to dress in red and green. She supposed it had something to do with feeling more like himself.

 

He smiled, and followed her out of the apartment.

 

-

 

When Kara woke up at 6am on Tuesday morning - before the alarm could force them all out of bed - after her girlfriend had been shot the night before, the first thing she did was to stretch out her hand to feel for Alex’s warm, reassuring body. She’d had a nightmare about something awful that involved Alex being hurt, and she needed to make sure none of it had been true.

 

Settling her hand on the person curled around her in a koala-like grip, her nose twitched at their scent. It was familiar, but it was too sweet and with the wrong key notes.

 

Her eyes opened slowly, realizing after less than a second that it wasn't Alex who was cuddling her. It was Selina.

 

A quick glance through the entire apartment with her x-ray vision showed her that Alex was nowhere to be found. The bathroom door stood wide open, and even with her super hearing, she couldn't sense Alex’s heartbeat anywhere in the vicinity of the building.

 

Disentangling herself from Selina’s surprisingly strong grip, Kara got to her feet, grabbed her phone, and padded over to the bedroom door, frowning when she realized that J’onn wasn't here, either. In her desperation to locate Alex, she’d completely missed his absence.

 

At the same time, the knowledge that Alex was probably _with_ J’onn soothed her.

 

To be safe, she unlocked her phone screen and sent Alex a quick text, asking to confirm her general whereabouts. Anxiously awaiting an answer, she entered the living room, looking up to see Lucy gently stroking Vasquez’s hair.

 

It was such an odd sight that Kara walked straight into a cupboard, accidentally denting the wood with her toe.

 

Swearing quietly in Kryptonian, Kara looked back over to Lucy, who was staring at her with an unreadable expression.

 

Officer Vasquez was still asleep.

 

-

 

Looking down at her phone during a short running break, Alex skimmed Kara’s message quickly, before sending back an affirmative that she was fine and that J’onn was indeed with her. She also beat herself up about not leaving a note. Her mind had been too preoccupied with too many things before she and J’onn had left.

 

They’d been running for close to an hour now, and Alex’s mind had steadily emptied itself, until all she could feel was the pain in her arm and the anger she felt about the whole situation.

 

Having J’onn by her side was a comfort as well, and she hoped she could do the same for him.

 

-

 

“It’s not what it looks like,” Lucy whispered, sliding from the couch with a final glance at Vasquez’s peaceful, slumbering face. “There was a piece of lint on their hair.” She wasn't looking at Kara, which would have been highly suspicious in and of itself. Coupled with her guilty expression, Kara was pretty sure she finally had the answer to a question she’d been asking herself recently.

 

“You're not married anymore, Luce,” Kara replied softly, following her friend into the open kitchen, where Lucy busied herself with pulling out mugs and Alex’s expensive and surprisingly delicious instant coffee powder.

 

“I know that,” Lucy countered, giving the couch another glance, clearly worried that Vasquez would wake up. “Can you heat up this water for me? I don't want to use the machine.”

 

Despite her words, Kara could tell that Lucy wanted to _talk_ without anybody else listening in, and that she wanted to avoid the loud sounds of the electric water kettle, so Vasquez wouldn’t wake up.

 

Moving up her glasses, Kara used her heat vision on the water while Lucy pulled open a drawer to grab two spoons. Since she’d made them all tea the night before, she’d already discovered where everything was located.

 

They hadn't stayed up for very much longer, since Selina had already been asleep anyway.

 

Last night, Kara had taken a seat next to Lucy while she waited for Alex to return from the shower, ear trained on Alex’s heartbeat in the bathroom. Even after they’d all gone to bed, Kara had been too wired to rest. She’d lain there, head on Alex’s chest, stroking her girlfriend’s collarbones and sternum.

 

Alex had been asleep within minutes, breathing regular and deep, as Kara kept vigil over her wounded warrior.

 

With the coffee steaming hot, Kara and Lucy settled around Alex’s kitchen table, cradling the warm mugs in between their fingers. The one in Kara’s hands was as electric blue as her suit, and she recognized it instantly as the gift that Vasquez and J’onn had given to Alex upon her return from her medical leave.

 

Her x-ray vision revealed _Supergirl owns my entire ass_ under the coffee.

 

“You want to talk about it?” Kara whispered, sipping from the mug and giving Lucy a cautious glance. Just because she suspected that Lucy _wanted_ to spill her guts about Vasquez, didn't mean that she actually would. And Kara wouldn't force her, if that was the case.

 

-

 

“Can you hear anything?” Alex asked, leaning against the brick wall behind her, breathing slowly returning to normal after their run. “Assuming that none of those assholes are wearing any sort of protection like the Supreme Leader.”

 

J’onn’s hands were on his waist, his breathing steady and strong, like their run had left him completely unperturbed. Probably another one of his special Martian powers. Infinite stamina while running.

 

The thought made Alex pout a little.

 

“If they are, I can't tell,” he replied, surveying their surroundings and looking for any sign that they had been followed. “But I can't hear anything that would suggest we’re being watched.” His biceps bulged with unrestrained muscle as he crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“Maybe you should have turned into an attractive woman, then we could have made it seem like I’m only cheating on Kara, rather than hiding a hostage,” she whispered, confident that Batman’s scrambler would protect them from being listened to.

 

“You don't want to talk to me about cheating,” J’onn said, fixing her with a sharp look.

 

“Keep your scary dad look to yourself, you know I’d never do that to her,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes and dragging J’onn after herself by the arm. “Come on, you have to be at work soon and I want to get started on this as quickly as possible.”

 

Before they gave someone else the chance to interfere.

 

-

 

Lucy’s eyes rested on the CatCo mug she was holding onto, as though it were a lifeline. She hadn't taken a single sip, and Kara was staring at her, ears tuned to everyone else in the apartment. Selina and Mrs. Danvers seemed to still be asleep, while Vasquez hadn't stirred.

 

“I’m not ready,” Lucy whispered, biting her bottom lip, still staring down.

 

“That’s okay,” Kara soothed, reaching out to grasp Lucy’s left wrist. “No one expects you to be.”

 

Lucy nodded, then she sighed.

 

“I know, and I know it’s going to take more time,” she said softly, eyes growing vacant as she ran her hand through her hair. “But I miss it, having someone.” She looked over to the couch again. “I miss having someone to kiss, to cuddle on the couch with when I come home from a long shift. I miss even _having_ someone to come home to.”

 

She looked back over to Kara.

 

“I love you, and I know you're always there for me, but you have Alex, too,” she continued, placing her hand over Kara’s on her wrist. “And I haven't had that for _years_. And now…” She swallowed hard. “Now I could have that again, but I’m just… not ready.”

 

There was a clear tone of frustration underlying her words, like she was mad at herself for feeling upset about her divorce.

 

Screwing up her face in empathy, Kara leaned her forehead against Lucy’s temple.

 

“For what it's worth, I don't think Officer Vasquez is going to mind, if they have to wait for a little while longer,” she murmured, wrapping her free arm around Lucy and squeezing her tightly, trying to drive home her point. “If that’s what you want.”

 

Lucy snorted quietly.

 

“Someone as sweet as them isn't going to be single for long, Kara. Any woman would be lucky to have them,” she said, eyes getting a little dreamy as she looked at their sleeping face. “And they're so cute, too.” She sighed. “With really soft hair.”

 

Working very hard against the burgeoning giggle in her chest, Kara kissed Lucy’s blushing cheek.

 

“Maybe you should ask them about which brand of conditioner they use,” she teased, kissing Lucy’s cheek once more before pulling away and taking the superfangirl mug back into her hands. “Your crush on them is so adorable.”

 

Surprisingly, Lucy didn't even try to deny her affections, something which Kara hadn't been expecting.

 

“You know what's adorable?” Lucy asked instead, before answering her own question. “How they blush and stutter when they talk to me.” She bit her bottom lip again, this time with a look of fire in her eyes. “Makes me wonder what else I could do to get that reaction.”

 

Sighing inwardly, Kara brought her left hand to her temple.

 

“Can we maybe not get super explicit again?” She asked tentatively, just as the doorbell went off, making Officer Vasquez sit perfectly upright on the couch, hand clamped around the gun they’d hidden under their neatly folded pair of pants.

 

“Hot,” Lucy mumbled.

 

-

 

They entered the warehouse through the same entrance as the night before.

 

Alex’s blood had left somewhat of a trail, and she vowed to herself to clean it up after their interrogation was done. Once J’onn was gone and they’d sedated Desaad once more, Alex would take some time to make sure it no longer looked like a pig had been slaughtered on the premises.

 

“I’ll wake him up,” J’onn said, stepping towards the assortment of drugs Selina had liberated from a hospital downtown, and picking up a syringe.

 

Stepping up to Desaad’s slumped over form, Alex wished she could hurt him in some way. She knew it wasn't necessary and that it wouldn't make her any better than him, and yet she still felt the urge.

 

“I know what you're thinking,” J’onn said, sticking the syringe into Desaad’s leg and pressing on the plunger. “Don't.”

 

She crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“I’m not, I’m just thinking about it,” she said, imagining how good it would feel to punch him over and over again until he felt as helpless as his victims did.

 

When J’onn scowled, Alex scowled right back.

 

 _You're here to read what_ he’s _thinking_ , she thought pointedly, raising her eyebrows and feeling entirely too satisfied when he shook his head in resignation.

 

A moment later, Desaad started to stir, tugging at his restraints and moving his covered head from side to side. He couldn't see them, that much was obvious, and Alex hoped he was scared. After everything he’d done, she relished in his distress.

 

“Good morning, Daniel,” she said, enjoying the way his head snapped up immediately, trying to figure out where exactly her voice had come from. “I hope you don't mind that we restrained you a bit. From what I can tell, you can be a bit volatile when confronted with anyone who isn't in your little terrorist group.”

 

He stilled, and his hands settled on the armrests he was chained to.

 

“A terrorist group,” he mused, leaning back and facing her more fully, even though he still  couldn't see her. “That’s very cute.” The hood rustled when he turned his face to the side. “I seem to be at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I don't know who _you_ are. Why don't you take off this hood, so we can meet face to face?”

 

She rolled her eyes, already bored of this game. She had very little interest in a verbal sparring match, when she couldn't even give him a few good physical punches as well. Besides, a look at her watch told her that they needed to hurry this along, if J’onn wanted to be at work on time.

 

“Alright, tell me who you’re working for,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest to keep herself from punching him. “Maybe we can work out a plea deal for you with the police department, if you decide to be cooperative.”

 

He made a pleased sound, as though he were smirking, and leaned forward in his chair.

 

“I don’t work _for_ anybody, my friend,” he drawled, his legs twitching as though he wanted to cross them. “I’m an independent entrepreneur in a climate of fear. I’m sure you would know all about that. Those aliens thrive on public fear and outcry.”

 

Furrowing her brows, Alex wondered what the hell he meant by that.

 

“All those freaks who burn down buildings, cause explosions, and kidnap people for their own enjoyment,” he continued, fingers dancing up and down. “I do wonder…” He leaned his head to the other side. “Alex Danvers should know all about what that feels like, no? But I guess now that she’s dead…”

 

More confusion.

 

Why would Desaad think she was dead? Sure, she’d been stabbed and shot, but in the long history of Alex’s battle scars, these wounds didn’t even come close to some of the things she’d experienced.

 

“I’m sure her father would agree that it’s very bad business to get involved with the aliens and the freaks,” he said, finishing his little tirade with a laugh that finally made Alex’s anger boil over.

 

He was _scum_.

 

He didn't deserve to talk about her father and desecrate his memory with his disgusting bigotry. In this moment, all she wanted was to eradicate him. Crush him under her boot like the vile parasite he was.

 

In two quick strides, she had his ripped silk shirt in both hands, pulling him up and slamming him back down against the chair.

 

“You do _not_ talk about Jeremiah Danvers, you hear me?” She whispered, slamming him down once more before J’onn pulled her away from him. “I have absolutely zero problem with shooting off one of your body parts.”

 

Her voice was steel, but Desaad didn’t move.

 

“Calm down,” J’onn whispered to her, voice angry, “he’s trying to get to you. Don’t let him.”

 

It was easier said than done, but Alex brushed him off and nodded, clenching the muscles in her jaw.

 

“Detective Danvers?” Desaad suddenly asked, genuine surprise coloring his voice. “I had you pegged for a misguided human, but this explains so much. Of course, why else would someone so blatantly betray her own people?”

 

He was talking more and more nonsense.

 

“I must confess, I’m disappointed. I thought I was opposing a genuine human intellect. And now to find out you're nothing but a filthy alien predator like Superg-” His words were cut off by the barrel of Alex’s gun pressed against his throat, the rest of Kara’s name coming out garbled and unintelligible.

 

He tried to move away, but he was trapped between the gun and the chair.

 

“You seem to think that you have all the power here,” she said quietly, menace lacing every syllable, “but you know what this is?” She pressed harder and he gurgled. “This is a .500 Smith and Wesson Magnum.” His hands tried to rip free from the restraint without success. “More than enough to blow your brains out, if you don’t tell me where you get your kryptonite, _Daniel_.”

 

Pulling away a little to let him speak, Alex wondered why J’onn hadn’t pulled her off already. But then again, maybe he knew she wouldn’t really hurt him. Not when they still needed his brain for information. If all else failed, J’onn would have to put his hand on Desaad to drain his brain of all the information he could.

 

With a mighty cough, Desaad’s body shuddered, trying to regain what little oxygen Alex had deprived him of.

 

“My, my,” he choked out, more coughs following his words, “what would your heroic friends say about your interrogation tactics? Next you’ll be pistol whipping me until I tell you what you want to hear.” He swallowed audibly. Then, another cough.

 

She pressed the barrel of her gun against his heart now.

 

“My friends are wonderful,” she replied, enjoying the way his body instinctively flinched when she cocked her weapon. “They’re every bit as righteous and good as you don’t want them to be.” She hated him. Hated everything about him. “But I’m just me, a lowly human, so I don’t have to be. I just have to make sure that the people I care about are safe.”

 

Alex had the feeling that if the hood hadn’t been between them, Desaad would have been sneering at her.

 

-

 

Kara was pretty sure that the gun had absolutely nothing to do with Lucy’s one-word approximation of Officer Vasquez’s hotness.

 

After Kara had taken up the mantle of Supergirl, Lucy had been forced to watch her get shot almost every day. And even though she knew Kryptonians were bulletproof, Lucy had once confided in Kara that there was always a small part of her that was afraid Kara’s strength would run out.

 

And that the next bullet would be enough to take Kara from her life forever.

 

So it definitely wasn’t the gun. Kara suspected it had more to do with the way Vasquez had moved. Their muscles tense and ready to fight. Not just for themself, but for the people around them.

 

She had to admit that they looked very attractive like this. With their dark hair a mess, in that tight black tank top, and with the clearly defined bicep and tricep muscles. Add to that their sweet personality, and Kara could see more than clearly why Lucy felt frustrated about her inability to feel ready.

 

“Everything’s fine, Vasquez, it’s just the doorbell,” Kara said soothingly, getting up from her kitchen chair, squeezing Lucy’s shoulder, and walking over to the front door. She had no idea who it could be at this hour on a Tuesday morning, especially considering that most of the people it could be were already in the apartment.

 

Whoever it was must have found a way through the door downstairs, but Kara knew how easy it was to slip inside when someone else was just leaving.

 

Using her x-ray vision, Kara readied herself.

 

Then, she blinked.

 

That was unexpected.

 

Before she could react and open the door, someone started pounding on it loudly, most likely ensuring that Mrs. Danvers and Selina would finally be woken up, too. If the doorbell hadn’t already done the job.

 

“Open up, Supercop! It’s just us!” A voice called through the wood, the pounding becoming more insistent. “We’re here to help!” Kara was afraid the door would cave in on itself. “ _Supercop_! Don’t be a dick!”

 

Feeling like she didn’t have much of a choice, Kara took a deep breath and closed her eyes, preparing herself for the no doubt inevitable onslaught. She just wished Alex were here to run interference.

 

Taking Selina’s keys from the small chest of drawers next to the door, Kara swallowed hard.

 

Now or never.

 

As soon as the door was open, Kara saw a blur of motion, before that blur was on top of her. Suddenly, arms and legs were wrapped around her body, and Kara instinctively curled her own hands around the squealing woman.

 

It took a few seconds for the woman to realize that Kara was, in fact, not Alex.

 

“Wait,” she said, tilting her head to the side, “you’re too cute to be Supercop.”

 

She pulled back a little, making no attempt to actually get out of Kara’s arms. Her skin was a pale white, her hair dyed to a garish shade of platinum-blonde. She was beautiful, but there was something about her eyes that unsettled Kara.

 

“Oh, oh, I know ya!” She said excitedly, turning her head back so far Kara had to strengthen her grip so she wouldn’t slip out of her fingers. “Red, look! Look, it’s Supercop’s girlfriend!” Her eyes were fixed on a gorgeous woman with long, red hair, who was wearing a half-sleeved green top with a huge broccoli stamped on the front.

 

“I can see that, love,” she said, closing the door behind them and giving Kara a friendly smile. “It’s very nice to finally meet you.” Her eyes raked over Kara’s sleeping attire, which consisted of her breakfast food pajamas. Kara wished she’d already gotten dressed.

 

What a terrible first impression.

 

“You look even cuter in real life,” the woman in her arms said with a grin, her face suddenly much closer to Kara’s. “Red and I have been dyin’ to meet’cha.” Her hands slid from Kara’s neck and cupped her cheeks.

 

When Kara tried to pull away, she was painfully reminded that she wasn’t the only one with super strength around anymore.

 

“Could you maybe get off me?” She asked, glancing fearfully from Harley Quinn to Poison Ivy. Even in their civilian clothing, it was obvious who they were, and Kara didn’t know how she was supposed to act when confronted with two more of Alex’s best friends.

 

At her question, Harley smiled, eyebrows wiggling.

 

“So cute, so polite,” she said, patting Kara’s cheek.

 

It seemed as though she was finally leaning away, making Kara’s muscles relax a bit, something which Harley seemed to have been waiting for. In the next instant, her lips were on Kara’s, kissing her soundly and with some very inappropriate, happy noises.

 

Kara’s eyes widened, while Harley kept her in place, pecking her lips over and over again.

 

Before Kara could do anything else, a gasp sounded from behind them all, and Harley finally pulled away from her mouth, letting Kara’s cheeks go. A look to the hallway confirmed that it was Selina who had made the offended noise.

 

“I cannot believe you!” She called out, stalking forward and hitting Harley across the head. “I can’t believe you kissed her before I got the chance. How dare you.” Her eyes moved to Poison Ivy, who shrugged. “This is Alex all over again.”

 

Harley smirked, getting down from Kara and softly flicking Selina’s ear.

 

“I always get in there first,” she teased, winking at Kara, who was still frozen like a statue. “It’s not my fault you have performance issues, kitty cat.” She ducked just in time to avoid Selina’s swinging fist.

 

The whole sight was bizarre.

 

-

 

Glancing at J’onn, Alex raised both eyebrows, and he nodded, letting her know that he’d heard plenty. Knowing that they finally had what they needed to bring the hero menace movement crashing to the ground was satisfying, and Alex pulled back her gun, stuffing it into her waistband holster.

 

“Why the sudden mood swing, detective? I thought we were just getting started,” Desaad jeered, turning over his hands and opening up his palms, as though inviting her to hurt him. “You know we’re not going to stop until you’re all dead. You should just end me right here and now, so I can’t hurt your precious, precious friends.”

 

It was tempting, but Alex didn’t reach for her gun again. Shooting him now, when he was unarmed and not the least bit dangerous, wouldn’t be the right thing to do. And it wasn’t what Kara would want.

 

“You’re not going to get out of it that easily,” she said, watching as J’onn sat down at one of the tables and pulled a pen and a spiral-bound notepad towards himself. He would probably write down whatever he’d heard so Alex could share it with everybody while he went to work. “You’re going to jail for what you’ve been doing.”

 

Desaad laughed.

 

“If I’ve been informed correctly, you’re still suspended, and even if you somehow manage to weasel your way back onto the force, do you honestly believe I would make it to trial?” He leaned forward, his restraints rattling as he rose as far as he could out of the chair. “You should just put a bullet in between my eyes right now.”

 

She watched him with disgust.

 

“Come on, Alex, you know you don’t want me to hurt Supergirl. Or that sweet, sweet girlfriend of yours, the one you’ve been spending so much time with.” His words were quiet, almost like a hiss, and she crossed her arms over her chest to keep herself from strangling him.

 

“What’s her name, Alex, hm?” His muscles flexed, straining further towards her. “Oh, that’s right, _Kara_.” The way his mouth wrapped around the name made her want to vomit. “Your lovely barista. Do it for Kara, Alex. As soon as I get out of here, she’s going to be at the very top of my priority list.”

 

The fingers of her right hand were wrapped around his throat before she realized what had happened.

 

He tried to laugh, but the grip she had on him wouldn’t allow for it, and she relished in the choking noises coming out of his mouth.  At least while he was here, he couldn’t hurt any of the people she cared about.

 

“If you ever come near me or my family again, I will rip you apart limb from limb,” she whispered, voice deadly calm. “And if you so much as _think_ about doing anything to Kara, I’m going to get one of my freak alien friends to erase your memories. And then he’s going to replace them with new ones, and turn you into an alien loving pacifist whose greatest goal in life is to ensure a peaceful existence between all races.”

 

She threw him back into the chair, stalked over to J’onn and pulled out a fresh syringe. Time to put Desaad back under before she shot him. While she’d only want to watch him bleed a little, she probably still shouldn’t risk it.

 

When he was sedated once more, without uttering a single snarky comment about her threat, Alex slumped into a chair beside J’onn. She’d rarely hated someone as much as she hated this man.

 

“What kind of name is Desaad anyway?” She asked, rubbing her hands over her face, trying not to imagine a scenario in which hero menace people came after Kara. They’d be expecting a scared, vulnerable barista and would likely discover that Kara was _neither_.

 

“If you were called Daniel Eugene Sauerbuck, wouldn’t you change it?” J’onn replied, reaching out and taking her hand absentmindedly. He was still writing, and Alex watched him for a few moments of silence.

 

“You could do that, right? Change his memories? Turn him into a completely different person?” She asked, getting up from her chair and walking over to the refrigerator Selina had set up with snacks and water.

 

“Yes,” he confirmed, pen momentarily halting.

 

“Do you ever wonder if you should?” Alex thought out loud, inspecting the bottle of sparkling water she’d just opened. “I know it goes against the idea of free will, but… do you ever think the world would be better, if people like Desaad were just _changed_ instead of locked away?”

 

Or free, or killed, or any number of things that allowed them to take up valuable resources, or to go about their daily lives, committing crimes against innocent people. She couldn’t even imagine what she would do with a power like that.

 

She was glad it was in the hands of someone as honest and good as J’onn.

 

“You said it yourself, it’s not my place,” he said, putting down the pen and leaning back with a mighty sigh. “But the thought has crossed my mind, of course. How much better would the world be, if I used my powers to change someone’s perception to what I believe is right?”

 

He shook his head, and she walked back over to him, handing him the second bottle of water she’d grabbed. She would never be able to imagine what it would be like to be J’onn, or Kara. Or even someone like Batman, who was just as human as her.

 

That was one of the reasons she’d never even entertained the thought of donning a costume.

 

“I can’t make that choice,” he finished, sliding the notepad over to her. “I only change what I need to, to ensure my own safety and anonymity is guaranteed, and that usually only involves removing or altering a few minutes.”

 

Nodding, she shot another glance at Desaad’s limp body, and started to read what J’onn had written down. With every new sentence, her jaw clenched a little further.

 

“Those pieces of shit,” she growled, getting up from her chair and slamming down the bottle of water. Her hands were clenched into fists as she stalked over to Desaad and grabbed the front of his shirt. He was unconscious, but she didn’t care.

 

He’d feel this the next time they woke him up.

 

-

 

“You can’t catch me!”

 

Harley’s words echoed through the apartment, as she vaulted further inside and jumped onto the pullout couch, where Vasquez was still sitting. Kara watched as Selina jumped onto the couch as well, and the two of them started mock-wrestling on top of a horrified Vasquez, who kept trying to scramble away.

 

Standing perfectly still, Kara side-eyed Ivy, who was watching the whole thing with only mild interest. She seemed to be used to their displays, and only sighed when Selina accidentally elbowed Vasquez in the face, causing them to start bleeding.

 

“Um, do you… do you think we should interfere?” Kara asked tentatively, unsure how Ivy would react to her. Since Kara knew that Ivy had been the one to take care of Alex after they’d sort of broken up, she hoped Ivy wouldn’t hate her for the way she’d reacted. What she’d seen of her and Harley until now didn’t indicate any kind of animosity, but still.

 

While Kara seemed to be paralyzed with worry, Lucy had jumped up to drag Vasquez out of the squabble, and Mrs. Danvers was calmly brewing her morning tea. She, too, seemed to have seen this before.

 

“Most of the time it’s best to just let them duke it out,” Ivy replied, shaking her head and giving Kara a small smile. “Alex has probably told you quite a bit about us, but when we’re out and about like this, I’m Dr. Pamela Isley, and the loon over there is Dr. Harleen Quinzel.”

 

Kara had to admit, when she thought of doctors, Harley and Ivy weren’t exactly what came to her mind, but she kept that thought to herself. Besides, just because they weren’t stuffy, didn’t mean they weren’t brilliant and competent.

 

“Alex didn’t mention that you were coming,” Kara said tentatively, wincing in sympathy when Selina headbutted Harley. “She’s out with her partner, working on a case.” She wasn’t sure how much Alex and Selina had shared with them.

 

“I hope she gores the guy they captured,” Ivy said, face suddenly fierce with anger. “When Selina told us that they were going to move into the final phase of this, Harley and I thought Supercop might need some backup.” She rolled her eyes. “And it’s not like she would have _asked_.”

 

Kara chuckled.

 

“Yeah, she can be a bit stubborn,” she agreed, glad to be talking to someone who seemed to be just as fond of Alex as herself. “I’m actually a bit scared to be meeting the two of you,” the words suddenly spilled out of her. “I mean, you’ve known Alex since she was super young, and you’re her family.”

 

With a smile, Ivy winked at her.

 

“Don’t worry, Kara, Alex can’t shut the fuck up about you, so we already know _plenty_ ,” she said, running a hand through her hair just as Harley and Selina collapsed on the couch, both of them breathing heavily. “We know you’re good for her, you don’t have to be worried about what we’re going to think.”

 

Her gaze traveled down again.

 

“And I love those pajamas you’re wearing.” She looked down at the broccoli on her shirt. “It’s almost like we match.” Her smile was so blindingly beautiful that Kara wondered how Alex hadn’t fallen in love with _Ivy_ over the years.

 

When Kara looked back over to the kitchen, she saw that Lucy was supporting Vasquez, who had tilted their head forward and was holding a wad of bloody tissue paper to their nose. Lucy was also holding an ice pack.

 

“Supercop is going to be pissed that we broke her cute friend,” Ivy mumbled, sighing as she walked forward and held her hand out to Harley, who took it gratefully and let herself get pulled back into a standing position.

 

Kara felt inclined to agree.

 

-

 

After only four hard punches to Desaad’s gut, Alex pulled away, breathing heavily as she stepped back.  Without a word, J’onn stood up from his chair. He didn’t seem angry or disappointed, which surprised her. She would have anticipated for him to intervene.

 

“Are you done?” He asked instead, pushing the notepad into her arms. “Because if you can pull yourself away from beating up worthless lackeys, maybe we can get to dismantling the root of the problem.”

 

Feeling slightly sheepish, she nodded and walked over to the desk, finishing the water quickly.

 

“Sorry,” she said, looking down at her shaking hand. It hurt quite a bit.

 

He sighed, before reaching out to her.

 

“Just go home and talk to Kara about how we’re going to proceed.” His hand felt warm and reassuring on her shoulder, and she didn’t try to shrug him off. “I need to go to work, but I’ll keep listening for any changes. If someone comes in here to free him, I’ll stop them.”

 

“Are you going to come by afterwards to talk about this shit?” She asked, picking up one of the backpacks Selina had bought and stuffing the notepad into it.

 

“Of course,” he confirmed, letting go of her shoulder. When she turned around to look at him, he smiled. “Not to quote the first _High School Musical_ movie, but we're all in this together.” He winked, and she rolled her eyes at his words.

 

“Nerd,” she mumbled.

 

-

 

“Would anyone else like a cup of tea?” Eliza asked, making Kara turn away from Ivy. For a moment, she’d completely forgotten that Alex's mother was there, too. Her fingers rested on Lucy’s shoulder in a show of support. “Right now, the water’s nice and hot.”

 

Selina’s hand immediately shot into the air.

 

“I’ll take one, Liza,” she said, pushing herself to her feet and shouldering past Harley into the open kitchen. “Whatever flavor you feel like this morning.” Sweetly, she kissed Mrs. Danvers’ cheek, before joining Lucy and Vasquez, an apologetic look etched across her face.

 

“I’m so sorry for that; I didn't see you,” she said, tone clearly remorseful as she stood next to Vasquez’s free side. When Vasquez only shrugged and tried for a smile - before wincing comically - Selina leaned in. “I’m going to kiss it better.”

 

Lucy’s look was contrite, as though she were chewing on glass, as she watched Vasquez’s face flush with blood at Selina’s proximity.

 

The kiss Selina bestowed upon their nose was gentle and soft, and she smiled brightly when Vasquez blinked up at her, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

 

“It’s okay, I don't think it’s broken,” they said, shuffling around in their seat and scooting a bit closer to Lucy, who seemed smug about the action. Kara had a feeling it had probably more to do with the fact that Vasquez was scared Selina would try to kiss them on the lips again. “I already texted work about coming in late.”

 

“That’s good,” Selina said, fingers brushing through Vasquez’s hair, before she turned towards Harley and Ivy, who were staring at her with curious expressions on their faces. Selina seemed instantly defensive. “What? Officer Vasquez and I are fu-” Her eyes flit to Eliza and back again. “Friends with benefits.”

 

At her words, Vasquez immediately started coughing, trying and failing to refute Selina’s statement.

 

Lucy seemed disgusted.

 

“She’s joking,” Kara tried to help out Vasquez, walking past them all and starting to transfer different breakfast foods from Alex’s fridge to the kitchen table. “Why don't we all have breakfast and wait for Alex to get back here?”

 

 _Which is hopefully going to be very, very soon_ , Kara thought to herself, praying that her girlfriend would be back before Kara would be forced to make conversation about something she did not want to talk about. And dealing with all three of the Gotham City Sirens at once would no doubt be extremely terrifying.

 

Kara was scared already.

 

-

 

Alex jogged back to her apartment, ignoring the stinging in her right arm. All of that punching and grabbing and gun drawing had done quite a number on her stamina. And she knew Kara would be worried if she realized just how much pain Alex was truly in.

 

Unlocking the front door to her apartment building, Alex saw Mrs. Robershire standing next to the elevator, talking to another woman who seemed to be the same age. Alex had never seen her neighbor associate with anyone, but when she saw two disapproving stares leveled at her, she had a feeling Mrs. Robershire had spoken plenty about her.

 

Quickly pressing the button for the elevator, she tried to ignore the whispers.

 

 _One just isn't enough anymore?_ She thought, as Mrs. Robershire sneered and shook her head. _The hell does that mean?_

 

Thankfully, the doors to the elevator opened less than half a minute later to admit her, and Alex was only all too happy to escape.

 

Looking down at her watch, she saw that it was rapidly closing in on nine am, and she wondered whether Vasquez would still be there. Both Lucy and Kara worked later shifts today, in anticipation of some sort of fallout from the night before, but Vasquez had been trying to avoid suspicion.

 

Alex was still deep in thought, when she opened the front door with her key. Shucking off her shoes, she yawned quietly and placed her own keys next to Selina’s.

 

Maybe it was time to give Kara a key to her apartment.

 

After all, she spent a lot of time here, and Alex liked the idea of Kara being able to come and go as she pleased. There was something alluringly domestic about it.

 

Smiling, Alex looked up just in time to see a woman with awful blonde hair hurling herself forward and straight into her arms. The force of her impact was so great that it would have knocked Alex on her ass if she hadn't still been standing so close to the door.

 

Before she could even say anything, Harley was kissing her soundly, arms wrapped tightly around her neck. She was bouncing up and down, too, and Alex felt like her head was about to be ripped off at any moment.

 

“Let Supercop _breathe_ , sweetheart,” a beautiful voice said behind them, causing Harley to finally let her go.

 

 _Guess now I know why Mrs. Robershire seemed so angry_ , Alex thought derisively.

 

“I’m just so happy,” Harley said, wrapping her arms around both Alex’s and Pam’s necks. “The four of us are all back together again. The gang’s been reunited.” She kissed both of their temples and pulled them even closer. “I just love you guys.”

 

Alex looked desperately over to Pam, who smiled, seemingly in no hurry to stop Harley from expressing her affections.

 

Typical.

 

Next, Alex’s eyes were drawn to the big green blob on Pam’s chest, and when she looked more closely, she saw that it was broccoli. The t-shirt had a text on it, too. It said _Broccoli_.

 

She furrowed her brows in confusion.

 

Pam, who had picked up on what she was looking at while Harley kissed her cheek over and over again, simply shrugged.

 

“Broccoli is good for your health, Alex, maybe you should try to eat more of it,” she sassed, winking when she saw Alex’s frown.

 

“I’m trying,” Kara’s voice suddenly chimed in, staring intently at the three of them. Most importantly, she was staring at Alex’s right upper arm, and probably keenly aware that it had started bleeding again the moment Alex had been forced to catch Harley. “Mrs. Danvers, Selina, and I have been trying to make some healthier meals.”

 

Harley finally let them go when Kara took Alex’s hand and pulled her closer, clearly antsy to get Alex into the bathroom to reapply new bandages. And maybe to get Selina to redo the stitches, if some of them had ripped.

 

“We’ll be right back,” Alex said, pulling Kara along with her. After a few steps, she stopped and turned back to her friends. “I don't know why you're here, but I’m glad you came by. We can use all the help we can get.” Having Harley’s super strength and Pam’s incredible flower powers were invaluable additions.

 

“We missed you, too,” Pam said, smirking when Alex rolled her eyes. As Harley and Pam walked into the kitchen, Alex pulled Kara into the hallway, through the bedroom, and into the bathroom.

 

Kara locked the door behind them.

 

“Are you in a lot of pain?” Was her very first question, her hands already unbuttoning the short-sleeved shirt Alex had worn to bed and on her run. Alex still couldn't properly lift her hands over her head. “Did you and J’onn go back to the warehouse?”

 

She had the shirt off before Alex could even open her mouth, and pushed her down to sit on the closed toilet.

 

For a second, Alex considered lying about her pain levels, and about what she’d done to Desaad. But then, she saw the worry and love plain as day on Kara’s face, and she couldn't bring herself to be anything but honest.

 

“It hurts like hell,” she confessed, just as Kara pulled off the old bandage to assess the new damage.  “Not as much as the last time I got shot, but it’s still really shitty.” Kara super sped the first aid kit onto the bathroom counter and started mopping up the new blood. Thankfully, there was no way for it to seep into Alex’s good sports bra. Those things were expensive enough.

 

Pausing for a moment, Kara leaned in and briefly pressed their lips together.

 

“I wish you hadn’t gotten shot at all,” she breathed, as though afraid to admit to her feelings. She took off her glasses and set them on the bathroom counter. With her clean, right hand, she cupped Alex’s cheek.

 

“I know,” Alex replied, looking down at her wounded arm, glad to see that none of the stitches had ripped and that the bleeding wasn’t very heavy. Lifting her eyes back up to Kara’s intense stare, she swallowed hard. “I punched him.”

 

Kara’s brows furrowed.

 

“Who?” She asked, her fingers leaving Alex’s cheek so she could wrap a fresh set of bandages around Alex’s upper arm.

 

Alex didn’t know how Kara would react, but she needed to say this, needed to get it off her chest.

 

“Desaad,” she said, her insides gnarled with tension as she wondered if Kara would be disgusted with her behavior. And whether or not she’d be able to forgive her - if she would be disappointed. “J’onn wrote down the guy’s thoughts and plans, and I got so _angry…_ ”

 

Biting her bottom lip, she felt the tension crawl up her spine next.

 

“He was unconscious, and I… _hit_ him,” she concluded, jaw clenched with residual anger. “Four times. Right here.” She indicated her own abdomen, and Kara halted in her ministrations, the bandage taut in her hands, ready to be secured.

 

When Kara didn’t say anything and simply resumed her wrapping, Alex reached out to touch her arm.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said, fingers trembling, “I didn’t want to disappoint you, because you’re Supergirl and you’re so amazing and I’m just-” She startled when Kara let go of the newly secured bandage and cupped her face instead. Alex could feel her own blood on her skin, but she didn’t care, because Kara didn’t look angry.

 

There was almost too much understanding for Alex to bear.

 

“Stop,” Kara said softly, her thumb stroking Alex’s cheek. “Whatever narrative you’ve drawn up in your brain about how righteous and infallible I am… it’s not real.” When Alex tried to look away, Kara pulled her back. “ _Supergirl_ is a beacon of hope that’s larger than life. _Kara_ gets angry and frustrated, just like you.”

 

Straddling Alex’s lap, Kara leaned down and brought their lips together once more, this time for a longer, more insistent kiss.

 

“I’ve wanted to punch criminals when they're down for what they’ve done to their victims,” she confessed, shaking her head softly to herself. “I was so angry about Krypton, about my parents sending me away…” Her eyes found Alex’s once more, and she smiled sadly. “I’m not disappointed,” she whispered, pressing their foreheads together and settling her hands on Alex’s shoulders. Her warmth was reassuring, and Alex curled her arms around Kara’s back, holding her tightly. “You’ll do better next time.”

 

Alex knew punching Desaad while he was unconscious hadn’t been the right thing to do, and she was under no illusion that Kara thought it was. But knowing that Kara didn’t think any less of her for it was a relief she could barely put into words.

 

-

 

After cleaning her hands again, Kara sat on the closed toilet while Alex washed her face and arm free of blood. The bruises on her back looked terrible, and Kara had to force herself to stay seated. She didn’t want to make Alex feel like she’d done something wrong. It wasn’t her fault that Desaad and his people were so trigger happy.

 

And Alex _had_ been wearing her bulletproof vest, after all.

 

“Did you and J’onn get everything we need?” Kara asked, watching as Alex carefully opened her sports bra from the front and let it glide off her shoulders. Since she was sweaty from her morning run, she’d probably want to take a shower, too.

 

“We know where they’re keeping the kryptonite, we know who some of their leaders are, and we know what their plan is,” Alex said, sliding down her running shorts, which left her in nothing but her socks and black boxer briefs.

 

If their topic of conversation had been different, Kara might have been able to pay more attention to how gorgeous her girlfriend looked like this. Especially when Alex stopped in front of her and let her hands run through Kara’s hair.

 

“That sounds promising,” Kara replied, putting her hands on Alex’s waist and chastely placing a kiss against the skin above her belly button. Now that Alex was so close, it had suddenly become much harder for Kara to keep her cool. “What are they planning?”

 

Alex’s fingers trailed along Kara’s forehead, brushing an unruly strand of hair out of Kara’s eyes.

 

Her jaw clenched, and her entire body seemed to grow taut with tension.

 

“They’re planning to kill you, but we already knew that much,” she said, expression thunderous. Though her words were infused with rage, her touch was gentle. “They want to make it look like you were killed by another alien; that’s why they’ve been testing that weapon on human civilians.”

 

The definitive proof of everything Kara had been afraid of was like a slap to the face.

 

“Once you’re dead, they want to launch a campaign to force legislators to institute laws against aliens. Because even the _good_ ones won’t be safe anymore.” She pulled Kara closer, hugging Kara’s head tightly against her stomach. “I won’t let that happen.”

 

The words _I’d sooner die_ were left unspoken, but Kara heard them loud and clear.

 

“Being the best superhero in the world really sucks sometimes,” she whispered, trying to bring some light into their dark conversation, nuzzling her face against her detective’s soft skin. When Alex chuckled, Kara pulled free from her grip and got to her feet. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”

 

Shaking her head, Alex leaned up on her toes a bit to peck Kara on her lips.

 

“Shut up, I would’ve been involved with this no matter what,” she said, hands gliding around Kara’s waist. “I was working this case _way_ before I even knew you existed.” Her smile was a little lopsided, and it made Kara want to burrow into Alex’s arms and never let go. “Pretty sure I started working the case on a Monday and I met _you_ on the Wednesday directly after that… That’s a way long time, right?”

 

She looked so sweet, that Kara couldn’t help but pull her into yet another kiss, fingers softly digging into Alex’s skin. For a moment, they both got lost in each other’s embrace, Kara tilting her head to the side and lavishing some much needed attention on Alex’s bottom lip.

 

While they kissed, Kara softly stroked over the bruises she knew were on her brave girlfriend’s body, trying to heal them through touch alone.

 

Meanwhile, Alex’s fingers were making quick work on the buttons of Kara’s pajama top.

 

“You got shot,” Kara whispered, trying to derail the situation, and shrugging out of the top at the same time. Their kisses were growing hotter now, as Alex dragged her nails along the waistband of Kara’s pajama pants. “And we haven’t been to the Fortress yet.” She helped Alex pull her own tank top over her head and throw it to the side. “I mean, I was there last night, but only to drop off the kryptonite. I didn’t have time to talk to my mom.”

 

She whimpered when Alex pulled away from her lips and kissed down and along her throat instead, down to that sensitive patch of skin at the bottom of Kara’s neck. She could smell Alex’s arousal already, and it wasn’t helping Kara’s own situation one bit.

 

Wasting no time, Alex’s fingers explored Kara’s naked abdominal muscles, digging into the skin just below her belly button, making Kara feel weak in the knees. When one of her hands slid into the back of Kara’s pajama pants to knead her behind through her panties, Kara gasped.

 

“I’m not trying to have sex with you in my bathroom, while our circle of friends and my mother are in the kitchen,” Alex said, nibbling on Kara’s skin as she palmed Kara’s breast with her other hand.

 

“Could have fooled me,” Kara husked, grabbing Alex by the shoulders and pushing her slowly backwards until she hit the tiled wall next to the shower. A shudder wracked Alex’s body at the cold, but Kara was too preoccupied with pressing her thigh in between her legs. “And it sounds super sweet when you say _our_ circle of friends.”

 

Alex breathed in sharply when Kara rolled her hips.

 

Their emotions were rubbed raw, and all Kara wanted was to reassure herself that Alex was alive, and that she wouldn’t suddenly disappear. She’d barely been able to stay put the previous night, and had been on the verge of flying off the entire time. Only Lucy and Mrs. Danvers had been able to keep her in the apartment.

 

“I love you,” Kara whispered, kissing Alex’s face as she moved her hips faster and faster, grinding down to the rhythm of Alex’s increasingly accelerated heartbeat. “We’ll figure all of this out together.”

 

She grabbed Alex’s left thigh and wrapped it around her own waist, opening up Alex’s body even further and giving her grinding more weight. The sounds and the feeling of her detective’s body surrendering to her was intensely satisfying, and Kara had never felt more powerful and wanted than in this moment.

 

“I love you, too,” Alex whimpered, eyes half-lidded, hands settled on Kara’s naked shoulders.

 

Their bare stomachs brushed against one another with every roll of their hips, and Kara caught Alex’s mouth in a soft, open-mouthed kiss. Their tongues brushed briefly, and Kara closed her eyes for a moment, every cell in her body in tune with Alex.

 

Rutting up sharply, Kara opened her eyes just in time to watch Alex’s squeeze shut and her head tilt back, the muscles in her neck straining and becoming more pronounced. Her scent intensified and her breathing stuttered.

 

Kara had never been particularly interested in sex, and while she knew that part of it had been her reluctance and fear to reveal herself and hurt the other person, the rest had always been her nature. Sex simply wasn’t a priority.

 

It still wasn’t now, but seeing Alex let go and relax was something else entirely.

 

“I told you, I wasn’t trying to seduce you,” Alex said, voice still weak from her orgasm. Her body quivered when Kara rolled her hips a few more times. “Ugh, now I _really_ need that shower.” Her body was slick with sweat.

 

Kara giggled, before she pulled Alex away from the cold wall and into her arms, careful not to touch her wounded arm. A quick peek with her x-ray vision revealed that she hadn’t disturbed it in any way.

 

“All part of the Danvers charm, I guess,” Kara teased, closing her eyes and taking in this moment. She wasn’t sure when the next time would be that her and Alex would have some time alone without anyone questioning what they were getting up to. “How was I supposed to resist?”

 

She tried to ignore the pressure in between her own legs.

 

No heat vision while their friends and Mrs. Danvers were in the apartment.

 

“So you’re saying this is my fault?” Alex asked, head pillowed on Kara’s shoulder, arms wrapped loosely around her waist. She seemed tired, and Kara had a feeling her girlfriend’s sleep hadn’t been all that peaceful.

 

“I love you,” she said, gently stroking Alex’s bruises once more.

 

“I know,” Alex replied, slumping against Kara.

 

Considering the amount of people in Alex’s kitchen, Kara knew they’d have to get back soon. But for the moment, she wanted to be selfish, and keep her detective all to herself.

 

-

 

Kara waited in the bedroom for Alex to finish her shower, clutching Alex’s stuffed animal beaver to her chest. She’d put on one of her girlfriend’s shirts and her own jeans, spending most of the time alone with her nose in the collar. With her back to the headboard, she sat cross-legged, staring at the wall opposite her.

 

She hadn’t dared to check the kitchen for any mayhem yet.

 

Right now, all she could think about was what Alex had told her. That there really was a conspiracy to kill her, all to kick off some kind of war against alien refugees. Maybe she shouldn’t have been surprised, but the level of evil these people were going to, because they hated who she was, astounded her.

 

Her head only lifted when she saw the door move out of the corner of her eye. A big black paw nudged its way through the small opening, pushing the door open just enough for Caesar to fit through.

 

Before he had the chance to enter, Trish jumped inside, using his back as an improvised springboard. Her tiny body barely indented the bedspread as she landed next to Kara, purring instantly when Kara petted her head.

 

Caesar’s weight disrupted the whole mattress, and Kara looked on fondly as he sat down next to her and rubbed his face on her knee.

 

“Did Selina send you to check on us?” She asked, fingers dancing over Caesar’s head, and scritching him behind his ears. At the same time, Trish crawled into her lap and presented her belly for petting.

 

Kara smiled, momentarily distracted from her heavy heart when Caesar leaned up and licked her chin, before rubbing his head against her face.

 

When Alex left the bathroom ten minutes later, hair freshly blow-dried, and wearing a nice shirt and jeans, she raised both eyebrows, no doubt surprised at Kara’s new visitors.

 

“Guess I have some cuddle competition,” she said, sitting down next to Kara and reaching out to pet Trish. Caesar immediately looked disgruntled, but he merely turned over so he didn’t have to see Alex anymore, instead of starting another hissing fit. “And you seem to have a calming effect on the hellbeast.”

 

She poked Caesar’s back, and he glared at her, a threatening mewl escaping his lungs.

 

Kara shook her head.

 

-

 

When they reentered the kitchen and open living room, Alex was more than a little weirded out to see Lucy talking animatedly with Harley and Pam. She was gesturing wildly with her hands and wiggling her eyebrows, and Pam laughed while Harley grinned lecherously.

 

Alex had a feeling that wouldn’t bode well for her and Kara.

 

“Feeling better?” Selina asked, momentarily distracted from her conversation with Alex’s mom and Vasquez, and taking Alex’s hand. “Did you find anything out?” Her eyes flit to Eliza, who sighed and got up from her chair.

 

“I guess I don’t need to hear this,” she said, squeezing Selina’s shoulder, before turning back to Vasquez, who was… holding an icepack to their swollen nose? Alex’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the sight. What the hell had she missed? “I would love to exchange recipes, Officer Vasquez.”

 

Vasquez smiled, then winced.

 

“Me, too,” they said, shifting the ice pack on their face. “Just Vasquez is fine, Mrs. D.”

 

Alex’s mom smiled and patted their shoulder, before turning to Alex, who was pretty sure her stare was incredulous and confused. She felt lost. Apparently, her mom and Vasquez had somehow formed a bond while Alex had been gone?

 

“You plan whatever it is you need to,” Eliza said, kissing Alex’s cheek. “Just tell me when you’re done, and don’t plan anything too dangerous.” She gave Alex a quick hug. “And let the others _help_.”

 

“Okay, mom,” Alex replied, feeling a bit off balance, even after her mother had left for the study and had locked the door behind her. No doubt to do some more online shopping. Or wedding venue browsing, if Selina was to be believed.

 

Furrowing her brows, Alex turned to Vasquez.

 

“Recipes?” She asked, because that question felt easier than whether or not Vasquez had gotten into a fist fight with any of her friends.

 

Vasquez shrugged.

 

“I like to cook,” they replied, while Kara made her way around Alex and sat down on Eliza’s now empty seat. Which left… no seats at all. “And your mom’s cool. We exchanged numbers.” Every word seemed to be causing their nose pain.

 

Even more confused than before, Alex wondered where she should sit, now that Kara had taken the last available seat and was picking up a half-empty coffee cup. The front of it read _No. 1 Superfangirl_.

 

Behind Selina’s back, Kara looked up at Alex, then lifted her glasses and used her heat vision on the coffee. Alex almost had an aneurysm when she realized what Kara was doing, considering that Vasquez, Harley, and Pam were all in the room with them.

 

Granted, Harley and Pam were still talking with Lucy, who smiled and laughed with them as though they’d known each other for years. And Vasquez could hardly see with the ice pack on their face.

 

But still.

 

Alex would have to have a serious talk with Kara about protecting her secret identity.

 

“Alright, one of you assholes is going to have to get up so I can sit down,” Alex said, when Kara had sat upright again with her now hot coffee. “I’m tired, and I just squeezed important information from the bad guy.”

 

She stepped behind her girlfriend and squeezed her shoulders, letting her know that Alex didn’t expect her to get up, and hadn’t been calling _her_ an asshole. Sadly, no one else seemed to be in any hurry to move.

 

“I forgot how charming you can be in person,” Pam said, tone unimpressed and one eyebrow raised in challenge. Her arm was wrapped around Harley’s shoulder, who had her hand settled firmly on Pam’s thigh. “You can sit on my lap, if you like.”

 

Alex startled when Selina slapped her ass.

 

“No, baby, come sit on _me_ ,” she said, wiggling her brows.

 

Vasquez snorted at seeing Alex’s annoyed expression, and seemed to regret it almost instantly, holding their free hand to their face and making a pained noise. Coming to their aid, Lucy soothingly rubbed their back, while Pam dug around in her purse.

 

“I may have something for you to ease the pain,” she mumbled distractedly, her hair falling beautifully around her face as she searched her bag. “I’ve been working on some new painkillers recently… Where are they… aha!”

 

She resurfaced with a small bottle of little green pills, and dropped one into her own hand.

 

When Vasquez reached out to take it, Pam drew back before their skin could make contact, and Alex knew why. Pam’s skin was deadly to the touch. The only reason why Alex, Harley, Selina and a few select others were able to touch Pam without dying, was because she’d bestowed a permanent antidote upon them.

 

She’d also developed a more temporary solution in the form of a drink, but Alex had never asked too many question about it, since she was pretty sure Pam and Harley mainly used it to have threesomes. And Alex didn’t need to know about that.

 

“You know who I am, right?” Pam asked Vasquez, handing the pill over to Harley, who kissed her cheek before giving the medicine to Vasquez.

 

They furrowed their brows for a second, then understanding seemed to sweep over them.

 

“Oh, right, Poison Ivy,” they said, gingerly accepting the painkiller. “Sorry, I totally forgot for a second.” They smiled shyly, before downing the pill with a swig of coffee. The fact that they were talking coherently with so many attractive women around made Alex feel just a little bit proud.

 

“The nose should stop hurting in about five minutes,” Pam said, her expression warm and friendly. “I’ve been playing around with the dosages a bit, and I’ve been able to isolate the side effects almost completely, so you shouldn’t feel too high.”

 

When Vasquez’s eyes widened with worry, Alex sighed and closed her eyes.

 

“If you want, you can sit on my lap,” Kara suddenly whispered to her, pulling Alex out of her exasperation and back into the moment. “If your friends won’t make fun of you too much.” Her face was so incredibly earnest that Alex couldn’t resist the offer.

 

Who cared what her friends would say about her and her macho credibility? So what if they mimicked a whip and the accompanying sound? Alex would sit on her girlfriend’s damn lap if she wanted to.

 

Especially when said girlfriend slipped her arms around Alex’s belly and held her tightly, with her head resting on Alex’s shoulder.

 

To Alex’s great surprise, neither Harley, Pam, nor Selena said anything. Harley only looked on smugly, while Pam shot her a wink, and Selina kicked Alex under the table. All in all, she probably couldn’t have asked for a bigger sign of approval.

 

-

 

“So, are you going to tell us what’s going on, Supercop, or is Liza going to have to stay locked up for the rest of the day?” Selina asked, handing Alex a cream cheese bagel and a mug full of coffee. The mug was adorned with a picture of Harley, Ivy, and Selina, and Kara thought it looked adorable.

 

Alex accepted both the coffee and the bagel, and leaned back into Kara’s arms.

 

“They want to kill Supergirl to start some sort of race war, which is why we need to destroy the lab that’s producing the ammunition for their weapon,” she said, before taking a sip of coffee. Her muscles were tense and Kara gently rubbed her hard stomach. “We have its location, but I don’t think we should rush this.”

 

While Alex spoke, Vasquez lowered the ice pack and slipped down in their chair a little, their eyes going just a bit glassy.

 

“Surveillance time,” Selina said, nodding her head and cracking her knuckles. “I’ve got this. Do we know when they plan on attacking Supergirl?” She looked at Kara, and nudged their feet together under the table in a show of support.

 

Alex shook her head.

 

“J’onn said they haven’t picked a date yet, so I think we shouldn’t wait too long with our attack,” she said, putting down the bagel and cradling the cup in both hands instead. “J’onn’s a telepath who’s been helping us.” Her words were directed at Harley and Ivy.

 

“You got a telepath? That’s so cool,” Harley chimed in, leaning forward excitedly.

 

Smiling at Harley’s reaction, Kara wondered how J’onn would react to a meeting with her. Harley seemed very exuberant and easily excitable, so seeing his true Martian form would probably be a bit too much for her.

 

“Alright, so we’ll observe the facility for a few days and work up a proper plan before going in,” Alex continued, completely unperturbed by the fact that Vasquez had taken her bagel and was munching down on it happily. “They set up shop in an old Lexcorp building, so I was thinking of contacting Superman about whether or not he’s ever been to this specific lab.”

 

Her words immediately piqued Kara’s interest. An old Lexcorp building? Was that how the hero menace movement knew that Kryptonians were vulnerable to kryptonite radiation? Had they somehow contacted Lex Luthor in jail?

 

Talking to Clark would definitely be the right thing, and Kara would also contact Chloe about Lex’s prison records. Maybe someone had visited him who was connected to all of this mess.

 

“We should also talk to the Green Arrow,” Kara interjected, face flushing when all eyes turned to her. “When he was younger, he dealt with a lot of Lexcorp facilities, so he’ll probably know a thing or two about how to get in. Maybe he can even tell us some stuff about the layout.”

 

Of course, back then, the company had been called LuthorCorp, but Kara didn’t feel like that was a detail worth mentioning.

 

She was glad when Vasquez sat up and drew everyone’s attention onto themself.

 

“I’d love to meet Superman,” they said, hands folded over their stomach, a content, sleepy look on their face. “He just always seemed so… _super_. And Supergirl’s so nice, too.” They smiled at Lucy. “Not as nice as you, though.”

 

Blinking in confusion, Lucy looked at the small bottle of green painkillers still on the table.

 

“You know, Alex got me a Batman autograph,” they babbled, reaching out and taking Lucy’s hand. “He wrote me a letter and everything.” They leaned their head on Lucy’s shoulder and Kara raised both eyebrows when Lucy’s gaze turned soft. “I framed it.”

 

“I knew it,” Kara whispered to Alex, who startled a little at the sudden words. She’d been staring at Vasquez, too, wondering just how high they had to be, to forget their shyness and be this forward with Lucy.

 

Selina chuckled next to Kara and got to her feet.

 

“Alright, Officer Blunt, time for you to sleep off your high,” she said, giving Ivy an amused look. “I thought you said you adjusted the dosage.” Vasquez smiled up at her when she placed her hands on their shoulders.

 

Shrugging, Ivy put the bottle back into her bag.

 

“Maybe they don’t have the stomach for it,” she said, eyes focusing in on Vasquez with a sharp focus. Kara had the feeling she was looking at them as though they’d suddenly become a fascinating case study.

 

Alex shook her head.

 

“I guess that means this super secret meeting is adjourned?” She asked sarcastically, getting up and helping Selina lift Vasquez to their feet. Her sudden departure made Kara want to reach out and pull her back. “Somehow I doubt that the hero menace dickheads ever stop their evil plans because one of them suddenly gets high on homegrown pain meds.”

 

Ivy huffed.

 

“Maybe I’ll smuggle you some,” she threatened, watching as Selina and Alex both wrapped one of Vasquez’s arms over their shoulders. “Get you to loosen up a bit. It certainly looks like you need it, edelweiss.”

 

Narrowing her eyes, Kara tried to remember if she’d ever read about the meaning of an edelweiss flower before. When her brain came up empty, she vowed to look it up later, maybe once everyone had settled back down.

 

“You’re so nice,” Vasquez said to Selina, leaning in and kissing her cheek. “And you kiss really well.” Their smile was serene, but Lucy’s expression turned from mildly amused to sour in less than a millisecond.

 

While Selina didn’t say anything, her eyes turned suspiciously soft, in the way they only ever seemed to when she looked at Alex or Mrs. Danvers. At least until Harley and Ivy had shown up. Kara wondered if Vasquez realized that they’d probably made a lifelong friend.

 

“Vasquez on drugs is weird,” Alex complained, as they slowly made their way around the kitchen table and towards the bedroom.

 

“I think it’s sweet,” Selina replied, and Kara had to agree.

 

It was a welcome distraction from the stress of their morning and the previous night, and while Kara knew that the levity of the moment wouldn’t last, she’d take it. Sure, she still needed to call Clark, Chloe, and Oliver, and in a few days or weeks she’d have to wait around while her girlfriend would most likely get herself hurt again.

 

But at least right now, with Vasquez babbling excitedly about how cool it would be to meet Superman, and with Alex smiling at her over her shoulder, Kara really didn’t have to give a damn about any of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE TEAM HAS REASSEMBLED hehe who else is pumped for the final 5 chapters ??
> 
> as always, beta-d by the perfect Coara
> 
> If you want to chat, find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr!


	25. The Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara deals with the arrival of Alex's friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oop, forgot to upload this after i woke up before class haha
> 
> enjoy! 
> 
> thanks again for taking the time to read our work :))

As soon as Selina, Alex, and Vasquez were in the bedroom, Kara turned towards the other three at the table. Lucy had her brows furrowed and was staring at Kara with an accusatory look.

 

“Did you know that Vasquez and Selina have a thing?” She whispered, scowling impressively at Kara’s would-be betrayal. 

 

Before Kara could respond, Harley nudged Lucy’s arm, a smirk on her face.

 

“Just ‘cause they kissed, doesn't mean that there’s anything going on,” she said, winking. “Selina’s just like one of her cats. She’s in heat all the time.” Her eyebrows wiggled impressively, her grin wider than seemed anatomically possible. “She likes rubbing up on attractive people.”

 

“If anything, you should take it as a compliment that Selina’s macking on your date mate,” Ivy chimed in, lifting her eyes to Kara’s and giving her a wink. “It means you definitely picked the right horse.” She grabbed her coffee. “Selina can't stop herself from loving on the cute, upstanding ones.”

 

Lucy’s protest that her and Vasquez weren't dating was swallowed up by Harley’s loud laughter and by her extremely noisy kiss on Ivy’s cheek. 

 

While the three of them continued to squabble, Kara got up from her chair and started to clean up the mess their breakfast had made. She’d have to prepare a new bagel for Alex, too, since Vasquez had chowed down on the one that had been meant for her. And Kara would make damn sure that her girlfriend would get enough food to heal up those new wounds.

 

Walking around the kitchen, half-listening to Lucy filling her new friends in about her terrible divorce, Kara hummed along to the radio as she picked up dishes. 

 

Briefly, she wondered what was taking Alex and Selina so long, but then she figured that they were probably just having a tough time to get Vasquez to lay down at all. Or to stay there. It would most likely also be hard to get them to stop talking.

 

They were going to be so embarrassed when they woke up and realized they’d acted so forward towards Lucy. And that they’d told Selina she was a good kisser. 

 

Kara was so lost in thought, she didn't even realize that she’d placed her hand on Ivy’s bare arm.

 

“Can you hand me that bowl, please?” She asked, perfectly unaware that Ivy had gone stiff under her touch. 

 

When nothing happened for a few seconds, Kara did start to worry a bit, but only until Ivy leaned forward to give her the bowl. 

 

“Thanks,” Kara said brightly, moving on along the table and continuing to hum unconcernedly. After all, in this moment, the only thing Kara wanted to think about was that Alex was safe, and that the next stage would involve nothing but surveillance. 

 

Though Kara would need to remember to ask Alex who the hero menace movement leaders were, so she could keep an eye on them from afar. 

 

Her mind immediately went to Gordon Godfrey and his campaign against superheroes. He still hadn't gained the traction he’d been hoping for, but Kara had a feeling he would profit greatly from a  maneuver that would end in Kara’s death.

 

Many people trusted and loved Supergirl and saw her as their personal savior. It also helped that she looked like a human and could pass among them without being spotted and called out. It made her, in many ways, the safe alien to like. The poster child for any alien seeking refuge.

 

And if she died… Kara could see exactly where that would lead.

 

“And I’m telling you, I haven't had sex this good in years,” Lucy continued, pulling Kara out of her thoughts and back into the moment, reminding her painfully of the now  _ four _ times she’d had to listen to Lucy describe her recent sexcapades with Siobhan.

 

“Are you okay?” Ivy suddenly asked Kara, concern etched plain as day on her gorgeous face. 

 

“Yeah, I’ve just heard enough about Lucy and Siobhan,” she replied, giving Lucy an apologetic smile. “I’m happy for you, I really am, but I can't listen to this a fifth time.” She emphasized her plea by intertwining her own fingers and bringing them to her chin. “Please.”

 

Lucy rolled her eyes, but she was fighting a grin.

 

“I guess we’ll have to wait for that story,” she finally acquiesced, sipping on her coffee. “But that doesn't mean I can't hear some of Harley and Pam’s sordid tales.” 

 

Kara sighed, but shrugged.

 

There really wasn't anything she could do about that. 

 

Instead of hanging around for the story, Kara walked into the open living room and started tidying up the foldout couch. As she stripped off the bedsheets, she tried not to listen in on Harley and Ivy’s recounting of their threesome with Zatanna, whom Kara knew to be a friend of Clark’s. 

 

“Trust me, it was  _ magical _ ,” Harley said, a joke so bad it made all three of them giggle as Kara pushed the couch back into its proper position. 

 

Moving over to the windowsill, Kara grabbed the small watering can Alex kept around and  checked out each of the six caladium plants. Then, she walked over to Herbert, who seemed to be sunbathing.

 

“Hey, buddy,” Kara whispered, stroking his green head and grabbing a few pieces of trash Alex kept around for him in a little box at the far side of the windowsill. “You must be so glad that your mom is here.” She watered him, before putting the watering can back into its proper place.

 

As she continued to pet Herbert and let him gnaw on her fingers a little, she heard footsteps next to her, and looked up to see Ivy walking towards her. There was a strange expression on her face, like she was contemplating something that none of the others were privy to.

 

“Herb told me he made a new friend,” she said, stopping next to Kara and smiling when Herbert wiggled his arms happily at the sound of her voice. “And that she let him chew on her fingers and everything.” Her curious eyes studied Kara intently. “I was a bit concerned about that, to be honest with you.”

 

In the background, Harley and Lucy were crying tears of laughter, and the sound momentarily distracted Kara. When she looked back, Ivy’s hand was on her arm, and she was gazing intently at her. 

 

“How are you feeling, Kara?” She asked, her skin losing its pale white color and taking on a green tint. It took a few seconds for Kara to realize what would have been happening to her right now, if she had been human. 

 

“Well,” she said, pulling her arm free and taking a step back from Ivy, who seemed unnaturally relaxed, “this is awkward.”

 

Raising one eyebrow, Ivy’s face broke out into a grin. 

 

“Supercop didn't tell me she was dating a fellow meta-human. Or an alien,” she shrugged, “whichever.” Suddenly, she was very close to Kara. “Does your friend Lucy know? Does Alex?” She seemed very excited, and Kara wondered how rare it was for Ivy to find someone who was naturally immune to her poison.

 

“Um,” Kara responded, pulling her fingers out of Herbert’s maw and thinking about what to say. Should she come clean? Act like she wasn't Supergirl? “Yeah, Alex knows. Lucy, too. And Selina.” 

 

By Rao, but this was a disaster. 

 

“Selina? Damn, did she weasel it out of you?” Pam asked, immediately taking Kara’s hand. Now that she knew she couldn't hurt Kara through simple touch, it was as though a dam had been broken between them. Her other hand rubbed Kara’s arm. “Is that your power? Being resistant to poisons?”

 

Kara felt entirely overwhelmed by the situation, and she was more than relieved when Alex finally reentered the room. 

 

Gaze sweeping the living room and kitchen, Alex’s eyes moved over Kara and Ivy, seemingly unconcerned. A second later, her head snapped back towards them, zeroing in on Ivy’s hands running up and down Kara’s arm. 

 

“What the fuck?” She asked, stalking forward and pulling Kara out of Ivy’s grip. “What are you doing? Do you want Kara to die?” 

 

Obviously surprised by Alex’s vehemence, Ivy lifted both hands in surrender.

 

“Kara touched me first,” she said, before lowering her hands back to her waist and taking on a more aggressive stance. “So calm yourself down. She's fine. If there’d been any signs of a bad reaction, I would have given her the antidote.” She looked away. “And that you think I wouldn't help her says more about you than it does about me.”

 

It sounded like a learned response. Like Kara and Alex weren't the only ones who had been in therapy. Or maybe she’d picked it up from Harley, who had gotten to her feet and was quickly walking over to them.

 

“I’m sorry,” Alex said, rubbing her face.

 

“It’s fine,” Ivy replied, crossing her arms over her chest, but refusing to look at Alex again. When Harley stopped next to her, Ivy leaned her back against her girlfriend’s front. “You're trying to protect Kara, and I get that.”

 

Alex’s mouth was twisted in a guilty grimace, and she sought out Kara’s hand. 

 

“The fuck happened?” Harley asked, adjusting her glasses and pulling at her ponytail. A nervous habit, no doubt. “You know I don't like it when you fight.” To Kara’s surprise, she seemed equally exasperated with Ivy as she did with Alex.

 

“It was my fault this time,” Alex confessed, raising her hand. “I made assumptions, when I should have assessed the situation beforehand. Instead of just storming in.”

 

Harley wrapped both hands around Ivy’s waist and held on tightly.

 

Meanwhile, Lucy had stood up from the kitchen table and was walking over to the hallway, before slipping into the bedroom. No doubt to check on Vasquez, or to make sure that Selina behaved herself and didn't try anything while they were high.

 

Kara didn’t think that Selina would.

 

“Okay,” Harley said, kissing Ivy’s temple, “so, did you apologize properly?” Her voice sounded so  _ normal _ , for lack of a better word, that Kara wondered how much of either sides of her personality was a show she put on. And how differently she would have turned out if she’d never met the Joker. 

 

Alex nodded, squeezing Kara’s hand in her own.

 

Seeing the gentle, loving side of Alex’s friendship with the Sirens made it clearer than ever to Kara that she had severely misjudged them. It should have been obvious from the way Alex talked about them, and from how she interacted with Selina, but now that she’d seen it firsthand, she knew she had to adjust her mindset. 

 

And that also included one other thing.

 

“I’m Supergirl,” she blurted out, trying to ignore Alex’s heartbeat seemingly skipping several beats at her admission. “You're Alex’s family and you're going to help us bring down the hero menace movement. And Selina already knows, so what’s the point of hiding it, right? They're planning to kill  _ me _ , it only makes sense for me to tell you.”

 

By now, she was rambling, and Alex was staring at her with a mixture of pride, incredulity, and worry. 

 

“Oh my god,” Harley whispered, eyes growing wide with excitement. “That means you can  _ fly _ !” Her whole body seemed to be vibrating, as she pushed Alex and Ivy out of the way and jumped into Kara’s arms again. “Oh my god, oh my god, let’s go somewhere.” 

 

Her arms were wrapped tightly around Kara’s neck. With Harley and her super strength in National City, Kara would probably have to get used to someone being around who was able to knock the wind from her lungs.

 

Gasping, Harley turned towards Ivy. 

 

“Red, let's get married in Vegas  _ right now _ .” Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she imagined the scenario. Then, she turned back to Kara. “I can borrow your cape for that, right? Where do you keep that cape anyway, when you're out in civilian clothes? Are you wearing it right now?”

 

Wasting no time whatsoever, she grabbed Kara’s shirt and pulled down the collar, cooing excitedly when the top of the Supergirl suit was revealed. 

 

By now, Kara almost regretted telling them.

 

“Get down!” Alex commandeered, grabbing Harley around the stomach and trying to pull her off. “Let go of my girlfriend!”

 

Kara barely got any air when Harley held on tighter, trying to resist Alex’s pulling. Thankfully, Kara’s lungs were huge, so she wouldn’t be turning blue in the face anytime soon. It still wasn't a pleasant sensation. 

 

“Alex, your arm,” Kara choked out, grabbing Harley’s forearms and forcing them away from her neck. “No wrestling while you're hurt.” Harley’s eyes widened in appreciation when Kara pulled her off, so Alex wouldn't hurt herself any more than she already had.

 

Next to them, Ivy was watching the whole affair with a raised eyebrow.

 

-

 

“I can't believe you told them,” Alex grumbled, sitting on the closed seat of her toilet and watching as Kara rebandaged her arm for the second time that day. She hoped this wouldn't become a habit, but Harley always made her want to be more active. “You’ve known them for all of five minutes.”

 

Kara shrugged.

 

“And you’ve known them for five years,” she retorted, placing a kiss on the new bandage. It had been six years, actually, but Alex didn't bother to correct her. “I trust your judgement in friends. I know they won't say anything.” Her bright smile was more disarming than any weapon ever could have been. “Plus, they flew all the way out here to help us stay alive.”

 

Pouting, Alex wrapped her arms around Kara and held her close. 

 

“I just don't want you to feel like you have to tell anyone for my sake,” she said, ignoring the stinging in her arm as she stroked Kara’s hair with her right hand. “You don't have to tell people to make things easier for me.”

 

Kara sighed, and nuzzled her face into Alex’s neck, breathing her in.

 

“I didn't do it because I felt like I had to,” she said, before pulling away and cupping Alex’s cheek. “And even though this might sound very cheesy… I don't plan on breaking up with you. And even if we ever did, I’d never want you to not be a part of my life.” She shrugged. “They would have found out one way or another. This way, I got to control how it happened.”

 

Alex’s heart was beating faster and faster - Kara’s words were like music to her ears. 

 

“Maybe we should be the ones flying to Vegas.” Her voice sounded hoarse, and Alex cleared her throat. “Though I’m pretty sure my mom would actually murder me in cold blood if I didn't have a ridiculously big and elaborate wedding.” She rolled her eyes.

 

Humming in agreement, Kara pulled back.

 

“And we’ve only been together for a couple of months,” she said helpfully, getting to her feet and washing her hands in Alex’s sink. Her words were accompanied by a wink, and Alex rolled her eyes playfully in response.

 

“Good point,” Alex agreed teasingly, carefully putting her shirt back on. “Speaking of my mother, though, I should probably tell her that it’s safe to come out of the study.” Now that everyone was on the same page about what to do next, Alex knew her mom would want to spend some time with Harley and Pam as well.

 

-

 

When Alex and Kara left the bathroom a second time, the first thing Alex noticed was Harley sitting on the bed next to Vasquez. Alex’s laptop was placed on her legs, and she had one arm curled around Billy Bob, Alex’s stuffed animal beaver. 

 

The plushie had been a gift from Harley herself; a memento for Alex to take with her to National City. Just like Pam and Selina, she’d been trying to give Alex some comfort along the way. 

 

Vasquez was sleeping peacefully on their back with Caesar draped over their chest and Trish curled up next to their head. The two cats were both purring happily, and Alex was unsurprised to see Selina sitting on a chair next to the bed. 

 

With her face screwed up into an unreadable expression, Lucy leaned against the windowsill.

 

“What are you doing?” Alex asked Harley, moving over to her while Kara left the bedroom. But not before she had given Alex a kiss on the cheek.

 

“Billy Bob and I are buying  _ all  _ of the Supergirl merchandise,” Harley responded, turning the laptop to show Alex the website she was looking at. It showed an assortment of hoodies, mugs, underwear and other House of El paraphernalia. 

 

Alex shook her head.

 

“And then Billy Bob is going to tell me all about how great you are in bed, Supercop,” Harley followed up, a wicked grin spreading over her lips as she lowered her head to the stuffed animal. “You can tell me about it when she’s not in the room. I know you aren’t rude.” She giggled.

 

Even though Alex was used to the way Harley talked to some inanimate objects, it still occasionally made her wonder. Scrunching up her face, she decided not to say anything about it.

 

“Is that a Supergirl suit replica in your shopping cart?” Alex asked instead, completely horrified at the thought of Harley impersonating her girlfriend. For  _ any _ reason. 

 

If Alex knew her friends at all, that suit was going to be used for terrible things.

 

-

 

Kara found Ivy in the kitchen, where she was brewing them all up some more tea.

 

“You know, I can help you with that,” Kara said, smiling as she took off her glasses. “Instant hot water with my heat vision.” Not having to hide who she was from Alex’s friends was nice, especially when Ivy gave her that brilliant smile and held the kettle out to her.

 

“I bet all of those abilities come in handy,” Ivy said, watching with obvious fascination as Kara brought the water to its boiling point. It had taken quite a bit of time until Kara had perfected this neat little trick. She’d been fifteen the first time her heat vision had manifested, and it had taken plenty of trial and error to stop blowing holes into everything.

 

“They’re pretty neat most of the time,” Kara agreed, putting the lid on the water kettle and handing it back over to Ivy, who grasped it by the handle. “I can’t imagine what it’s like being able to talk to plants, though. That must be so cool.”

 

Smiling gently, Ivy poured the hot, steaming water into Alex’s expensive tea kettle. A gift from Mrs. Danvers, no doubt. 

 

“Says the woman who can  _ fly _ ,” Ivy responded teasingly, hand gliding over Kara’s arm. When she turned over Kara’s hand, her eyes turned somber. “How did Alex react when she found out? I know she told you why she left Gotham.”

 

Ivy’s concern for Alex was so great, that Kara almost wondered if she should worry about  _ Ivy _ and her relationship with Alex, rather than Selina. It was stupid and petty, and Kara knew on a logical level that the Sirens and Alex would never be anything but friends, and yet… 

 

There were a ton of feelings Kara still needed to work on.

 

“She was fine with it,” Kara said, thinking back to that moment Alex had saved Kara from Lawrence Dunwall and his gun. “Better than fine, actually. I was the one who sort of freaked out a bit.” 

 

Ivy’s face was surprisingly understanding.

 

“Did Alex ever tell you about the first time I brought her to my evil lair?” She asked, leaning her body against the counter and staring off into the distance. When Kara shook her head, Ivy grinned. “She was so sweet. I was just having a laugh, you know, as you do.”

 

Despite the fact that she wasn’t quite sure what Ivy meant, Kara nodded encouragingly.

 

“I thought she was going to have the freakout of a lifetime, surrounded by all of my pets,” Ivy continued, moving closer and curling her arms around Kara’s bicep. “All straight-laced in her beat cop uniform with her big, bad baton and that shiny new gun.”

 

Kara could picture it perfectly.

 

“I’m sure she looked adorable,” she said, imagining Alex in the dark blue fabric.

 

Chuckling, Ivy closed her eyes and leaned her head against Kara’s shoulder, her touch warmer than any regular human’s. 

 

“She did. And she looked even cuter when she started cuddling my babies.” There was a definite smile in her voice, and Kara tried to visualize Ivy’s lair with a young Alex inside. Everything overgrown with vines, Alex being inundated with flowers. Then, she imagined herself there with Alex and Ivy. It was an altogether pleasant thought. “She was less happy when Harley tackled her to the ground.”

 

Grinning, Kara leaned a bit of her own weight against her new friend. 

 

“I hope I’ll get to meet your plants myself someday,” she said, secretly glad that she didn’t feel too weird about Harley and Ivy knowing her secret. It had been a split-second decision, and even though she would probably worry about it later at work, she felt confident and relaxed in this moment. “Maybe we can arrange something once you’re back in Gotham. I’m pretty flexible with my shifts at CatCo’s.”

 

“And with you being able to fly,” Ivy teased again, squeezing Kara’s bicep once before letting go and tending to the tea again. “I’d love for you to meet them. Once all of this hero menace crap is dealt with, we can set up a date for you and Alex to visit.”

 

“That sounds great.” Kara was pretty sure she was beaming, but she didn’t care as she carefully pulled clean mugs from Alex’s cupboard. She was still nervous around Ivy, but she also had the feeling that they would make excellent friends, too. 

 

Kara couldn’t wait to get to know her better.

 

-

 

“If you get that Supergirl blow-up doll, I’m never speaking to you again,” Alex interjected, trying to reach the touchpad and move the cursor away from the item Harley was hovering over. “I mean it, that thing is gross.” Alex was horrified that such a thing even existed in the first place. She didn’t want to know how many perverts had a disgusting doll of her  _ girlfriend  _ in their homes.

 

Snickering, Harley bumped her shoulder against Alex and rolled her eyes.

 

“You’re no fun, Supercop,” she chimed, kissing Alex’s cheek.

 

“Seconded,” Selina said from her chair, moving a little closer and starting to stroke Vasquez’s hair. The gesture was not missed by Lucy, who twisted her mouth into a grimace, obviously wondering if she should intervene. 

 

Alex didn’t know Lucy very well, but it was obvious that Vasquez’s affection for her wasn’t completely one-sided. 

 

“I hate you both,” Alex whined, sliding down on the bed and staring up at the masking tape on her ceiling. Having her friends know about the whole superhero thing was already proving to be terrible. 

 

“It’s not our fault you chose to go the hero route, baby,” Selina teased, her hand moving down Vasquez’s face and tracing their nose and forehead. Her gaze was soft as she looked down at their sleeping features. “You could’ve been a member of some hot foursome action, but  _ no _ .”

 

With a snort, Alex shook her head.

 

Then, before anyone could say another word, Lucy cleared her throat.

 

“I don’t think Officer Vasquez would appreciate you groping them,” she told Selina from her vantage point by the window, as Selina’s fingers started slipping under their shirt to feel for their collarbones. 

 

With a soft sigh, Selina pulled back her fingers and settled them on their hair again, surprising Alex somewhat. She was shocked when Selina actually smiled and winked at Lucy.

 

“You’re definitely right on that one,” she agreed, making Lucy’s stoic expression falter a bit. Clearly, Lucy was just as startled by Selina’s easy acquiescence on this matter.

 

Alex figured that it had something to do with the fact that Vasquez had seemed almost afraid to come out of their apartment the night before. 

 

At any rate, Alex was proud of her best friend’s actions.

 

-

 

After they’d all had lunch together (minus Vasquez), Kara and Lucy had left to go to work. It wouldn't do well for Kara to be late, now that she had applied for the position of assistant manager. 

 

Alex wondered how this promotion would affect her second job of being Supergirl. Even though Kara had told Alex that Ms. Grant was still going through the applications, Alex knew Kara would undoubtedly get the job. Otherwise, Ms. Grant would never have asked her so directly.

 

Now, with her belly full to the brim, Alex felt even more tired than she had before. She’d been shot, stabbed, and sleep-deprived. Granted, most of those things were her own fault in some way, but that didn’t make the resulting tiredness any less real. 

 

Besides, there wasn’t anything for her to do in this moment anyway.

 

With Ivy and Harley cuddled up on the couch (looking up yet more Supergirl merch, no doubt), and her mom in the study once again (this time voluntarily), Alex slunk off into her bedroom. Her steps were sluggish and her eyes barely half-lidded. 

 

She needed a nap and she needed it now.

 

Rubbing her face, Alex stopped in her doorway as she was confronted with the sight of Vasquez still pinned to the bed by Caesar’s heavy body. They were finally awake, and seemed all too aware of how they’d behaved in their slightly altered state. 

 

Selina was sprawled across the other side of the bed, her hand gently sifting through their hair.

 

“Scoot,” Alex grumped, sleepily climbing onto her bed and pushing herself in between Selina and Vasquez, her head desperately seeking her pillow. She wanted to sleep and dream of flying off to Vegas with Kara after all. “Leave Vas alone.”

 

Her words were barely audible, but Selina chuckled in response and started petting Alex’s hair instead.

 

“The good Officer and I were just talking about their massive crush on our dear Ms. Lane,” Selina teased, her hand moving away from Alex’s hair to wrap itself around Alex’s neck instead, gently stroking back and forth. Along her collarbones, her good shoulder, and her sternum. 

 

Alex welcomed the loving touches.

 

“And?” she asked, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of Selina’s nails dragging over her skin. “Do they remember that they told Lucy she’s nicer than Supergirl?” She was trying to hide her smirk, but the feeling of glee was almost too overwhelming.

 

Vasquez huffed, making Caesar give out a small mewling noise of dissent.

 

“I’m right here, you know,” they grumbled, voice sounding almost petulant. It appeared that this occurrence had somewhat lessened their shyness around Selina, which was a development that Alex wasn’t entirely sure she liked. Vasquez and Selina being friends could turn out to be a dangerous combination. “And I can’t believe you let me eat those drugs. I haven’t been that high since college.”

 

Raising one eyebrow, Alex turned her head towards them without opening her eyes.

 

“You’re twenty-four. You’re the one who ate those painkillers without asking any questions,” she retorted, while she blindly patted Selina’s thigh with her hand. “Can you give me the blanket? I want to take a nap.”

 

Selina made a pleased little humming sound and a moment later, the duvet was being draped protectively over Alex’s body. It wouldn't be able to hold a candle to Kara’s natural body heat, but it would have to do. Over the last several weeks Alex had almost grown accustomed to feeling too hot during the night. 

 

“I’m just so glad to know that we feel the same way about each other, Officer,” Selina trilled. Alex had absolutely no doubt that her best friend was smirking. “I also think you're an amazing kisser.” When Vasquez groaned, Alex imagined Selina’s smug face, since she was too lazy to actually open her eyes.

 

“Will you ever stop teasing me about that?” Vasquez’s voice was muffled, as though they had buried their face in their hands. “I was obviously delirious.”

 

Alex didn't even pretend to hide her disbelieving laugh.

 

-

 

“Vasquez’s nose is going to be fine,” Alex said, leaning forward and folding Kara’s freshly laundered pajama pants. She was wearing a tank top, which exposed her muscular arms. The bandages on her right arm looked fine, even though Kara sneaked a quick peek with her x-ray vision anyway. Just to make sure. 

 

They were in Kara’s apartment. 

 

After Kara had finished her evening shift, she’d picked Alex up from her apartment and had flown them both over, so they could get some alone time. Harley and Ivy had decided to visit Lucy at the  _ Dirty Robber _ , the bar she worked at most nights, which left Mrs. Danvers and Selina at Alex’s home. 

 

And Kara couldn't talk to Alex about their sex life or her holographic mother in front of them. She wouldn't have tried it, even if Mrs. Danvers hadn't been around. No way was she going to give Selina the opportunity to listen in on her heat vision troubles.

 

“They texted me after they had it checked out at the hospital,” Alex continued, taking a handful of Kara’s bras and putting them in the appropriate drawer. “Selina drove them there in my car.” Alex smirked, and Kara stopped her own folding to smile gently at her girlfriend. 

 

“It’s weird and sweet at the same time how Selina interacts with the people she really likes. And it’s definitely something you have to get used to.” She abandoned the pile of laundry to slide her arms around Alex’s side. “But Vasquez seems to be adjusting well.”

 

Grinning, Alex continued to fold, a slight dusting of red coloring her cheeks at Kara’s proximity. 

 

“After Selina practically threw them out with the bathwater, sure. Subtlety isn’t her strong suit.” One of her hands settled over Kara’s, somewhat hindering her folding efforts. “Ivy said she’d run some tests on the liquid kryptonite tomorrow. She knows some people here who can get her access to a lab.”

 

Humming softly, Kara buried her face in Alex’s neck and sighed contently.

 

“I could fly her back and forth,” she offered, letting her left hand slide under Alex’s tank top to feel for her skin. “If she wants to work in her own lab.” Her pointer finger ran along the waistband of Alex’s tight jeans, and Kara relished in the uptake of her girlfriend’s heartbeat. “And I bet she’d get a kick out of flying with me.”

 

Alex snorted, and resumed her earlier folding.

 

“Probably not the kick you’d want her to have,” she mumbled, tensing a little when Kara slid her hand along the inside of Alex’s thigh. “And you are playing a very dangerous game right now.” Her hands were white-knuckling a pair of Kara’s shorts. “I thought you wanted a quiet night in?”

 

With her face pressed against Alex’s pulse point, Kara brought her hand back to Alex’s waist and let out a breath of air through her nose. 

 

“I was thinking we could go to the Fortress?” She asked tentatively, wondering if her girlfriend would be up for such a journey. Alex had mentioned that she’d had an extensive nap during the afternoon, but that didn't mean she’d feel well enough for an excursion like this. “I can show you around and maybe ask my mom about how to control myself better.”

 

Leaning into Kara's embrace, Alex brought up her hand and curled it around the back of Kara’s neck. 

 

Alex was quiet for a moment, no doubt contemplating Kara’s suggestion. 

 

“Do you think she’ll be happy to see you with a human?” Alex suddenly asked, voice surprisingly nervous. 

 

“What? Of course she will,” Kara responded, pulling her face away from Alex’s neck so she could look at her properly. “She’s a hologram; it’s not really her. But even if it were, I know she’d be happy for me. For us. Just because your civilization is centuries away from being as advanced as Krypton was, doesn't mean my mom would be disappointed that I fell in love with someone from a different planet.”

 

She gave Alex a small, gentle kiss.

 

“Interspecies marriage was very common on Krypton,” she continued, hoping to give Alex even more reassurance. Krypton had been an incredibly open-minded place. Of course, they’d also been a people full of hubris and self-importance, but they’d been very accepting of other species. As long as those species didn't originate on Daxam, their much less civilized sister planet.

 

“Okay…” Alex replied, still obviously hesitant. “If you think it’s not going to be a problem.” Her eyes crinkled when she smiled. “But you have to help me put on one or two sweaters.” 

 

Kara beamed. 

 

-

 

“I’ve already programmed your genetic code into the Fortress security system,” Kara said, smiling softly as she flew across the vast ocean below them, Alex held securely in her arms. She was obviously excited to show Alex part of her world. “So it shouldn't try to cloak itself from being seen once it detects our presence.”

 

Alex tightened her grip on Kara’s neck.

 

She was still staring up at the moon and the stars. Without the light pollution of the big cities she tended to frequent, the stars were perfectly visible above them. It had been a while since she’d been able to take them in. During her year away, she’d been to many small towns and villages, and the view of the night had been breathtaking - and just the distraction she had been looking for after her father’s death.

 

Flying with Kara like this also had the added benefit of being insanely romantic. 

 

“I love you,” Alex whispered to Kara, knowing full well that her girlfriend would be able to hear her even over the loud noise of the wind.

 

“You're just saying that because I’m wooing you with my powers,” Kara shot back, her voice much louder, so Alex wouldn't have to strain to understand what she was saying. “I’d flex my muscles right now to show off some more, but I don't want to drop you.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Alex snuggled further into Kara.

 

“ _ I love you, too, Alex _ ,” she mocked Kara’s voice, affecting an obviously fake high tone. “ _ You're the hottest and best police officer ever, and your muscles look great.” _

 

Kara laughed, flying a little lower to avoid a cloud. 

 

“That was a terrible impression!” she called out, the happiness clear as day on her smiling cheeks. 

 

“Really? I thought it was pretty good,” Alex replied teasingly, kissing Kara’s jaw and trying to hide her own smile. 

 

Before she could say anything else, however, she noticed a speck of sparkling light in the distance, and her focus shifted away from Kara. The closer they flew, the wider her eyes became.

 

The fortress looked  _ gorgeous. _

 

It strongly resembled the architecture Alex had seen quite a few times in Kara’s art, but it seemed to be formed entirely of ice. Gigantic crystals simply bursting forth through the snow all around it. It looked huge, and Alex wished (not for the first time) that she could have seen Krypton in person. 

 

“Wow,” she mumbled, reaching up with one of her hands to right the big, woolen hat on her head. Her movement was slightly stilted, because of the huge, warm jacket she was wearing. When she’d put it on, she’d wanted to ask why Kara would ever need a jacket like that. But before she’d had the chance, Kara had explained that Lucy usually wore it when they went to the Fortress together.

 

“I’m glad you like it,” Kara called back, slowing a little so Alex could take it all in.

 

“It’s incredible,” Alex whispered, eyes growing even wider as they set down in front of it and Kara put her back on her feet. She was pretty sure she’d never seen anything this impressive, as she stood there with her head tilted upwards, staring up at the crystals. “It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be.”

 

Next to her, Kara sniggered. 

 

“That’s what she said,” she teased, nudging Alex’s arm with her elbow before slipping her hand into Alex’s. Even through the glove, Alex could feel Kara’s radiating warmth.

 

“Shut up, or I’m going to rethink my decision to have sex with you,” Alex retorted with a playful eye roll. She’d stepped right into that minefield. “But seriously, though, this place is already amazing, and I haven't even been inside yet.” 

 

Her cheeks and nose were cold from the wind, but the beauty of her surroundings (and of Kara’s obvious show of trust) pushed everything else to the back of her mind.

 

“Well, then I guess we should go inside,” Kara said, grinning brightly and walking backwards, pulling Alex along by the hand as the Fortress opened up behind her. “It scanned our genetic code again while we were standing here. Just to make sure we aren't imposters. Clark used to lock this place up with a key that he kept lying around in the snow.”

 

She shook her head in mild annoyance, while Alex stared at the white and crystal interior of the Fortress. 

 

“That seems unsafe,” Alex said absentmindedly, eyes growing wide as saucers as she spotted a floating robot coming towards them. Immediately, she grabbed Kara’s arm and pulled at her to stop. “Oh my god, Kara, there’s a robot. A  _ floating _ robot. Why didn't you tell me there’d be a floating robot?”

 

It was as though all of Alex’s childhood dreams had suddenly come true. And it wasn't like she’d never seen robots before, or aliens, or floating alien robots. But this one was shiny and chrome and had arms and seemed to be friendly. And Alex had always wanted to make friends with a robot, even as a child.

 

Kara gave her a warm look and a kiss on the nose.

 

“That’s Kelex,” she explained, waving at the robot as it made its way over. 

 

“This is the moment,” Alex whispered to herself, straightening up and giving the robot a friendly, open smile. She had no idea how sentient this piece of machinery was, but she was all too willing to find out. 

 

“Kara, it is wonderful to see you,” Kelex said as soon as it was close enough. It moved its arms as it spoke, and Alex squeezed Kara's hand in nervous excitement. She was in an alien fortress with her alien girlfriend and her alien girlfriend’s alien robot. Things were  _ good _ . “I destroyed the kryptonite you entrusted me with.”

 

“Thank you, Kelex,” Kara said, smiling brightly as she pulled Alex a little closer. “This is Alex. She’s the woman I told you about.”

 

Alex’s hands grew clammy in her gloves as the robot turned its face towards her. Apparently, Kara liked to chat to it, something which Alex figured must have something to do with the robot reminding her of home. But the fact that the Kryptonian Fortress knew who she was… well, that was pretty flattering.

 

“Ah, yes, your bonded,” Kelex responded, the shining orange lamp on its face burning a little bit brighter. “It is an honor to meet you, Alex of the House of Danvers.” 

 

Kara’s face turned crimson at the mention of the word ‘bonded’ and Alex had a pretty good idea what Kelex was implying. A much more permanent  _ bond  _ than the title of girlfriend. The thought made Alex squeeze Kara’s hand even tighter.

 

“It is very nice to meet you, too,” Alex replied, smiling as the robot made a little bow before her.

 

“We're here to see my mom,” Kara interjected, clearly antsy to move all of this along and finally get to the conversation she desperately wanted to have. And besides, she’d grown up on Krypton, acclimated to floating robots and crystal technology. Alex wanted to take it all in, but it wasn't anything new to Kara. 

 

“Of course, I will let you get back to your work. Let me know if you need anything,” Kelex said, bowing its head once more before floating away to do something else, while Alex stared after it longingly. She had a cool cat friend and a cool sentient plant friend. A cool robot friend would have seriously upped her game. 

 

As Kara pulled her along, Alex turned her head from side to side, trying to take in everything at once.

 

She could have sworn they’d passed a room full of flowers and greenery, and another one with weapons and other artifacts. Even if Kara hadn't been walking at a brisk pace, it would have taken Alex hours upon hours - maybe even days - to explore the whole thing.

 

“Is it everything you thought it would be?” Kara asked, clearly amused by Alex’s enthusiasm. “Should I check the weapons vault for any missing artifacts before we leave?”

 

Grinning, Alex followed Kara along another corridor, until they reached a crystal door with another Kryptonian symbol. It wasn't the House of El crest that Alex and the rest of the world was used to, but it was unmistakably alien in nature.

 

“What does that say?” Alex asked, stepping forward and running her fingers over the symbol. She really needed to ask J’onn about learning how to speak and read Kryptonian. This afternoon, when they’d filled him in on their future plans, there had been other things on her mind.

 

“It’s the House of In-Ze crest,” Kara explained, her fingers joining Alex’s on the symbol, causing it to glow a bright shade of yellow before the door slid up to allow them entrance to the room beyond. “It’s the symbol of my mother's family. Her name was Alura In-Ze.” 

 

Slightly furrowing her brows, Alex followed Kara into the wide, expansive room. The walls were made of crystal, like the rest of the Fortress, and there was a large, round platform in the middle. Probably the place where the hologram would appear as soon as Kara activated it. 

 

“How come you weren't named after your mom?” Alex wondered aloud. Kara had told her about her parents, of course, but the discussion about last names hadn’t come up. Not until now.

 

Kara shrugged, walking over to a smaller assortment of crystals, moving and relocating them. Maybe a console of some sort? 

 

“On Krypton, children were named after the more prominent and powerful House,” Kara said, twisting a final crystal, before stepping back over to Alex as a woman appeared in the middle of the platform. “If my mom’s house had been the more important one, I’d be called Kara Alura-In-Ze.” She shrugged again.

 

Alex wanted to ask more questions (like why Clark’s Kryptonian name didn't incorporate his father’s first name while Kara’s did), but she was too distracted by the hologram in front of her, which she instinctively recognized to be Kara’s mother. 

 

Alura In-Ze was tall and strong, and her face seemed almost regal. Her long brunette hair fell in curls around her face, just like Kara’s. In fact, she resembled Kara in many ways, and Alex wished there could have been a way for her to meet the woman in person.

 

“When I bond to someone, I will drop my father’s name,” Kara concluded, her eyes also drinking in her mother’s face. A hint of melancholy flit over her features, and Alex wondered how much of a gift this hologram truly was. To be able to see, but never to touch? 

 

Alex imagined herself in Kara’s situation. She had no idea what she would do if she were able to communicate with her father’s consciousness, while at the same time being aware that he was gone, and that no matter what she did, the hologram would never truly be him. 

 

Immediately, she reached out to clasp Kara’s hand with her own, and held on tightly.

 

“Alex,” Kara started, tugging Alex a little closer, “this is my mother, Alura.” She lifted her hand and waved in the direction of the hologram. “I’ve told her a bit about you over the last few months, so she knows who you are.” 

 

Alex gulped as the hologram bowed slightly. 

 

“Um, hi,” Alex started, suddenly sweating in her many layers of clothing, even though it was still cold as all hell in the Fortress. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. In-Ze.” She constantly had to remind herself that the hologram wasn't a real person, because the projection was flawless. “I’m Alex.”

 

The hologram bowed again in greeting. 

 

“Alexandra Danvers, it is my pleasure to finally meet my beloved daughter’s bonded,” Alura said, her hands clasped in front of her body. Her face remained almost impassive as she spoke, and Alex asked herself if the real Alura had been too pressed for time to program emotional expressions into her avatar. “How may I be of assistance?”

 

And there was that word again, too.  _ Bonded _ .

 

“Alex and I need your advice about something,” Kara said, hand warm and reassuring in Alex’s. Her throat bobbed a little as she swallowed hard, straightened her shoulders and drew herself up to her full height. Her determined posture was sinfully attractive, and Alex hoped the hologram wasn't also able to read minds. “We have a question about my powers.”

 

Alura turned her gaze to Kara.

 

“A Kryptonian’s powers are derived from Earth’s yellow sun,” the hologram responded automatically, making Kara let out a breath of resignation, as though she was used to Alura answering with information she hadn't been asked about.

 

“Yes, I know. It’s more about a loss of control,” Kara tried again, shuffling her feet a bit and pulling Alex closer, still. “We’ve never talked about this, because it's never really been relevant, but I need your help with… how to control myself…” The hologram stared at them blankly. Obviously, it wasn't going to make things easier for them by giving an unwarranted answer about  _ this _ .

 

When Kara stalled, face red, Alex took pity on her. 

 

This  _ was _ Kara’s mother, after all.

 

“Kara needs to know how to stop herself from using her heat vision during orgasm,” Alex said quickly, ignoring Kara’s embarrassed little squeak from next to her. This needed to be done. “We don't want anyone to get hurt when we start having sex.”

 

Chancing a glance at Kara out of the corner of her eye, Alex could see that Kara wasn't looking at her mother anymore. Instead, she was staring at one of the crystal walls, her face flushed a deep crimson.

 

Alex sympathised with her. The thought of asking her own mom about anything related to sex was unthinkable. 

 

“Of course,” Alura responded, inclining her head in a small nod. “I will show you the proper techniques.” 

 

Now Alex was kind of glad that the hologram regarded them with the same level of emotional detachment, because while she didn't know much about Kryptonian customs, having a talk about your own daughter’s sex life would probably be tough for any parent.

 

“Thanks,” Kara choked out, the grip she had on Alex’s hand bordering on painful.

 

“Let us begin,” Alura said, stretching out her arms. “Lection one.”

 

“Oh boy,” Kara whispered, shuffling so close to Alex that she was half hiding behind her. “I feel like this is going to take a while.”

 

Alex felt inclined to agree.

 

-

 

It took them five hours to finish the entire course on  _ Kryptonian Mating Behavior on Planet Earth 101 _ , and while Alex tried to make it through the whole thing, she fell asleep at around midnight. 

 

When her girlfriend had gotten sleepy, Kara had simply picked her up bridal style and had carried her into one of the warmer and more comfortable sleeping cells in the Fortress. Then, she’d gone back to her mother and absorbed the rest of the forty-five steps on how to control herself during sex under Earth’s yellow sun.

 

The easiest solution would have likely been to strip herself of her own powers altogether, either by using blue kryptonite or one of those nifty red sun light bulbs. But that would have only provided a temporary fix for a prevailing problem. And Kara didn't want to give up her powers and be so vulnerable every time she and Alex decided to have sex.

 

After step forty-five had finally been dealt with (which had included some pretty mortifying words about protection and the virility of Kryptonian bodies), Kara had sat down on the ground in front of her mother to talk to her about the past few weeks. Including her worries about Alex and the hero menace movement.

 

She knew it was mostly futile, because despite appearances, the hologram wasn't really her mother. But sometimes, in her weaker moments, she still pretended that it was.

 

Now that she was back at the apartment with a still sleeping Alex in her arms, Kara wondered if defeating the leaders of the hero menace movement would change anything in the long run. Their organization seemed huge, and they’d even managed to infiltrate the police.

 

It was hard to hold on to optimism when she knew just how much these people were willing to sacrifice in the name of their hatred. It wouldn't simply disappear just because they’d uncovered some of their more prominent leaders. 

 

“Mm, Kara,” Alex mumbled just as Kara put her down on the bed and took off her woolen hat. Alex’s eyelids fluttered, and her hands twitched as she turned her head towards her girlfriend. “Love you.”

 

Smiling gently, Kara leaned down and pressed a kiss against Alex’s eyebrow.

 

“I love you, too,” she whispered, kneeling next to the bed and running the tips of her fingers along Alex’s cheek. 

 

When Alex reached out to her, Kara followed her willingly, laying her head on Alex’s chest and closing her eyes, taking in the steady sound of Alex’s heartbeat. As Alex’s fingers lazily stroked her hair, Kara felt her own anxiety about the future melt away under her detective’s touch. 

 

A few minutes later, after she’d helped Alex strip out of her arctic outfit, Kara snuggled into Alex’s chest and closed her eyes. 

 

It didn’t matter if they took down the hero menace movement once, twice, or a hundred times. Kara would keep fighting no matter what, and she knew Alex would be with her every step of the way. 

 

-

 

Hours later - on Wednesday morning - the insistent sound of Kara’s doorbell forced Alex out of her peaceful sleep. 

 

Grumbling quietly to herself, she leaned over and pressed a kiss against Kara’s cheek before disentangling herself from her girlfriend’s grip and getting to her feet. Her right bicep protested as she wrapped one of Kara’s cardigans around herself to stave off the sudden cold that always befell her after leaving Kara’s burning embrace.

 

On her way to the front door, she cocked her gun and held it close to her body, just in case the hero menace douchebags had followed her to Kara’s apartment.

 

Her shoulders sagged in relief when she looked through the peephole and saw that it was only Lucy who was waiting for them, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her long, dark coat. 

 

Placing her gun on the cupboard next to the door, Alex unlocked the front door and opened it to admit Kara’s best friend.

 

Lucy’s eyebrows raised when she spotted the pink cardigan wrapped around Alex’s form.

 

“Didn’t have you pegged as the cardigan type, Danvers,” she said, pulling at the soft fabric as Alex closed the door behind her. “Or is this all part of the lesbian urge to merge?” She smirked and Alex rolled her eyes. 

 

“Kara’s still in bed,” she mumbled, making her way back over to the bedroom without another glance at Lucy. Behind her, she heard Kara’s best friend take off her coat and shoes, before the sound of socked footsteps unmistakably revealed that Alex was being followed.

 

With her hair sprawled all over the pillow, Kara’s face looked perfectly serene as she slept, and Alex shucked off the cardigan in favor of crawling under the blankets once again to rejoin Kara. When she pulled Kara’s arm over herself, her girlfriend instinctively pulled her closer and snuggled her face into Alex’s neck. 

 

“Scoot,” Lucy demanded as she reached the side of the bed. 

 

Scowling, Alex shuffled even closer to Kara so Lucy could stretch out next to them, even though she elected to stay on top of the blanket. She was probably very aware that Kara’s warmth would be too much unless she got down to her underwear like Alex had.

 

For a couple of moments, there was nothing but silence.

 

Then, Alex turned her head towards Lucy.

 

“Is everything okay?” she asked, pulling her right arm out from under the blankets so she could gently trace the relaxed muscles of Kara’s left forearm. “You’re usually all about insulting me and now we’re basically cuddling.”

 

Lucy shrugged one of her shoulders.

 

“Don’t flatter yourself, detective,” she replied, drumming her fingers up and down on her stomach as she stared at the ceiling. “I’m just here to wait for Kara to wake up, and there’s more space on this side of the bed.”

 

Humming quietly, Alex’s fingers slipped further into Kara’s sleeve to feel more of her skin. 

 

“I’m just saying. We’re going to be in each other’s lives for a long time, so we might as well try to be friends. And friends talk to each other.” Alex’s fingers drew the House of El crest onto Kara’s arm. “Or so people keep telling me.”

 

Turning her head to the side as well, Lucy gave Alex a scrutinizing look.

 

“So you’d be fine with me talking to you about how I had sex with two of your friends?” she asked, the hint of a smile playing along her lips. “At the same time? Multiple times?” The innocent expression she was affecting didn’t quite work.

 

Alex sighed.

 

“I hope you had a good time,” she pressed out in between her teeth, trying to be supportive, because Kara loved Lucy and Alex was making an effort. But goddamn it was she ever not prepared to talk about Harley and Ivy’s sex lives. 

 

“They were great,” Lucy teased, reaching out with her elbow to poke Alex’s right arm, before clearly remembering that Alex had been shot and stabbed there two days ago. “Harley told me that you turned down her invitation to have a foursome. I think you should reconsider.”

 

Screwing up her face, Alex closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could do this.

 

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” she said, unconsciously holding on tighter to Kara’s arm. The thought of having to share Kara with anyone on that level was unthinkable to her. Alex didn’t mind that Harley and Ivy had an open relationship. In fact, she was glad that they both wanted the same thing. 

 

But Alex simply wasn’t wired that way.

 

“Your loss,” Lucy said with a grin and another shrug. “They were actually a lot more tender than I thought they would be. Still wild, of course, especially Harley, but they really weren’t rough. At least not before I asked them to be.” She lifted her hand to poke Alex in the cheek. “You can’t even imagine the night I had.”

 

Pursing her lips, Alex slapped Lucy’s fingers away.

 

“I’ve heard plenty of stories, trust me,” she grumbled, placing her arm gingerly back on the covers. Moving her bicep so quickly to dislodge Lucy hadn’t been the smartest move. When would she finally learn? “You don’t need to tell me any more of them.”

 

Shuffling onto her side, Lucy propped her head up on her left hand and gave Alex a smug little smile.

 

“They also told me plenty of stories about  _ you _ , and your crazy early twenties,” she whispered triumphantly, wiggling her eyebrows at Alex. “So many one-night stands, so many commitment issues.” She poked Alex again. “I love it.”

 

Furrowing her brows, Alex shuffled further into Kara’s arms.

 

“I didn’t have any commitment issues,” she defended herself, suddenly wishing Harley and Ivy hadn’t shown up in her apartment at all. This friendship would no doubt result in endless amounts of teasing for Alex. “I was married to my job.”

 

Humming in clear disbelief, Lucy pushed a lock of hair out of her own face.

 

“Of course,” she said, just as Kara started to stir. “I can’t wait to share some of the embarrassing things they told me about you with Kara.” Her smile was so excited that Alex almost couldn’t be angry about her intentions. After all, Lucy had been through so much shit recently, seeing her like this was a relief.

 

Meanwhile, Kara had pulled Alex even closer.

 

“G’morning,” she mumbled quietly, pressing her forehead against Alex’s neck and breathing her in. It was a testament to how used she was to both Lucy’s scent and voice that she didn’t immediately take note of her best friend’s presence. 

 

“Hey,” Alex whispered back, lifting her hand and rubbing Kara’s back. “Lucy’s here, too.” 

 

Kara nodded, still a bit drowsy.

 

“Hey, Luce.” Alex could feel Kara smile against her skin, clearly happy that she had both her girlfriend and best friend with her upon waking up. “Did you have a good time at the bar last night with Harley and Ivy?”

 

Sighing, Alex listened as Lucy regaled Kara with the details.

 

This was going to be a long morning.

 

-

 

While Alex prepared a bowl of pancake batter and Lucy started chopping the strawberries Kara had just picked up from the market (super speed for the win), Kara sat at her kitchen island and waited for Clark to pick up his phone.

 

As she listened to the dial tone, she took in Alex’s outfit, which consisted of a pair of Kara’s sweatpants and one of her fluffy jumpers. Both were slightly too big for Alex, and so the sweatpants dragged on the floor when she walked and the jumper kept sliding down her forearms. 

 

Kara could have sat in the kitchen all day if it meant she got to watch Alex being this adorable.

 

“Kara! How’s it going?” Clark’s voice suddenly came through the receiver, startling Kara out of her romantic daydreams of a future where Alex and her would wake up together every morning. “Any progress on the hero menace movement in National City? Metropolis has been suspiciously quiet on that front lately.”

 

“That’s probably because they’re planning a coup here,” Kara replied, her eyes following the movements of Alex’s hands as she cracked one of the eggs into a separate cup to check if it had gone bad. “We captured one of their guys. J’onn read his mind.” She told him everything that Alex had told her. “You were right. Godfrey is involved.”

 

She listened as he swore quietly to himself.

 

“Don’t let Aunt Martha hear you cuss like that,” Kara teased him, grinning as Lucy threw her one of the strawberries. “She’ll rinse out your mouth with soap. Superman or not.” When Alex looked up at her words with a raised eyebrow, Kara gave her a sweet smile and a wink.

 

“You’re right,” Clark agreed with a sigh, the sound of traffic suddenly filling the background. “Do you want me to talk to Lex to find out if he’s involved? If they’re using kryptonite, they must have some sort of contact who knows about it.” 

 

“That would be great.” Kara sighed with relief, before chewing vigorously on the strawberry. “I was thinking of calling Chloe and Oliver next to ask them if they can find anything out about that Lexcorp lab the hero menace movement is using. And I think it would be better if you didn’t come to National City for a while.” 

 

She knew him too well not to anticipate where his mind would go. He would want to help out, and if she’d been in his position, she would have felt the same way. But these people were using kryptonite and Kara wouldn’t be responsible for the death of her cousin.

 

And not just because it was her duty to keep him safe.

 

“I want to be there,” he said, his words joined by sound of a closing door and the abrupt removal of the traffic noises. “And we should call Bruce, too. And Kate. We’re stronger together.” He paused, then his voice grew warm. “You taught me that.” Another pause. “Plus, Lois and James would murder me if I let you go in there by yourself.”

 

She smiled.

 

“Right, you’re only doing it so you won’t get into any trouble at home,” she teased him, reaching out with her legs and grasping Alex’s thigh with her feet. Alex raised her eyebrows in question, but simply went back to preparing the batter when Kara shook her head. “You can help round up the bad guys once Alex and her friends have taken care of the lab. I’m not allowed to go anywhere near that, either.”

 

Alex leaned down and gave Kara a kiss on the cheek.

 

“How is Alex doing, by the way? Is she still on probation?” Clark asked, worry clear as day in his voice. “It’s ridiculous that her boss can just leave her out to dry for so long.” Now there was anger mixed in with the worry. “Maybe Superman should give a statement to the press about how unhappy he is with the state of the police in National City.”

 

Grimacing, Kara rubbed her forehead.

 

“Please don’t,” she groaned, holding out her hand so Lucy would give her another strawberry. She could really do with those pancakes right about now. “You know how the media is going to spin that here. Like I need my older cousin to do my work for me.”

 

He sighed.

 

“Yeah,” he said, clearly remembering how the tabloids had ripped Supergirl apart during her early months, after Clark had come by to help out against a particularly tough villain. Reactron could still eat Kara’s behind for that. “I’m still going to drop by when the heist is going down to give you some moral support. How does that sound?”

 

With her feet, she forced Alex to shuffle closer, which earned her a slap on the thigh when Alex almost spilled the batter. 

 

“That sounds great,” she acquiesced. Having Clark’s reassuring presence with her while she waited on the fate of her girlfriend would be most welcome, and Kara wasn’t going to talk him out of that. As long as he stayed with her and neither one of them ran off to the lab, they’d both be safe. “And I think I’m going to call up some of the others, like you said. No use going in there alone.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that. I know they’d all love to help.” As he spoke, Kara placed her hand on her girlfriend’s butt, more than a little pleased when Alex gave her a  _ look _ . “I need to go now. Perry wants me to do some research.”

 

They said their goodbyes and Kara put down her phone, her other hand - hidden from Lucy’s view by the counter - taking great enjoyment in squeezing and kneading Alex’s firmly muscled behind. 

 

To her credit, Alex only flushed minimally at being felt up so blatantly.

 

“Clark is going to come here when you raid the lab,” Kara filled them in, pulling Alex even closer and letting her hand slide down to the inside of her girlfriend’s thigh, her thumb gently stroking back and forth. “I hope that’s okay?” Her question was directed at Lucy, who was still working on the strawberries.

 

She looked up at Kara’s words, and gave her a small smile.

 

“Of course,” she said, even though Kara could tell that she was struggling. 

 

“Maybe it’ll be good to see him again?” Her mind drifting off to Lucy and her troubles, Kara completely forgot she was still feeling up Alex. “You know, removed from James and Lois.” She paused, and worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “I know he’s going to want to talk to you.”

 

A look of chagrin crossed Lucy’s face, before she forced it away.

 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she lied, before going back to her strawberries. “I talked to James on the phone a couple of times since we both signed the papers.” This time, her smile was genuine. “He sounds better.”

 

Kara was all too glad to hear that. 

 

She was about to say more, when a quiver in Alex’s legs reminded her that her hand was still drawing circles on the inside of Alex’s thigh, dangerously close to her crotch. A second later, the sweet smell of Alex’s arousal assaulted Kara’s nostrils, and she quickly slipped her hand away and onto Alex’s waist instead.

 

With an apologetic look, she leaned up and pressed a kiss against Alex’s cheek.

 

“Sorry,” she husked quietly, taking another deep breath to fill her lungs with Alex’s excitement. She still needed to call Chloe and Oliver, and then she and Lucy needed to go to work. There was no time to start anything with Alex. “Maybe we can pick this up later.”

 

Alex chuckled.

 

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she murmured back, her tone thick with arousal. Turning her face to the side, she pressed her lips against Kara’s in a short kiss, before pulling away for good and taking the pancake batter with her to the stove. 

 

Kara followed her hungrily with her eyes, taking in the strong shoulders and muscular thighs. She probably would have stared for longer, if Lucy hadn’t expertly thrown a strawberry at her head.

 

“Call Chloe,” she said, pointing at Kara’s phone, “and for god’s sake, stop eye-fucking your girlfriend where I can see you. It’s gross.” But Lucy couldn’t hide the amusement in her words any more than Kara could have hidden her blush.

 

Still, Kara’s gaze returned to the back of Alex’s head, all too pleased when Alex sent a glowing look over her shoulder. Now that they’d been to the Fortress, now that Kara knew what to do, she could hardly wait to try out what she’d learned.

 

Even though she was nervous to be completely laid bare to Alex’s eyes.

 

And yet, she knew that feeling wouldn’t last.

 

Alex always made her feel safe.

 

Always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> naughty, naughty Kara! hehe
> 
> thanks as always to my beta Coara for being great ♥
> 
> and if you wanna talk to me, find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr


	26. Pay the Ferrywoman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Selina plan their assault. Other things transpire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw Wonder Woman last night and *head explodes*
> 
>  **Notes** : Contains sexually explicit content.

Pulling the plans closer to herself, Alex furrowed her brows and placed her chin in her right hand. She’d been staring at the blueprints to the Lexcorp building for close to an hour now, but she still couldn't put them away. If she was going to invade the premises, she needed to memorize every single damn thing about them. 

 

“Can you give me your ballpoint pen? Mine’s empty,” Selina asked absentmindedly, throwing her pen over her shoulder and directly into the bin. She looked down at the notes she’d made on a copy of the blueprints.

 

“Hm,” Alex replied, handing over hers before leaning back in her kitchen chair. “You want another tea?” There was a nervous energy in her body that had been kicking around since Wednesday morning, since Kara had felt her up next to the kitchen island. Focusing on the task at hand generally took her mind off of it, but whenever she let her thoughts wander, it came back to Kara’s fingers. 

 

On the inside of her thigh.

 

So close. 

 

Leaning back in her chair as well, Selina turned her head from side to side and shook out her shoulders. She would have had a field day if she’d been privy to what had been going on in Alex’s brain for the last five days. 

 

“Sounds good,” Selina said, looking into her mug to find it empty. “I could definitely use a pick-me-up.” She held the  _ Supergirl owns my entire ass _ mug out to Alex, who took it over to the counter. “We should start dinner before Liza comes back.” 

 

Alex’s mom was attending a yoga class downtown. Luckily, her gym in Gotham City was part of a chain, which also owned a property in National City. If nothing else, it at least gave Eliza a chance to leave Alex’s apartment and have some alone time. And it allowed her to work off some of the anger she felt about how Alex was being treated at work.

 

“Yeah, I can't keep staring at those plans, either,” Alex agreed, pouring new water into the electric kettle. 

 

“I’m glad Green Arrow gave us some pointers,” Selina mentioned, running a hand through her hair. “That makes all of this so much easier.” She’d already scoped out the lab from the outside, and she’d come back with a well of information that made Alex more than glad Selina was by her side. 

 

Green Arrow had sent Kara quite a bit of data about Lexcorp and the things he’d discovered about the different facilities. It was too bad that he’d never been inside of the old lab they were now looking into, but at least his research had given them a much clearer idea of what to expect. 

 

“You want black tea again?” Alex poured the hot water into the tea kettle and gave Selina a questioning look. She needed to butter up her friend, if she wanted to talk to her about leaving the apartment on Friday night. 

 

Nodding her head yes, Selina started folding up the plans and their notes before closing her laptop. She seemed to be deep in thought, and Alex wondered if Selina’s serious expression meant that she would feel less inclined to tease Alex. 

 

“I’m going to need you and mom to not be here on Friday,” Alex said matter-of-factly, failing spectacularly in her desire to be casual and inconspicuous. She might as well have announced outright to Selina that she intended to sleep with Kara that night. It took every bit of willpower she had not to facepalm.

 

If Kara had been here, she either would have blushed, or laughed at Alex’s inability to be cool in any way, shape or form. Or maybe both.

 

When Selina didn't turn around, Alex knew she was truly screwed.

 

“You need Friday to yourself?” Selina asked, sounding almost too innocent. “Are you and Kara planning a game night, Supercop?” She placed the stack of plans and papers on her laptop, and the fact that Alex couldn't see the no doubt mischievous expression on her face was somewhat terrifying. 

 

“We just want a quiet night in. I figured you and mom were due for some alone time anyway.” Sweat was rapidly breaking out on the back of Alex’s neck. She could practically feel the imminent arrival of Selina’s inappropriate sass. “I know Harley and Pam want to get it on with Lucy again.”

 

They’d rented a nice hotel room close to Alex’s apartment, so that was one less thing for Alex to worry about. 

 

“Which means Kara’s apartment is going to be empty,” Selina drawled, finally turning around to face Alex and shaking her head. “I don't know why you can't just sleep with our girlfriend in  _ her _ apartment.” The shark-like grin on her face made Alex let out a sigh of resignation. 

 

“Lucy needs to work on Saturday,” she grumbled, hoping Selina would get the hint. They couldn't start anything at Kara’s apartment with the constant threat of Lucy possibly coming back home after her tryst with Harley and Pam. Alex had every intention of taking her sweet time with Kara. 

 

Sauntering the two steps over to Alex, Selina placed her hands on the counter, effectively trapping Alex in between her arms.

 

“Alright, Supercop. I’m going to treat Eliza to a weekend at the spa.” Selina’s lips brushed against Alex’s cheek. “But only… if you say  _ please _ .” Her smug expression made Alex clench her jaw. “I know how long it’s been since you’ve gotten any relief…” She trailed her index finger over the zipper of Alex’s jeans. “Wouldn't want anything to get in the way of that, would we?”

 

“You're cruel,” Alex growled, crossing her arms over her chest. 

 

“I’m waiting, baby.” Selina’s voice was almost a purr. “If you want the sex dungeon all to yourself, you’ve got to pay the ferrywoman.” She was having entirely too much fun at Alex’s expense, but unfortunately she also wasn't wrong. Alex  _ was _ looking forward to sleeping with Kara. Very much so.

 

“ _ Please _ take my mother out to the spa on Friday.  _ Please _ stay away for the whole weekend,” Alex pressed out in between her teeth. “I would be forever grateful to you.” Maybe tacking on that last part would mollify Selina enough that she wouldn't tease Alex too much for the rest of the week. It was only Monday after all.

 

“Now was that so hard?” With a spring in her step, Selina walked over to the pile of papers and her laptop and gathered both up into her arms. “I’d never deprive you of sex.” She shot Alex a wink. “Send me some naughty pictures.”

 

Alex stuck out her tongue.

 

“In your dreams.”

 

-

 

Kara groaned when Alex’s teeth scraped along her neck, seeking out the sensitive spot that always made Kara feel soft and gooey inside. 

 

It was Tuesday night and they were sprawled over Kara’s bed. 

 

Staring up at the ceiling, Kara tried to slow down her breathing while Alex let her right hand slide up and down on Kara’s thigh. Alex had stripped her down to her bra and panties and Kara was more than glad that they’d been to the Fortress by now.

 

“On Friday, you’re all mine,” Alex husked against Kara’s skin, grinding her leg against Kara’s panties. When Kara gasped and bucked her hips, Alex lifted her head. “Everything still under control?” Her cheeks were flushed and her pupils blown and Kara couldn't wait to see all of her. For their bodies to be as close as they possibly could be.

 

“Yes,” Kara reassured her, cupping both of Alex’s cheeks. “I’m good.” Though she was more than glad they were testing everything now. There was a very specific way in which Kara had to clench and unclench her muscles to make sure she wouldn't accidentally crush Alex when she came. They’d been so darn lucky the first time. 

 

“Okay,” Alex whispered, leaning down and giving Kara a gentle kiss. 

 

Alex was in the middle of leaning back down to give Kara’s neck more attention, when Kara heard the unmistakable  _ Supergirl Is Needed _ ringtone she’d set for Indigo on her phone.

 

When she’d first started out as Supergirl, Kara had relied on J’onn to tell her when and where she was needed all around the city. It hadn't taken them long to realize that he was too busy to be her eyes and ears, so it had been almost a relief when Indigo had come onto their radar. Sure, she’d been evil at first, but once J’onn and Kara had split off the side of her that could be reasoned with, it had only made sense to ask her to help out.

 

“I need to get that,” Kara groaned, reaching over to the nightstand and grabbing her phone. “I’m sorry.”

 

Rolling off of her immediately, Alex ran a hand through her hair and let out a slow breath.

 

“Don't worry about it,” she said, voice thick with desire. “I don't mind sharing you with the city.” She closed her eyes and placed her hands on her stomach. Maybe Alex was hoping to meditate the arousal away - Kara certainly needed some of that. “Let me know if you need any help.”

 

Biting her bottom lip, Kara pressed the  _ accept  _ button.

 

“Hey,” she said, getting up from the bed and super speeding herself into her suit before Indigo could even say a word. A glance at the bed revealed that Alex’s eyes were trailing up and down Kara’s body, and the obvious desire in her eyes made Kara’s cheeks flush with pleasure. “What’s up?”

 

“Hey, there’s a fire at the Moone Hospital and they need immediate assistance,” Indigo replied without much fanfare. “There’s also a pretty sizable pile-up out on route I-405.” Since she was jacked directly into the internet, Indigo saw almost everything that went on in National City and beyond. 

 

“Thanks for the heads up.” Kara walked back to Alex and leaned down to give her a short kiss. “I’ll deal with the hospital first. If there’s anything else, let me know. I’ll put in my earpiece.” 

 

“Will do, Supergirl. Good luck.” A second later, the connection cut out. Putting her boot on the frame of her bed, Kara slipped her phone into the appropriate slot and gave Alex another apologetic look. 

 

Before she could say a word, Alex sat up and gave her a shrug.

 

“Get out of here,” she said, sending Kara a lazy smile. “I’ll get comfortable on the couch.”

 

“I really am sorry.” Biting her bottom lip, Kara kneeled on the bed once more to give Alex another kiss. In some respects, being single really had been easier, even though she knew her detective understood her responsibilities all too well. “I’ll make it up to you.”

 

Alex’s fingers trailed along her cheek.

 

“No need,” she breathed, stroking Kara’s bottom lip with her thumb. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

 

Smiling shyly, Kara nodded and moved over to her window. 

 

She just hoped their Friday night wouldn’t be interrupted. There was no way she could turn off her phone even for a second. The city had come to rely on her too much, and the people needed her now more than ever with the hero menace movement chomping at Kara’s Kryptonian ankles. 

 

“I love you,” Kara said over her shoulder, putting one foot on the ledge of her open window.

 

“I love you, too,” Alex replied, just before Kara shot out of her window like an arrow, too fast for any human eye to see. As Alex’s soothing heartbeat became quieter and quieter in the distance, Kara focused all of her attention on the task at hand.

 

First the hospital, then the pile-up.

 

As she soared through the air, she tapped the earpiece.

 

“Call Warren Tower.” Kara had promised Chloe that she’d call back about Lex Luthor and his involvement with the hero menace movement. She’d left a message and Kara had only now gotten a moment to herself to make the call. After work, Alex had picked her up on her motorcycle and the two had driven to Kara’s apartment to have some time to themselves. 

 

“Good evening, Supergirl, thanks for calling back,” Chloe greeted her kindly, making Kara smile even as she closed in on the Moone Hospital and noticed the red-hot flames licking up the concrete. “I checked Lex’s visitor log like you and Superman asked me to.”

 

“Thanks.” Kara shot a wave down at the fire department. Some of their workers waved back enthusiastically. Thankfully, she’d always had a pretty good relationship with them - it was mostly the police who kept her at arm’s length. “I’m putting out a fire right now.”

 

“Of course you are.” Chloe’s voice sounded both amused and proud, and Kara grinned before she sucked in as much air as her Kryptonian lungs could keep up with. “Anyway, I found a few interesting suspects, but one of them stood out to me the most.”

 

As she blew her Arctic Breath over the hospital, Kara waited for Chloe to continue. At the same time, she x-rayed the building to make sure she wasn’t inadvertently freezing any humans to death. That wouldn’t go over well for anybody.

 

“At first I thought it might be his sister Lena, but she’s never been particularly interested in hating on aliens or metahumans. I don’t think she has any idea that Lex’s old lab is being used. I hacked into some of her accounts.” Chloe made another small pause, and Kara heard the unmistakable sound of typing. After Lex had been imprisoned for his crimes, his sister had taken over the business. 

 

Kara had never met the woman, since she worked in Metropolis, but she’d always seemed pretty nice on television. Certainly nobody to get worked up about.

 

The flames were slowly dying out around Kara.

 

“Lex didn’t meet with a lot of people, but there’s a few conversations where the audio recordings are suspiciously absent,” Chloe explained, while Kara moved around the building and took another deep breath. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that there are corrupt people working in the prison system, but it’s still a disappointment. They were careful to delete a few recordings from different people.”

 

The hero menace movement really was everywhere, and the thought made Kara feel sick inside. They couldn’t trust anybody until they’d dealt with this problem. And even then, some of the movement’s supporters would probably never be discovered, no matter how far and wide Kara traveled to look for them. 

 

“And is one of those people connected to what’s going on?” Kara asked, finally feeling satisfied with the state of the hospital. The fire was gone. Now she could move on to the pile-up. After that was done, she’d probably scout the city for any more trouble before going back to Alex. 

 

“I had to dig for a while, but I finally came up with something mostly concrete for one of the people who visited Lex a few months ago. None of them are connected to any of the known players outright, but that was to be expected.” Chloe was the best hacker Kara had ever met, and she was glad that she had such awesome friends who could help her. 

 

The fire department and some of the hospital staff waved at her and shouted their words of gratitude as she flew away. Maybe she should come back later to see if they needed help carrying any of the heavy equipment.

 

For now, though, she was going to move some cars off the road to help lighten the load on the freeway.

 

“A guy called Nathan Tessmacher attended the same university as Gordon Godfrey for about three weeks when they were both in their twenties,” Chloe finally revealed, her typing ceasing temporarily. “His sister Eve spoke to Lex in mid-January.”

 

Up ahead, Kara saw the massive pile-up and a grimace crossed her face. 

 

She really hoped no one had died while she’d been helping at the Moone Hospital.

 

Chloe continued.

 

“This isn’t exactly confirmation that Lex is working with them, but it’s definitely a start. Do you want me to hack everyone who could be important? It would give me something to do.” Chloe’s words brought a smile to Kara’s face. Even in this dire situation, her friend never failed to bring some levity into the mix. 

 

Kara didn’t even have it in her to worry about the problem of privacy for the people who had visited Lex in prison. This was a life and death situation, and it wasn’t like Chloe would use any of the information she’d gather for extortion. Or that she would save any of it that wasn’t important to their case.

 

“Start with that Tessmacher guy and his sister. If they really are involved, we don’t have to look at anyone else. Confirmation that Lex is at least partially responsible is good enough.” Kara swooped down to the accident scene. “I have to talk to the paramedics and police now. There’s a pretty huge pile-up and I don’t want to move any cars that I’m not supposed to.”

 

“Understood, Supergirl,” Chloe said warmly. “I’ll call you.”

 

“Thanks, Watchtower. Supergirl out.” Kara tapped her earpiece and waved at the police person in front of them who was on the scene. Sadly, it wasn't Vasquez, but at least it was one of the officers that J’onn had told her could be trusted. “How can I help?”

 

-

 

After Kara left the apartment, Alex flopped back onto the bed and closed her eyes. She was pretty sure she was slowly losing her mind. The constant stimulation with no relief was good - up to a point. And Alex was pretty sure she’d reached hers.

 

For a moment, she contemplated masturbating to get the worst of it out of her system, but the thought of taking care of it herself was much less appealing than having Kara here to do it for her. She just had to wait a few more days.

 

Granted, they might get interrupted again, but maybe this time they’d at least feel comfortable enough to take off all of their clothes. With the constant threat tonight of Lucy coming home at any minute (even if she was  _ supposed _ to be at work), Alex and Kara had decided not to start anything too serious.

 

Slapping a hand over her eyes, Alex grabbed her own phone from the nightstand. Considering that Kara was off doing amazing Supergirl things, Alex should probably do something productive as well. She still needed to call up Batman and Batwoman to ask them for help.

 

Getting off the bed, Alex grabbed her shirt from the floor and walked into the living room of Kara’s apartment. A look into the fridge revealed that Kara had bought Alex’s favorite brand of orange juice, and Alex’s chest swelled with love.

 

While she poured herself a glass, Alex found Batman’s number in her contacts. It took a couple of rings before he picked up.

 

“Alex, good to hear from you,” he said, his voice as gravelly and rough as she remembered it. A couple of weeks had gone by since the last time she’d called him, and they hadn't spoken since before the files about her father's death had been leaked to the public. She’d been meaning to talk to him about that, but then they’d captured Desaad and so many other things had happened.

 

“Hey, how have you been?” Putting the juice back in the refrigerator, Alex took her glass over to the coffee table and sat down on the couch. “Sorry I haven't called in a while. There’s been… a lot going on.” Over the years, she had learned so much from her working relationship with Batman, and she genuinely enjoyed his company. 

 

She still missed him.

 

“Yes, of course,” he replied, sounding more than angry on her behalf. “I’m sure you know that Detective Adams-Foster figured out who leaked the file about your father.” There was a definite note of appreciation in his voice, and Alex loved the idea of her ex-partner Stef working with Batman in her stead.

 

“Yeah, she texted me about it.” Alex still hadn't mustered up the courage to actually pick up the phone to  _ call _ Stef and Lena, but at least the therapy sessions with Dr. Zhou were helping her work through that fear. Maybe once this whole hero menace thing was over… “I'm glad she got his ass suspended.”

 

Batman grunted in agreement, and Alex wondered briefly where he was. If he was out on patrol or if he was at home. Somehow, she’d hardly ever imagined Batman outside of his uniform. 

 

“I don't want to take up too much of your time,” Alex said, her eyes trailing over Kara’s latest painting. It was another scene from Krypton, but one of the people inside the massive room looked suspiciously like Alex. “I just wanted to let you know that we'll be raiding a Lexcorp facility soon to bring down the hero menace movement. Or a dangerous part of it at least.”

 

“Tell me when and where and I’ll be there,” Batman promised immediately, making a smile flit over Alex’s lips. 

 

“Thanks.” That was one less thing for her to worry about. “The Sirens and Green Arrow are helping out, too, and I’m about to call Batwoman.” The more people they had on their side, the bigger their chance of actually making a difference. And if Alex had to call the whole roster of heroes she knew, she damn well would.

 

This was for Kara and for all of the aliens and metahumans who just wanted to go about their lives without living in constant fear of being exposed. And if Alex had to be the one to facilitate that change, she would try her hardest to make that happen. 

 

-

 

“I should have installed a camera,” Selina drawled, leaning against the kitchen table and giving Alex a wink. “I bet the two of you are going to set the apartment on fire.” Wiggling her eyebrows, she gently bumped the tip of her shoe against Alex’s shin. “If the bedroom ceiling is anything to go by.”

 

“Shut up,” Alex grumbled, placing her hands on her waist. She really needed her mom to come out of the bedroom before she strangled Selina. Her friend had been making all kinds of lewd jokes all week and Alex was ready to be rid of her for a few days. 

 

“What a truly witty comeback, Alexandra.” Smirking, Selina pushed herself to her feet and pulled on her black leather jacket. The grey hood on her head was adorned with small cat ears. “Just remember,” Selina lifted her hand and made a dirty gesture, “two in her pussy and one in her ass and then just--”

 

“Selina!” Alex pressed her palms against her eyes so she wouldn't have to see her friend mime the act of cunnilingus. “Gross!” Raucous laughter caused Alex to lower her hands again. If Selina was laughing, she couldn't be wiggling her tongue around. 

 

“It’s perfectly natural, Lexie.” Selina placed her hands on Alex’s shoulders and gave her a loving smile. “I know you’ll have a great time.” She pressed a sweet, friendly kiss against Alex’s lips. “I’m very happy for you both.” A moment later, the fingers of her right hand cupped Alex’s cheek. “Just take care of our girlfriend.”

 

“I intend to,” Alex mumbled, her hands settling on Selina’s forearms. “You big sap.”

 

“We're not all emotionally unavailable jerks, Supercop.” Selina gave her another kiss before leaving the open kitchen area and walking over to her bag. “Liza, are you going to be done soon?” The sudden increase in volume at those final words almost made Alex flinch. 

 

“Just a second!” Came Eliza’s response from the bedroom.

 

Selina shook her head.

 

“My wife is taking her sweet time today,” she said, pursing her lips. Alex rolled her eyes at the moniker. Goddamn cat brain.

 

-

 

“That will be five dollars and twenty cents, please,” Kara said cheerfully, trying to hide her nerves behind a veneer of perkiness. Tonight, she and Alex would try to sleep with one another, and even though they’d fooled around plenty, that didn't mean Kara wasn't still worried about all sorts of things that could go wrong.

 

What if she got called away on Supergirl duty?

 

What if she accidentally crushed Alex with her super strength?

 

What if she was actually  _ really _ bad at sex and unable to properly satisfy Alex?

 

“Calm down,” Lucy whispered as soon as their last customer had left the counter to sit at one of the tables. “Winn thinks you're about to explode. You're scaring everyone.” She softly patted Kara’s arm. “It’s just sex, Kara. It’s not a big deal.”

 

“It is to me,” Kara replied quietly. 

 

Sighing, Lucy slipped her palm against Kara’s behind the counter and held on tightly. On the one hand, Kara was glad to have her best friend by her side, but on the other... she rather would have burrowed herself into the earth never to be seen again. 

 

“This is the first time I can really… you know,” Kara continued, careful not to crush Lucy’s fingers. “Let go. Sort of.” She likely wouldn't ever be able to  _ truly  _ let herself go with Alex. Not without using blue kryptonite to temporarily suspend her powers. 

 

This also wasn't the time or the place to have this conversation, but Kara wouldn't be able to talk to Lucy about it later. After work, Kara would be going straight to Alex’s apartment, and Lucy would be off to tend bar at the  _ Dirty Robber _ , where she would also meet up with Harley and Ivy.

 

“I know, Kara, but this is Detective Dumbass we're talking about,” Lucy soothed her gently, letting go of Kara’s hand so she could clean some of the equipment she used to make the different beverages. After all, if Ms. Grant discovered they were slacking off to talk about their  _ feelings,  _ they would be burned alive at the stake. “She’s probably going to cry when she comes.”

 

Lucy was clearly trying to cheer her up, and Kara appreciated the effort more than anything.

 

“She didn't the last few times,” Kara said cheekily, getting a rag from under the counter and absentmindedly wiping it down while Lucy tried to stifle her appreciative laughter.

 

“Kara Kent, you dirty, dirty girl.” Lucy grinned proudly and placed her hand over her heart. “I’ve taught you well.”

 

Kara let out a breath of relief, suddenly feeling much less anxious about the upcoming evening. Even though Lucy had been joking, she was right about one thing. The sex Kara would be having tonight wasn't with a stranger. It was with  _ Alex _ . And Kara knew she didn't have to worry about how it would go with her girlfriend by her side.

 

“Thanks, Lucy,” Kara said, giving her best friend a smile. “I needed that.”

 

Lucy didn't have to say another word.

 

-

 

Alex was pretty sure she was having a damn crisis. It was closing in on six pm, which meant that Kara would be arriving soon. 

 

Before Alex had started dinner, she’d indulged in an extensive shower that had taken close to forty-five minutes. Then, she’d spent a good thirty more agonizing over what to wear, before finally settling on a pair of expensive jeans that showed off her ass, and a nice, dark shirt. 

 

Now that everything was ready, Alex was sitting on her couch with her laptop and staring blankly at the fifth episode of  _ Jessica Jones _ she’d put on to distract herself. It was absolutely ridiculous how worried she was, because it wasn't like she and Kara hadn't been close to having sex before. 

 

If the Sirens knew just how anxious she was, they’d be laughing at her. 

 

Putting her laptop down on the coffee table, Alex slumped fully onto the couch and stared up at the ceiling. She was acting like a damn kid before her first time. Bringing her hands to her face, she rubbed her forehead. 

 

“Get it together, Danvers. It’s just sex. With Kara.” She groaned and rolled onto her side. A second later, her phone was in her hand. 

 

> [Alex Sex-vers]: Cheer me up.  _ Sent 5:50pm _ .

 

There was no doubt in Alex’s mind that she’d relax as soon as Kara was finally in the apartment. Until then, she just needed to grit her teeth and wade through this anxiety. There were only about ten more minutes left anyway. She could do ten minutes.

 

> [Officer Great-Ass-Vasquez]: Did you know that there's more lycopene in watermelons than there is in raw tomatoes?  _ Sent 5:51pm.  _

 

Furrowing her brows, Alex stared down at Vasquez’s text. 

 

> [Alex Sex-vers]: How is that supposed to cheer me up?  _ Sent 5:51pm _ . 
> 
> [Officer Great-Ass-Vasquez]: Watermelon facts, Danvers!  _ Sent 5:52pm _ . 

 

Shaking her head, Alex grinned down at the screen and composed another reply, amused despite herself. Maybe thinking about watermelons would be better than worrying about how her evening and night would go. She also wanted to ask about that mod Vasquez had promised her - the one that turned the opposing team on  _ Call of Duty _ into Maxwell Lords. 

 

She really wanted to shoot him.

 

-

 

Over the next ten minutes, she got so caught up in texting Vasquez that she almost jumped when she heard the doorbell. Her phone clattered to the floor as Alex scrambled to her feet to turn on the intercom. 

 

“Yeah?” she asked, holding the receiver against her ear.

 

“It’s me. It’s Kara,” the tinny voice replied, making Alex’s heart beat faster as she pressed the button that would allow her girlfriend to enter. When she hung up the receiver, Alex opened her front door with the other hand. Staring at the elevator doors, she barely noticed the sound of footsteps in Mrs. Robershire’s apartment.

 

Alex really hoped that her bedroom was far enough away that her neighbor wouldn't hear anything. The walls were pretty thick, which meant Alex rarely ever knew what was going on in the apartments around her. She was pretty grateful for that, but it barely sated her worry.

 

Her heart gave a little lurch as the elevator dinged and opened its doors. 

 

Kara looked as gorgeous as she always did. Her hair was pulled into a bun and she was wearing her usual beige coat. Grinning, Alex waved to her, completely unperturbed by how sappy the gesture made her look. 

 

“Hey,” Alex said, a no doubt dreamy look taking root on her face.

 

“Hey,” Kara replied, her voice just as gentle as the look in her eyes. 

 

As soon as Kara was inside, Alex closed the door behind herself. She’d been right. Now that  Kara was here, Alex felt infinitely less nervous than she had before. There was no reason to be worried about how things would go.

 

“I made dinner,” Alex said as she watched Kara slip off her coat. “I hope it turned out alright.” She gestured in the direction of her kitchen with her thumb and gave Kara a gentle smile. The lasagna was already finished and Alex had cooked plenty of vegetables as well. While all of that had been sizzling and baking away, she’d started to work on the pudding.

 

“I’m sure it’s delicious,” Kara replied, pulling Alex into a loving kiss. Her lips were as soft as always and for a couple of seconds, Alex forgot everything else around her. When Kara pulled away, Alex swallowed harshly. “You look nice.”

 

With a grin, Alex walked backwards and pulled Kara after herself.

 

“Not as nice as you.” Taking in the beautiful yellow sundress, Alex expertly avoided walking into her coffee table. It had been a great idea to furnish her apartment almost exactly the same way as she had her home in Gotham City. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

 

Blushing, Kara pulled Alex in for another kiss.

 

“I’m a bit nervous,” she whispered, slipping off her glasses and fiddling with them. “How about you?”

 

“Slightly terrified,” Alex confessed, placing her hands on Kara’s waist. “We don’t have to do anything if you don’t think you’re ready. And we’re not in any hurry, either.” Alex had made Kara well-aware of the fact that she’d sent Selina and Eliza away on a trip to the spa. “Let’s just have dinner and see how it goes.”

 

“Okay,” Kara replied, closing her glasses and setting them down on the coffee table. Next, her eyes zeroed in on the kitchen and her nostrils flared, making Alex chuckle. “Is that lasagna I smell?”

 

-

 

“This is really good,” Kara moaned around a mouthful of molten hot food. It wasn’t the best lasagna Kara had ever had in her life, but then... Alex wasn’t Aunt Martha. And the fact that her detective had cooked for her when she didn’t enjoy the activity very much made this meal all the more special. 

 

Alex hadn’t taken a bite yet - she was still blowing onto the forkful of lasagna to reduce its temperature. A small part of Kara was kind of proud that Alex was trying not to burn her mouth when she was usually so cavalier about it with hot coffee and tea.

 

“I tried my best,” Alex said with a shrug, finally stuffing the food into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. Leaning her head from side to side, Alex hummed a little in consideration. “It’s alright. I’ve had better… but I’ve also had way worse.”

 

Warmth spread through Kara’s limbs.

 

Her detective was one of the cutest people she’d ever met.

 

For a couple of minutes, they ate while Kara told Alex about her day at work. Not for the first time, Kara was glad she’d found someone to share her life with, as she explained to Alex how she’d been forced to run out and stop a bank robbery at around three pm. 

 

It didn’t take them long at all to finish their dinners, and Kara’s eyes grew about three sizes when Alex got the pudding out of her refrigerator. It tasted just as good as Kara had imagined and she added healthy amounts of sprinkles.

 

“Thanks for this,” Kara said as she set aside the now empty bowl. Patting her stomach, she grinned brightly at her girlfriend and leaned back in the kitchen chair. There were still leftovers, and if Kara hadn’t been planning on having sex tonight, she probably would have devoured them as an after-dinner snack. But she didn’t want to run the risk of feeling too full.

 

Shrugging, Alex gave Kara a gentle smile.

 

“I want tonight to be great,” she said, getting up from her chair and crossing the table. “There’s actually one more thing I want to talk to you about before we...” She smiled nervously, prompting Kara to get to her feet as well.

 

“Before we have sex?” Kara took Alex’s hands and leaned down to give her a loving kiss.

 

“Yes,” Alex breathed, smiling happily as she drew Kara over to the couch. “There’s something I want to give you.” Interest thoroughly peaked, Kara watched as Alex walked over to the cabinet under her television and pulled out a small, wrapped box. The wrapping wasn’t particularly perfect, but Kara smiled nonetheless as Alex handed over the bright blue package. “No x-ray vision.”

 

Sticking out her tongue, Kara carefully unwrapped the small package. 

 

“The fact that you even think I would abuse my powers like that…” she scolded Alex, shaking her head in mock-sadness as she dropped the wrapping paper onto the couch next to them. In her hands, the small, black box looked weirdly non-descript. 

 

“Sure, Supergirl.” Alex grinned, before crossing her arms over her chest. Apparently Kara’s gentle banter had put her at ease. “I bet Mr. and Mrs. Kent had to wrap your Christmas presents in lead when you were a teen.”

 

Pouting, Kara stole a kiss from Alex’s smirking lips.

 

“No…” she tried unconvincingly, thinking back to the lead wrapping paper Martha and Jonathan had commissioned Oliver and Chloe for. It really had been unfair how quickly Queen Industries had delivered the product. 

 

While Alex continued to chuckle, Kara opened the little black box.

 

“A key?” she asked, gently lifting the metal object from the velvet inlay. 

 

“To my apartment,” Alex explained, a slight blush coming over her features. “You’re here a lot and it’s just easier if you don’t have to keep ringing the bell and waiting for someone to use the buzzer…” 

 

Heart beating rapidly in her chest, Kara gently placed the key back in the box and set it onto the coffee table. Directly next to her glasses. Once she was back upright, she wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck.

 

“I would like to have sex now,” she murmured, leaning in and capturing Alex’s lips in a passionate kiss, trying to convey as much of her love as she possibly could. “Thank you for the key.” Lips sliding over Alex’s mouth, she swallowed her detective’s pleased noise of surprise.

 

There was nothing frantic about their embrace, and Kara briefly entertained the idea of picking Alex up bridal style to move them into the bedroom more quickly. Especially when Alex’s fingernails deliberately dug into her waist. 

 

But maybe the bedroom could wait for just a second.

 

Pulling back from their kissing, Kara pushed Alex onto the couch. Following after her immediately, Kara straddled her lap and placed Alex’s hands back on her waist. Alex licked her lips and swallowed visibly as Kara pulled her hair loose from her bun and shook it out, before raking a hand through the now loose curls. 

 

“I love you,” Alex husked, watching Kara with clear desire in her eyes, sliding her hands from Kara’s waist up to her ribcage. Cheeks flush with pleasure, Kara covered her detective’s fingers with her own and moved them up to her breasts.

 

“I love you, too,” she whispered, leaning down and recapturing Alex’s lips. Slowly at first. Brushing her mouth along Alex’s skin. Gently. Teasingly. Until Alex chased her. 

 

With a smile, Kara caught Alex’s bottom lip with her teeth and pulled on it just a bit. Sucking on it ever so slightly, Kara was more than gratified when she noticed the sweet scent of Alex’s arousal fill the room. If she hadn't been so focused on Alex, she probably would have been able to smell her own wetness as well.

 

Pushing forward a bit, Alex slipped her hands free from Kara’s grip, finally taking the kiss she’d been denied a moment ago. Her arms now wrapped around Kara’s back, Alex moved them on the couch until Kara was underneath her, hair splayed over one of the throw pillows. 

 

Closing her eyes, Kara sank into the kiss and the feeling of Alex’s right hand running up and down her side. At this angle, her sundress was riding up quite a bit and Kara moaned into the kiss as her detective’s hand slid along her naked thigh. In response, Kara’s fingers sifted through Alex’s hair, tugging Alex closer and deepening their kiss. 

 

Every time their tongues brushed Kara felt a shiver of electricity run down her spine.

 

“We should move to the bedroom,” Kara murmured, dragging her nails down Alex’s scalp, more than happy to feel goosebumps break out under her touch. “Unless you want to have our first time on the couch.” She pressed another kiss against Alex’s lips. Even if they did have sex right now, right here, Kara knew it wouldn’t be any less special. But she wanted more room to stretch out. 

 

“We might have to get Trish and Herb out of there first,” Alex replied, gently pressing her thigh against Kara’s center. 

 

The fact that they hadn't already been interrupted by now was a miracle in and of itself, considering how much Trish liked to insert herself in between whatever they were doing - and how often Herb interpreted their kissing as him being invited to cuddle up to them. 

 

“Alright, let’s go,” Kara said, placing her hand on Alex’s chest and pushing her up. “I want to do this properly.” Mostly, she wanted to have plenty of space to look at her girlfriend once she was finally naked. And the couch wasn't the proper place to do that. She wanted Alex spread out on the bed.

 

Getting to her feet, Alex held out her hand and waited for Kara to take it. 

 

-

 

Trish was stretched over Alex’s pillow, while Herb was dozing on the windowsill. There were no tiny crumbs of dirt on the bedspread, which meant Herbert had stayed in place since the last time Alex had seen him. Banning her pets from the room had been the only thing Alex had forgotten to do before starting dinner. 

 

At least it would be relatively easy to fix that, and Caesar was nowhere to be seen. Whenever he needed time to himself, he usually slunk off to Alex’s study.

 

“Time for you guys to go,” Alex told them, picking up Herbert first, who wrapped his vines around her arm and snuggled up to her. “Kara and I have some adult stuff to do by ourselves.” Her words made Kara giggle and Alex gazed back at her. Kara looked absolutely gorgeous like this and Alex couldn't wait to make her feel good.

 

Sadly, Trish didn't seem quite as agreeable. 

 

When Alex walked over to scoop her up, she got to her feet and glared, before jumping out of Alex’s reach. Her paws barely made a dent on the bedspread as she meowed with disgust. Considering how turned on Alex was, she really didn't have time for these shenanigans. 

 

“Come on, Trish, do me a solid,” Alex grumbled, rounding the bed and reaching out for her cat once more. Still no luck. “Stop salting my game.” She’d spoken without thinking, and a glance at Kara revealed a more than amused smile. A second later, Kara sat down on the bed, forcing Trish to jump down to the floor.

 

“How about I take my plant buddy into the living room,” Kara offered, clearly taking pity on Alex. With a sigh, Alex handed him over (which was just a bit difficult, because of how closely he’d cuddled up to her). 

 

“Thanks,” Alex sighed, leaning in and giving Kara a grateful kiss. She couldn’t believe this was honestly happening right now. All she wanted was to continue with their foreplay, and her pets were being absolutely unfair. “Just put him on the living room table. I’m sure he’ll want to cuddle with Trish.”

 

Giving Alex a bright smile, Kara nodded and left the bedroom, Alex’s eyes trailing down her girlfriend’s beautiful form. 

 

“Alright, you little devil,” Alex growled at Trish, rounding the bed slowly while Trish mewled at her. “Please make this easy for me. I promise I’ll feed you the expensive food tomorrow morning.” Starting forward again, Alex narrowly missed Trish by about a hair’s breadth, but at least when Alex crashed into the bed frame, the noise shooed Trish right out of the room. 

 

_ Sweet victory _ , Alex thought to herself, even while rubbing her now smarting elbow. She’d hit her damn funny bone on the wood, but that didn't stop her from marching over to the door and closing it behind her as she left to find Kara. After all, Alex was beyond ready to get back into the mood.

 

“All clear.” As Alex rounded the corner, she watched Kara pat Herbert’s head for a second. Then, a white shadow leapt onto Kara’s knees, making Alex rub her face. Her goddamn pets would be the goddamn death of her.

 

-

 

“Alright, then,” Alex said, leaning her back against the closed door behind her.

 

Smiling gently, Kara placed her hands on the wood, one on either side of Alex’s waist. The whole interlude with Trish and Herbert had settled the very last vestiges of her worries. Just because she didn’t have an abundance of experience when it came to sex, didn’t mean that she couldn’t enjoy herself.

 

Alex knew how difficult Kara had found having sex in the past - and how long it took Kara to seriously consider even having it with someone she liked. And on the other side, Kara knew that Alex had used sex as a means to escape from her emotions during her year away from Gotham City. 

 

This was special.

 

Gently bringing her lips to Alex’s, Kara pressed their bodies together, closing her eyes and moving her mouth slowly and deliberately. There was no rush to go any further right now - no pressure to hurry along and get it done with. 

 

“Sorry for the interruption,” Alex breathed, wrapping her arms around Kara’s neck and tilting her head up into the kiss. “I forgot to shoo them out.” The tips of her fingers slid over Kara’s spine and shoulder blades. 

 

Moving her hands under Alex’s thighs, Kara softly lifted her up.

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Having Alex wrapped around her was wonderful, and Kara wished she could spend the rest of her life feeling the body of her girlfriend so close to her. Especially when Alex’s thighs tensed and an excited little smile flit over her lips. The way Alex loved her super strength turned Kara on more than almost anything else.

 

Once she reached the bed, she placed Alex down carefully (mindful not to put any undue stress on her right shoulder), before taking a step back to gaze at her gorgeous girlfriend. A shiver ran down Kara’s back as Alex sat up and gave her a heated look full of love and desire.

 

“Are you ready?” Alex asked, reaching out and tugging Kara forward until she was back on her lap. Her hands were warm and steady on Kara’s waist and her shirt crinkled attractively when Kara dug her fingers into her detective’s strong shoulders. 

 

“Only if sleeping with a Kryptonian is fine with you,” Kara whispered back, sliding her hands down Alex’s chest and fiddling with the first button until it came loose. She wasn’t worried about the whole Kryptonian and human thing, but if she could mention it in a joke, that would be one less thought to cloud her mind.

 

“Kara, you could have tentacles down there for all I care.” The cheeky grin on Alex’s face made Kara giggle, and she pushed Alex onto her back, pulling them both the rest of the way onto the bed. Her hand slipped under her detective’s shirt while they continued to kiss languidly. 

 

Just as Kara started to draw her fingers around Alex’s abs, Alex whispered in between kisses.

 

“Do you?”

 

Frowning a little, Kara pulled away.

 

“Do I what?” Her hand flattened itself against Alex’s stomach, soaking in the feeling of her girlfriend’s slightly elevated breathing. Meanwhile, her thumb stroked along the slightly raised skin of the stab wound on Alex’s abs that had scarred over years ago.

 

“Do you have tentacles?” 

 

For a few seconds, all Kara could do was blink, then she blushed horribly.

 

“No!” She spluttered, pulling her hand back and shaking her head. “Human and Kryptonian DNA are actually very similar, believe it or not.” She was babbling, but she didn’t care. “Not that there would be anything wrong with having tentacles! But it’s actually fascinating that we developed to look so similar, when our galaxies are so far apart.”

 

Alex was biting her bottom lip, and Kara could tell that she was trying to keep herself from laughing.

 

“Do you even know how astronomically small the chances are of two separate things developing in much the same way across the universe?” Pouting, Kara poked Alex in the side a few times. “And you totally ruined the mood.”

 

Smoothing her hands along Kara’s naked thighs, Alex wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

  
“Did I?” she asked, grabbing Kara’s behind and pulling her closer. “I thought your rambling about DNA similarities between our species was super sexy.” Her fingers squeezed Kara teasingly, only making Kara blush that much harder - this time from how nice it felt. “And I definitely want to continue that conversation later.”

 

Huffing a little, Kara gave Alex a small, gentle kiss.

 

“Shut up,” she grumbled, bringing her fingers to Alex’s shirt again. “I was trying to seduce you.”

 

“It’s definitely working,” Alex husked, wrapping her left leg around Kara’s thighs. Trying to hide her smile, Kara moved her lips down, taking a few seconds just to nibble and suck on that delectable jaw line, before pressing a kiss against the soft cleft in Alex’s chin.

 

While she drew her nose along the skin of Alex’s neck, she placed her left arm on the bed next to Alex’s shoulder to keep herself steady. Her right hand had just made its way back under Alex’s shirt, when she felt the soft  _ foot  _ of…

 

She lifted her head.

 

“What’s wrong?” Alex whispered, her eyes closed and her head thrown back to give Kara better access to her throat. The visual would have been absolutely gorgeous, if Kara’s mind hadn’t been focused on something else.

 

“Just… just give me a second,” she said, reaching out with her hand to snatch up Alex’s stuffed animal beaver. She couldn’t sex Alex in front of the animal - not when Kara knew that the little fella had a name and that it had been a present from Harley.

 

“Everything okay?” Alex furrowed her brows in confusion and looked up at Kara. “We can stop and do something else.” Her hands immediately left Kara’s ass and moved to a more respectable place on her waist.

 

“I just…” Kara sighed, and held up the beaver. “I can’t do it in front of Billy Bob.” What Kara expected was another laugh from Alex, but what she got instead was a tender smile and a sweet kiss on the lips. 

 

Without a word, Alex took the stuffed animal, turned towards her bedside table and opened up one of the drawers. Once Billy Bob was squared away, she rolled back over to Kara and got comfortable.

 

“Thank you,” Kara whispered, leaning in and continuing her soft kisses along Alex’s neck. Alex’s only response was a quiet hum, which Kara took to mean that everything was fine and that Alex was more than ready for her to keep going.

 

Smiling, Kara dragged her teeth down and along Alex’s skin until she reached her collarbones. At the same time, she used some of her levitation skills to keep herself afloat on top of Alex while she brought her hands to the buttons on Alex’s shirt.

 

It was duly tempting to simply rip the fabric clean off, but Kara wanted to take her time.

 

Leaving butterfly kisses along Alex’s skin, Kara followed each undone button with her lips and tongue. She spent a few more minutes than strictly necessary in between Alex’s breasts, nipping and sucking around the bra that was obscuring her view.

 

Alex’s fingers trembled on Kara’s back, and when Kara moved on to the abdominal muscles she loved to look at so much, Alex’s stomach clenched at the feeling of Kara’s breath dancing along her skin. Once the shirt was completely undone, Kara placed her hands on Alex’s waist and held her still as she swirled her tongue around the scar in between Alex’s beautifully pronounced abs.

 

Body quivering, Alex slipped her fingers into Kara’s hair. Her hips twitched when Kara licked teasingly across the skin above her jeans. Now that Kara was so close to Alex’s lap, her senses were nearly overwhelmed by the scent of Alex’s arousal. Taking a deep breath, Kara pulled her hands down to Alex’s thighs and spread them apart, stroking along the rough material of the jeans.

 

With a small whimper of need, Kara pressed her lips against the seam.

 

She could feel the way her eyes responded to the desire building in her stomach, and it took her several seconds to force her muscles to relax the way she’d been practicing since her visit to the Fortress. Being this close to Alex with the express intention of sleeping with her was extremely difficult to handle.

 

Moving back up Alex’s body, Kara desperately pressed their lips together in another fierce kiss. Her damn Kryptonian hormones were going out of control again, and this time she had no reason to rein them in.

 

She took Alex’s mouth insistently, lovingly, before pulling her up by the open sides of her shirt. 

 

“Can you take this off?” Kara husked in between kisses, cupping Alex’s cheeks and keeping her face close while Alex complied with her request. “And your bra.” Drinking in the feeling of Alex’s kisses, Kara barely registered it when Alex’s fingers found the zipper of her dress.

 

“Can we get rid of your dress, too?” Alex’s voice was thick with arousal, and Kara nodded vigorously. She probably would have slipped out of it at super speed if Alex hadn’t pulled her face free from Kara’s hands to kiss along her shoulder. 

 

Closing her eyes, Kara drew her hand through the back of Alex’s hair, while her detective pulled down the left halter of Kara’s yellow sundress. Her lips settled on the exposed skin, and Kara let out a sigh of pleasure as Alex unclipped Kara’s bra as well.

 

“I love you so much,” Alex husked, just as she slipped off Kara’s other halter and pushed the dress down to Kara’s waist. Kara’s bra followed next, leaving both of them topless. Leaning their foreheads together, Kara cupped Alex’s cheek.

 

“I love you, too.” Her fingers trailed from Alex’s face down to her shoulder and collarbone. 

 

When Alex indicated that she wanted to roll them over, Kara complied and let herself get pushed onto her back. The sight of Alex’s naked torso hovering over her was not a visual Kara ever wanted to forget, even though she could have done without the residual bandage on Alex’s right bicep. 

 

“If this starts hurting in any way, you need to tell me.” Kara tenderly stroked the bandage, entirely unperturbed by the fact that she was half-naked. Right now, Alex’s well-being was more important than any feelings of self-consciousness she might have had.

 

“I will,” Alex promised, giving Kara a reassuring kiss. “But I’m not in any pain.” Slowly, she started pushing Kara’s dress over her hips, prompting Kara’s legs to float into the air to make it easier for her. “Right now, I just want to make you feel good.”

 

The words made Kara shiver.

 

Running a hand through her hair, Kara watched Alex throw her dress off the bed. Having Alex kneel in between her thighs with nothing but her jeans on was immensely satisfying, and Kara had to fight the urge to reach out and put Alex’s hand in between her own legs. Instead, she enjoyed the way Alex looked at her with so much awe.

 

Establishing eye contact between them, Alex laid down on the bed and kissed the inside of Kara’s right knee. Placing kisses against Kara’s thigh, Alex drew her right hand along the other leg, as though trying to ensure that no part of Kara’s body would be left out.

 

Before coming over, Kara had put on her favorite pair of lingerie in the employee’s bathroom at CatCo’s. The panties were a rich and deep red color, and Kara loved how they made her feel - though nothing could have made her feel sexier than the way Alex responded to her touch. And when Alex’s lips skidded over the panties, over Kara’s cloth-covered clit, Kara almost lost control. 

 

But Alex didn’t seem like she was quite ready to give Kara what she wanted yet. Instead of taking off her panties, Alex kissed her way along Kara’s stomach, stopping for about a minute to lick and suck on Kara’s abdominal muscles. 

 

At the moment, Kara was walking a very fine line between opening her senses up to Alex’s touch and closing herself off enough that she wouldn’t end up squeezing Alex too hard. Alex’s lips and mouth enveloping Kara’s left breast definitely wasn’t helping her concentration. It was almost a relief when Alex pulled away to take off her jeans.

 

“I want to feel you,” Alex explained, taking a couple of seconds to wrestle out of the tight pair of pants. If she hadn’t been so extremely wired from their foreplay, Kara would have offered to help - she was just worried about ripping the fabric clean off. 

 

Alex’s strong legs looked even better outside of the jeans, and Kara bit her bottom lip when her girlfriend laid herself on top of her once again. Forcing her muscles to move the way she wanted them to, Kara smoothed her hands along Alex’s back and down to her tight, black boxer briefs. They were silky and soft and Kara hummed in appreciation when her fingers settled on her girlfriend’s firmly muscled behind.

 

Now that they were almost naked together, Kara wanted to etch this moment into her memory - the way Alex’s body felt on top of her own, and the way her tender kisses and touches caused heat to coil in Kara’s stomach. Made her swell and ache for Alex’s mouth and hands.

 

“Time to take off our panties, I think,” Kara whispered, before biting her bottom lip, almost having to stifle a giggle. She couldn't quite hide her excited grin, but when Alex’s mouth formed an answering smile, Kara didn’t bother holding herself back. Especially when Alex laughed and repeatedly kissed her cheek. 

 

“Absolutely,” Alex replied, getting up on her knees and looking down at Kara’s red lingerie. “You look stunning in these.” Her facial expression was so loving and gentle that Kara almost melted. And when Alex stroked her sides, Kara’s nerve endings responded immediately. 

 

Lifting her hips, Kara watched hungrily as Alex hooked her fingers in the waistband of the red panties. At this point, she would have anticipated to be nervous, especially when Alex started pulling them down. But Kara’s mind was too overwhelmed with pleasure to register anything aside from her own arousal and Alex’s reaction to it. 

 

It was obvious that her detective was taking her sweet time, and that she was relishing every moment. When she finally dropped Kara’s panties off the side of the bed, Kara sat up and placed her hand on Alex’s chest. A moment later, Alex was on her back and Kara was in between her legs.

 

When she spotted a pout breaking out on Alex’s lips, Kara grinned. “Turnabout is fair play,” Kara teased, her face almost hurting from how hard she was smiling. She’d never felt this comfortable and carefree during sex.

 

With a mock-sigh, Alex seemed to resign herself to her fate. Her expression changed drastically when Kara gripped her waist to hold her down, instead of taking off her boxer briefs. Laying flat on her stomach, Kara smiled happily as she nudged the inside of Alex’s left thigh with her nose, silently urging her girlfriend to spread her legs further apart.

 

Letting out a shuddering breath, Alex complied, and Kara kissed her way up to Alex’s center. 

 

Alex was already quivering by the time Kara nuzzled her nose against her covered wetness. Humming appreciatively, Kara licked and sucked at the satiny, black fabric, thoroughly enjoying the sweet scent and taste even with the barrier in between her mouth and Alex’s excitement. 

 

“I wanted to make you feel good first,” Alex complained almost breathlessly, her hands alternately digging into her own skin and the mattress. Her comment almost made Kara chuckle. Of course Alex would be upset about not being able to take care of Kara, even while she was on the verge of being eaten out.

 

“Next time,” Kara promised, just as she hooked her fingers into Alex’s boxer briefs. “Right now, you just need to lie back and enjoy yourself.” While she pulled down the fabric, Kara fought back against the urge to use her heat vision and burn the entire building to the ground. The trick, her mother had said, was to relax her muscles enough to allow her eyes to let off some of the steam without giving them too much power to actually destroy anything.

 

When she looked up, Alex gasped.

 

“Fuck, Kara,” she murmured, still seemingly unsure where to put her hands. “Your  _ eyes _ .  _ Fuck. _ ” Groaning, Alex pushed her hands against her closed eyelids while Kara flicked the boxer briefs off the bed, trying to rein in her laughter. Clearly, Alex didn’t mind seeing the bright red glow from Kara’s neutered heat vision. “Ugh, I really  _ am  _ a cape chaser. What am I doing with my life?”

 

Chuckling against the skin of Alex’s thigh, Kara slipped her left arm under Alex’s leg and pushed it up over her shoulder, before placing her other hand back on Alex’s waist. With her fingers, she palmed Alex’s stomach.

 

Taking another deep breath, Kara basked in the heavenly scents swirling all around her.

 

“I hope my cape is the only one you’re chasing.” Leaning in closer, Kara nuzzled her nose against the short tuft of hair between Alex’s legs. Tenderly, she pressed a kiss against the soft skin below. When Alex let out a low breath, Kara looked up - Alex was staring at her, and her abdominal muscles tensed in anticipation under Kara’s fingers. 

 

When Kara licked her own lips, Alex visibly swallowed.

 

It was beyond satisfying to see Alex’s eyes close and her head fall back the second Kara dipped down to suck softly on Alex’s engorged clit. It had been years since Kara had slept with anyone, but she still remembered what had garnered the best results from her ex-girlfriend in college. With Kara’s superior Kryptonian memory and senses, she fell back into the same rhythms easily.

 

Humming happily, Kara lapped at Alex’s opening, before swirling her tongue around Alex’s clit again. Her girlfriend was wet beyond belief after their extended foreplay sessions, and the taste of her was nearly overwhelming. Best of all, however, was the way Alex gasped and quivered every time Kara touched her just right. 

 

Sucking a bit harder, Kara moved her hand along Alex’s stomach, over her rib cage, and onto her breast. She moaned appreciatively as Alex’s fingers closed around her own. When Kara flattened her tongue against Alex’s clit, she almost grinned as her detective’s foot pressed harder against her back.

 

“What do you like?” Kara asked, before deliberately stroking Alex with her tongue. “Do you like it when I do this?” She enveloped Alex entirely and massaged the small bundle of nerves with her tongue. 

 

Voice barely audible, Alex gave off a soft  _ yes _ .

 

“How about this?” Kara was enjoying herself entirely too much. Having Alex spread out and open like this was incredible, and Kara loved the way it made her feel. She was pretty sure she could have stayed right here forever.

 

Letting out a content sound of pleasure, Kara dug her nails into Alex’s waist, and just as she was about to write the words _ I love you _ with her tongue, Alex let out a strangled little gasp. Her muscles tensed, and her hips would have bucked off the mattress, if Kara hadn’t held her down to lick her through her orgasm. 

 

While Alex panted, Kara slipped up her body, leaving kisses in her wake. One on Alex’s hipbone; one on the scar on her abs; one on her breastbone; one on each collarbone; one on her exposed throat; one on her chin - brushing her lips and declarations of love onto each bit of skin.

 

Alex’s hands seemed uncoordinated as she wrapped them around Kara’s back, and if her heavy breathing was anything to go by, Kara had a feeling she should be proud of herself for how hard she’d made Alex come. The thought made Kara feel warm and content inside, and she gently slipped her thigh against Alex’s center, immensely enjoying the sensation of Alex’s clit pulsing against her.

 

“You need to be stopped,” Alex whispered, nudging Kara’s cheek with her nose. 

 

“I’m just getting started,” Kara promised happily, placing an elbow on either side of Alex’s head so she could stroke her detective’s beautiful hair. Licking her lips, Kara savoured Alex’s taste for a moment, before leaning in and capturing Alex’s mouth in a gentle kiss. Covering her girlfriend’s bare body from head to toe with her own was definitely going on Kara’s list of favorite activities.

 

As they kissed, Alex softly rolled her hips into Kara’s thigh. There was an unmistakable smile on her face, and she didn’t give any indication that she wanted to move things along at a faster pace. She seemed perfectly content to stay in Kara’s embrace.

 

“Thanks for letting me do that.” Kara nuzzled Alex’s nose with her own, before pulling her head back just enough so neither one of them had to go cross-eyed to look at the other. “That was really nice.” 

 

Her words made Alex shake her head.

 

“Goober,” she said lovingly, her hands gliding along Kara’s back. Shrugging one shoulder, Kara was more than happy to accept the affectionate nickname masked as a soft insult. “Guess it would be sort of redundant if I thanked  _ you _ now.” Alex’s nails didn't so much bite Kara’s spine as gently caress it - at least that was what it felt like to Kara’s Kryptonian skin.

 

Smiling softly, Kara brushed a kiss against her detective’s mouth.

 

“Is it okay if we just cuddle for a second?” Kara asked, pressing her nose against Alex’s cheek. “I don't want to move right now.” Despite the fact that she was still turned on, Kara needed a moment to process. And to savor this experience. “I can grab the duvet, if you're cold.”

 

Alex’s hand cupped the back of Kara’s neck. 

 

“You're a furnace, Kara. I think I’ll be fine.” Her words were teasing, but her tone of voice belied her affection. “Of course we can cuddle.” 

 

Leaving another kiss on Alex’s mouth, Kara shuffled down just a bit, so she could rest her head on her detective’s chest. Her right hand curled around Alex’s left arm, tenderly stroking the skin and reveling in the way goosebumps broke out under her touch.

 

In the soft glow of the evening sun, Kara smiled and focused her senses. 

 

Nothing but Alex for one full evening.

 

-

 

Kara was warm and comfortable and Alex relished the weight on top of her. Her breathing soft and steady, Kara nuzzled Alex’s neck and leisurely caressed her side. Every touch ignited Alex’s desire all over again, and while she was happy to cuddle her Kryptonian, Alex was more than ready to touch Kara, to make her feel good, to taste her.

 

But that would have to wait for now.

 

“We have the whole weekend to ourselves,” Alex said, gently stroking Kara’s shoulder blades. “Anything special you want to do?” They hadn't made too many plans, mainly because Alex hadn't been sure if Selina would really give up her golden opportunity to throw a wrench into their plans.

 

“Just you,” Kara replied cheekily, giggling into Alex’s neck.

 

“Very funny.” Alex’s voice was dead-pan, and she used Kara’s obvious distraction to hook her leg around Kara’s calf and flip them over. Kara let out a noise of surprise, and Alex realized she’d never seen her this unguarded before. “I was trying to be very serious here.”

 

Biting her bottom lip, Kara drew her pointer finger down Alex’s bare chest.

 

“Such a serious detective,” she teased, her finger running along Alex’s abs and over the soft skin below her belly button. The touch made Alex swallow hard. Her first orgasm had been great, but she could tell that her body was already gearing up to be touched again. She just wanted to take care of Kara first. 

 

Settling on top of her girlfriend, Alex caught her lips in a languid kiss, grabbing Kara’s thigh with her hand and hoisting it over her own waist. When her leg made contact with Kara’s wetness, Alex shivered. 

 

“We can role play as Detective Danvers and Supergirl some other time,” she whispered in between kisses, grinding her hips down and enjoying the way Kara moved with her. “Then we can make that fanfic of Supergirl thanking the good detective for her service a reality.”

 

Her hands pressing against Alex’s back in amusement, Kara shook her head, a huge grin stuck on her face. “That’s not a real fanfic.” She sounded so intensely happy that Alex couldn't focus on anything else for a moment. 

 

Unsure of what to do with herself, Alex stole another kiss. “How do you feel about me taking care of you now?” She ran her hand up and down Kara’s outer thigh. 

 

“I would love that.” Kara cupped Alex’s cheeks, her thumb stroking over Alex’s bottom lip. “And if we  _ do  _ role play, I think Detective Danvers should thank  _ Supergirl _ for saving the city.” The glint in her eyes made Alex surge forward and capture her lips in a demanding kiss.

 

While their mouths moved together, Alex eased her hand in between Kara’s legs.

 

“I’m sure Detective Danvers would be more than happy to oblige,” Alex husked, just before recapturing Kara’s lips and slipping her fingers into Kara’s wetness. They both moaned upon the first touch to her clit, and Alex pressed her forehead against Kara’s, breaking their kiss. Kara’s clit was even hotter than the rest of her, and it took Alex a second to gather her wits. “You feel good.”

 

A whimper was Kara's only response, as Alex rubbed her in slow circles. Her eyes were squeezed shut in pleasure, and Alex was pretty sure that if they had been open, she would have seen the red glow of Kara’s heat vision again. In the Fortress, Alura had told them that Kara’s muscles would learn to relax completely, given a bit of practice. 

 

Alex was more than ready for future training sessions. 

 

Kissing Kara’s temple, Alex moved her hand lower, slowly stroking her opening. Whimpering, Kara hesitantly grabbed Alex’s back (as though scared of squeezing too hard) and breathed out a  _ yes _ . The way she looked with her head thrown back and her eyes closed tightly made Alex almost melt right then and there. But she had a job to do and she was going to do it damn well.

 

And they were both going to enjoy every second of it.

 

The sex education at the Fortress hadn't just included lessons for Kara. Before Alex had fallen asleep, they’d talked about Kryptonian physiology as well, and what Alex could do to make  _ Kara _ feel good and safe, not just the other way around. Alex was glad for that now as she slowly and gently slipped a finger inside of Kara. 

 

“I love you,” Alex husked, reassuring herself that Kara’s body was relaxed before moving a second finger inside and slowly curling them to the left. “Tell me if you like this.” Her lips lingered on her girlfriend’s cheek as she slowly and carefully pressed her fingers further inside. 

 

She knew she’d found the right spot when Kara gasped and immediately let her go. Seconds later, a ripping sound filled the air, letting Alex in on the fact that she’d need to buy a new bedspread soon. Although that hardly mattered, considering how much Kara seemed to be enjoying herself. Especially when Alex started moving her hand properly, applying more precise pressure to Kara’s Kryptonian g-spot.

 

Giving a silent thanks to the Fortress, Alex watched with satisfaction as Kara moaned and covered her face with one of her hands. Kissing Kara’s chin and cheek, Alex shifted her own hips just a bit, so she could rub her clit on Kara’s rock-hard thigh. 

 

“You feel amazing,” Kara husked, her words stilted as she pressed her hand against her eyes. “I’m-” she gasped again, “I’ll melt the ceiling.” The words made Alex grin - she was pretty sure she’d never seen anyone look more beautiful during sex. 

 

Sucking gently on the underside of Kara’s jaw, Alex moved her own hips in time with her rubs and thrusts. The change in coordination made her fingers shift, and a second later, Kara whimpered.

 

“Right there,” she gasped, her hand flying down to grasp Alex’s arm, as though afraid Alex would move away from her. Her breathing was labored now, and Alex could see that her girlfriend was close to orgasm from the way her muscles tensed and shifted. “Just… just…” Kara whimpered again. “ _ Harder _ .”

 

The arousal burned in Alex’s veins, and once Kara had released her arm, she brought her lips back to Kara’s neck and sucked insistently while her hand took up speed. Being so intimately connected to Kara felt wonderful, and Alex aided her more forceful grinding and thrusting with her own leg. 

 

Just as Alex thought about moving her thumb up to Kara’s clit, Kara threw her head back and let out a guttural groan. The sound, coupled with the feeling of Kara’s muscles gripping Alex’s fingers in a vice-like grip, made her clit twitch uncomfortably on Kara’s strong thigh. She just hoped Kara wouldn't mind the excess wetness on her skin. 

 

Kara’s eyes remained shut while she rode out her orgasm, which took significantly longer than it had Alex. Slipping her fingers out of Kara, Alex moved down her girlfriend’s body and settled in between her legs. When Kara finally relaxed, Alex pushed her legs further apart and leaned forward to wrap her lips around Kara’s pulsing clit. She moaned at the first taste of her arousal, and Kara followed suit a moment later when Alex swirled her tongue around.

 

“Alex,” Kara husked, shakily stroking her fingers through Alex’s hair. The teasing licks and sucks made her tense and when Alex pushed her tongue into Kara, before licking back up to her clit, her Kryptonian uttered a strangled sound of pleasure.

 

Kara’s second orgasm came sooner than her first one, but it lasted just as long. Alex was a little jealous as she kissed her way back up Kara’s body. She lingered briefly at her girlfriend’s breasts, leaving gentle pecks and teasing licks around the erect nipples, before Kara’s hands pulled her the rest of the way up.

 

The kiss they shared was sweet and slow at first, before Kara hummed and licked the remnants of her own wetness from Alex’s chin. Clenching her thighs, Alex curled her arms around Kara and pushed her clit against her girlfriend’s leg again. 

 

She had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

 

-

 

“What are you doing?” Alex mumbled, lifting her tired arm to rub her eyes. She hadn't meant to drift off, but after a few hours of sex with her energetic Kryptonian, her body had simply given out on her. The last thing she remembered was looking down at Kara’s face in between her legs, and then softly drifting off to the feeling of Kara gently lapping at her clit. 

 

“Nothing,” Kara replied, shuffling up from under the blanket to give Alex’s cheek a gentle kiss. “I was just counting your scars.” Her fingers drifted over Alex’s collarbone and down to the tattoo on Alex’s left forearm. 

 

The room was dark, the only light streaming in from the window, casting Kara’s face in shadows. Dropping her hand down to Kara’s duvet-covered back, Alex tried to make out her girlfriend’s expression, hoping to gauge her mood.

 

Right now, the feeling of Kara’s naked skin on hers was a comfort more than anything else. She was warm and the way her fingers danced around Alex’s scar and tattoo without ever really touching either soothed Alex into a lull of security. 

 

“Did you sleep at all?” Alex’s voice was quiet, as she tried to mold herself into the shadows, hoping not to disturb the quiet of the night.

 

“No,” Kara confessed, tucking herself in closer to Alex. “I promise I didn't watch you sleep or anything. Tonight was just... a lot to take in.” Moving around sluggishly until she could put her head on Alex’s chest, Kara let out a deep breath. 

 

“Are you okay?” Alex asked gently, distantly worried that Kara was experiencing some form of regret. Even though Alex had thought that Kara was having a good time, she didn't want to assume anything. 

 

“Yeah,” Kara reassured her, grabbing Alex’s right hand from her back and pulling it around to her stomach so Alex was holding her more tightly. “I think I just had a bit of a sensory overload towards the end.” 

 

Maybe that was the reason why, after a few hours, Kara had been so very adamant about making Alex come so many times without letting her reciprocate much. Mentally, Alex kicked herself for not picking up on it.

 

“Tell me next time, please?” Alex murmured, holding Kara close with both arms. 

 

“Okay.” Kara’s nose nuzzled Alex’s skin. “I’m sorry I didn't say anything. I’ve... never felt like that before.” There was no way for them to be any physically closer, but it seemed like Kara was still trying - and if Alex hadn't felt the strain in her right arm (right where the healing wound was located), she would have hugged Kara even tighter, her own discomfort be damned. 

 

But she knew Kara wouldn't want her to hurt herself. 

 

“I love you,” Alex whispered into her hair, focusing all of her energy on making Kara feel better. Biting her bottom lip, Alex wracked her brain about what she could say to soothe Kara’s obvious discomfort. “You want me to heat you up some of the leftover lasagna?” She drew her nails along Kara’s back. “I could make you more pudding.”

 

Alex had bought double the ingredients, just in case she messed up the first batch.

 

For a moment, Kara didn't say anything, then her head popped up. Even in the semi-darkness of the room, Alex could see the puppy dog eyes clear as day. The sight filled her chest with relief. 

 

-

 

Getting out of bed, Kara didn't feel the least bit self-conscious as she threw on Alex’s discarded shirt. Over at the door, Alex cursed as she turned on the lights. Kara felt absolutely unashamed as she took in Alex’s naked body. Eyes lingering on the love bites she’d left on various parts of her detective’s anatomy, Kara walked over to the closet and pulled out a fresh pair of boxers. She’d made a blind grab, and as she glanced down, she grinned.

 

“My eyes,” Alex groaned, keeping her hand on her face as she made her way over to her closet as well. The fact that she didn't stumble on any of the discarded clothing was a miracle, but Kara didn't mind the display one bit. “I hate light.”

 

Chuckling, Kara took a step forward and placed her hands on Alex’s waist. 

 

“You can take the detective out of Gotham,” Kara teased her, leaning down and giving Alex a small kiss. With a grumble, Alex lowered her hand and carefully opened her eyes. She looked ridiculous, and Kara loved every second of it. “I hate the light. I’m the dark knight.” Kara consciously lowered her voice to help it sound gravelly and menacing, but all it did was make Alex’s lips twitch into an involuntary smile.

 

“Jerk,” Alex replied lovingly, leaning up on her tiptoes and giving Kara a sweet kiss. “I love the way you look in my clothes.” Her eyes traveled from Kara’s partially covered chest down to the boxers. “Although I’m not sure how I feel about you stealing my look.”

 

The Pikachu boxers were immensely soft. 

 

-

 

“I think this one might be even better than my first attempt,” Alex announced suddenly, sounding almost jovial. It was clearly an attempt to start a conversation, and Kara speared a forkful of hot lasagna. She was thankful that Alex had said something first, because Kara was still having trouble articulating what her problem was.

 

“I’m always in control,” she finally said, right before she stuffed the food into her mouth. Alex was standing at the kitchen counter, whisking the pudding. She’d put on an old t-shirt and one of the Supergirl-branded boxers and her hair stood up at odd ends. “Unless I'm in a fight or there's kryptonite involved. But… I’ve never been so out of control because of something…  _ good. _ ”

 

Alex’s hand stilled momentarily, before she started whisking again, and Kara was grateful that her detective hadn't said anything this time.

 

“I don't ever have to be scared when I interact with people, because my powers keep me safe, and… not having control…” Kara poked at the lasagna. She sighed. These thoughts were too complex for three am on a Saturday morning. “I love having sex with you and being so close to you, it's just…”

 

At these words, Alex turned around, left the whisk in the bowl and sat down next to Kara. Clasping Kara’s free hand in her own, Alex gave her a reassuring look. “Thanks for telling me,” she said gently, pressing her lips against Kara’s fingers. “Is there anything I can do?”

 

Putting down her fork, Kara turned her body fully towards Alex and cupped her cheek. 

 

“I’ll call up Dr. Zhou and talk to her about it,” Kara whispered, leaning her forehead against Alex’s temple. “It’s probably just going to take time, like everything else.” Because nothing could ever just be easy. “I don't want to stop, though. I love the way you make me feel.”

 

Breathing in Alex’s scent, Kara closed her eyes and basked in her detective’s proximity. The logical part of her knew that she didn't have to be scared of being vulnerable with Alex, but that didn't mean her emotions had quite caught up to that yet.

 

They would though, she was sure of it.

 

“Time for pudding, I think,” Alex murmured lovingly, pulling away to grab the bowl she’d prepared. While Alex got them two spoons and the sprinkles, Kara watched her silently. 

 

There was no reason to be scared with Alex.

 

Alex would keep her safe.

 

And Kara would do the same for her. 

 

-

 

> [Supercop’s Sexy Bestie]: Where are my nudes, Supercop?  _ Sent 10:22pm. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only three chapters left, you guys!!! what am i gonna do after this is done ?? sigh. i guess i gotta start writing again. 
> 
> but at least alex's blue ovaries finally got some relief! Although sweet Kara needs to take a sec to gather her wits about her *hugs her gently*
> 
> as always, beta-d by the wonderful Coara
> 
> if you wanna come chat to me, find me on tumblr @goshdarnitjay


	27. My Eyes Are Up Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Kara take a shower together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bam bam bam bam i have nothing to say - hope you enjoy!
> 
>  **Note** : Contains graphic depictions of violence and a little bit of... gore, perhaps. Maybe body horror. Not for too long, though.

Letting out a slow breath, Alex closed her eyes and leaned her forearms against the cold tiles of her shower. The water was pounding down on her back, washing away the sweat and grime from the previous day. It was way too early in the morning, and the thought of what she’d be forced to do later made her want to stay in this moment for as long as she could.

 

“Are you okay?” Kara asked softly, joining Alex under the spray and gently rubbing her shoulders. She stepped closer and molded her front to Alex’s bare back, her hands gliding around Alex’s stomach to hold her, lips brushing skin.

 

“Yeah,” Alex breathed, keeping her eyes closed. “Worried.”

 

A few days prior, Selina had heard of a shipment being moved from the Lexcorp lab, which had forced them to make a concrete plan. There was no more time - they would have to act now or risk some of the kryptonite being moved to a place they didn’t know about.

 

“You don’t have to go,” Kara whispered, her arms tightening around Alex’s body, clearly conveying her nervous energy to Alex. Kara still wasn’t happy that she’d be out of action while the others risked their lives for her. Of course, she could make her own choices, but Kara was well aware of how dangerous it would be for her. “You can stay here with me.”

 

Sighing, Alex pushed herself away from the shower wall and leaned back against Kara’s strong form.

 

“I _do_ have to go.” She pressed her temple against Kara’s face and folded her own arms over the ones wrapped around her waist. “I need to see this through.” Turning in Kara’s arms, Alex pulled her girlfriend into a soft kiss. She also needed to keep Kara safe as best she could, but she didn’t know how to put that into words without sounding like an overprotective jackass.

 

“I know,” Kara sighed, burying her face in Alex’s neck.

 

She was almost warmer than the water, and Alex relished in the feeling as she closed her eyes and stroked her hands along Kara’s shoulders and biceps. Briefly, she wished the raid had already been completed - that she’d already been to the Lexcorp lab and that everything had gone well.

 

There was no way for her to know for sure what would happen once they were inside, and the thought of her friends somehow falling victim to traps or gunfire was terrifying. Pulling Kara even closer, Alex pressed her left forearm harder against her girlfriend’s back, hoping to quell the phantom pain burning under her skin.

 

-

 

With a shake of her shoulders, Alex got out of her car and checked the perimeter one more time. She’d already surveyed the parking lot for intruders when she’d pulled up, but another quick look around certainly couldn’t hurt.

 

“So,” Selina said, as she unfolded herself from the passenger seat, “this is it.” Opening the door for Pam, Selina sent Alex a worried glance. “We’re going to kick ass and take names? Just like old times?”

 

Rounding the car, Alex pulled open the trunk.

 

“That’s the plan,” she replied, watching out of the corner of her eyes as the Sirens joined her. Without much fanfare, Alex shoved a duffle bag into Harley’s arms before handing Selina her backpack. A quick glance at her phone revealed a new text message. “Batman’s already inside.”

 

“Oh, goodie,” Selina joked, raising one of her eyebrows and giving Alex a grin. “It’s been too long. I hope Batsy hasn’t gotten complacent in his old age.” The fact that she’d seen Batman only a few months ago seemed immaterial to Selina, and Alex shook her head at her friend.

 

“He’s still boring,” Harley added, reaching out with one hand to close the trunk of the car after Alex had hefted another heavy duffle bag out of it.

 

“He’s not boring,” Alex retorted. Rolling her eyes, she marched towards the old warehouse, the Sirens hot on her heels. They’d had this argument many times before and Alex was in no mood to discuss the merits and demerits of her superhero friend once again. “Get a move on.”

 

Ignoring the mocking voices behind her (who were mimicking Alex’s words and tone), Alex pulled out her key and unlocked the door in front of her. She’d somewhat hoped that her friends would behave themselves a bit better, considering how high the stakes on this mission were, but she supposed that had been nothing but a foolish little dream.

 

-

 

Leaning back on the couch, Kara stared up at the ceiling while Eliza puttered around the kitchen. It was a Wednesday night, and the only thing keeping her tethered to Alex’s apartment was the memory of her detective’s pleading eyes. Sending her friends to possibly die for her was not in Kara’s nature, even though she knew the risk would be too great for her and Kal.

 

Still, the kryptonite weapon the hero menace movement was cooking up wasn’t just harmful to _her_ . It could hurt Alex and the others, too. And the thought of her girlfriend going to the lab where the damn thing was being _tested…_ Really, the only one they should have sent there was Pam, since she wasn’t affected by poisons.

 

“It’ll be fine,” Lucy reassured her, sitting down next to Kara with a cup of hot chocolate that Eliza had just made. Considering what was going on, Lucy had taken the night off, and there was no way for Kara to explain how much her best friend’s presence meant to her. “Your dumbass is tough.”

 

Accepting the mug, Kara gave a shaky nod.

 

She needed to be strong tonight, but it was hard. A part of her wanted to go to the lab even now, just to scout the perimeter and see if anybody needed immediate extraction. But another, much bigger part of her was perfectly aware that she would never be able to stay out of the fight if she was close enough to actually _see_ what was going on.

 

“Maybe we should put on a movie,” Kara said quietly, looking over the back of the couch so she could see what Eliza was doing, now that she’d finished with Kara’s hot chocolate. “Mrs. Danvers, which movie do you want us to pick?” Her words sounded forced, but there was no way for her to act normal in this situation.

 

Eliza gazed up from the kitchen counter, a strangely vacant look in her eyes.

 

It took her a couple of seconds to refocus her attention.

 

“Something light-hearted, please,” she requested, pulling open the refrigerator and grabbing a sealed package of raw chicken breast. “I should whip us up some more food.” Kara could tell that Eliza was struggling, and she related to that feeling all too well.

 

Briefly squeezing Lucy’s thigh, Kara got to her feet and joined Eliza in the kitchen.

 

A moment later, they were hugging.

 

“She’ll come back to us,” Kara whispered, closing her eyes and sagging slightly with relief when Eliza hugged her back. “Selina’s looking out for her.” Kara knew deep within her heart that everybody would be working together to ensure that no one was left behind.

 

Maybe the whole ordeal reminded Eliza of losing her husband, and if that was the case, there was nothing Kara could say to make the woman feel less afraid. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t try to give her some strength - the same way Lucy was there for her.

 

Pulling away from the hug, Eliza gave Kara a small smile.

 

“I will be right back,” she said, patting Kara’s cheek with a trembling hand, before she rounded the corner and vanished inside Alex’s bedroom, softly closing the door behind her. With a sigh, Kara put away the chicken breast, before rejoining Lucy on the couch.

 

“How do you feel about watching _A New Hope_?” Lucy asked gently, grabbing Trish from the coffee table and handing her over to Kara. The tiny kitten purred and curled herself up on Kara’s lap, obviously quite unperturbed by the fact that she’d been moved.

 

“I’m not sure if I would classify that as light-hearted, Luce,” Kara sighed, wrapping her arms around Trish and enjoying the way the tiny feline purred in her embrace. At least Alex’s cat didn’t know just how much danger Alex was truly in.

 

-

 

Batman wasn’t the only one who was already there.

 

Next to the chair they’d welded to the floor, J’onn was sitting on one of the tables. He was talking to Green Arrow, who had his hands placed firmly on his hips. The metal chair had been empty since they’d moved Desaad to a cell downstairs. Thanks to Selina’s criminal background, she knew a number of shady contractors who had installed the room for them.

 

On another one of the tables sat a computer that Batwoman was frantically typing away at.

 

“This looks like a party,” Selina announced loudly as she shouldered her way past Alex and joined the assortment of heroes inside the hanger. The only one who was missing at this point was Vasquez - they’d be running just a bit late because of work. “How’s everybody doing?”

 

Selina was wearing her black leather catsuit, and she wasted no time with slamming her heavy backpack directly into Batman’s arms. To his credit, he didn’t say anything as Selina clapped him on the butt and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

 

“Officer Henshaw, always a pleasure to see you,” Selina said, stepping forward and giving J’onn a gentle hug. His smile was small, but he was obviously amused by her antics. Alex didn’t even question why Selina didn’t bother acting like she didn’t know J’onn; at some point, she had obviously realized that he’d figured out her identity.

 

When Batwoman looked up, Selina wiggled her eyebrows.

 

Batwoman blanched.

 

“Babe…” Selina trilled. Grinning, she stalked forward and threw herself into Batwoman’s arms. The superhero barely caught her, and Alex gave off a gentle sigh. If she was honest with herself, she regretted asking her friends for help just a bit.

 

-

 

They were about ten minutes into watching _A New Hope_ , when Eliza finally came back out of Alex’s bedroom. Her eyes weren’t red, which was a relief, but she was wearing a different outfit to the one she’d had on before. Instead of her beige cardigan over a rose-colored blouse, she was wearing one of Alex’s old Gotham City PD jumpers.

 

She held two more of Alex’s sweaters in her arms.

 

“Oh, it has been quite a while since I’ve seen _Star Wars_ ,” Eliza said wistfully, slowly sitting down next to Kara and patting her own thigh. Caesar came scrambling out from behind the television, as though magically summoned, and jumped on Eliza’s lap. “I thought it might be nice to have Alex close while we wait.” With a small smile, she held the two sweaters out to Kara and Lucy.

 

A quick glance at her friend revealed that there was no hesitation in Lucy’s body. Without grumbling or even a single complaint, she accepted the red sweater and slipped it on over her blouse. The gesture made a grin break out on Kara’s face as she pulled on Alex’s ultramarine sweater.

 

Trish mewled just a bit at the movement, but Kara just stuck her own nose into the collar of Alex’s clothes and breathed in deeply. Despite the fact that the sweaters were unmistakably clean, Alex’s scent clung to them.

 

“Thank you, Mrs. Danvers,” Kara whispered, giving Eliza a gentle smile. “That was a great idea.”

 

Waving her off, Eliza curled her fingers into Caesar’s thick fur and turned towards the television.

 

-

 

While Selina continued trying to kiss Batwoman, Alex and the others talked about their plan. They had gathered around a table, a blueprint of the Lexcorp lab spread out in between them. Alex had her arms crossed over her chest, while Batman kept his hand firmly on her shoulder.

 

He stood closer to her than usual, and Alex had a feeling it was because they hadn’t seen each other in months. Before her father’s death, they’d worked together seamlessly - she just hoped that connection would carry over to the raid.

 

“There should only be ten guards on shift tonight,” Green Arrow said, his voice distorted by a voice modulator in his hood. He was wearing black sunglasses, and his bow was strapped to his back. His outfit was made up of green leather, and his hands were still on his waist. “Two of them outside, eight inside.”

 

Over the last few weeks, they’d surveyed the lab extensively.

 

“Our goal is to get the kryptonite and whatever files are in their mainframe,” Alex continued, nodding to Green Arrow. “We need to know if they have more labs like this.” Batman squeezed her shoulder encouragingly. “Once we’re inside, Catwoman is going to hack into their system and send whatever files they have to Watchtower.”

 

They all knew the plan, but Alex found that talking it through one last time was soothing and kept her sharp and focused. No matter what, they couldn’t fail this mission. Kara and Clark and all the other Kryptonians on their planet needed them to destroy the kryptonite and find out where they kept this dangerous weapon.

 

Kara’s aunt and her followers weren’t exactly on Alex’s list of favorite people, considering what Kara had told Alex about them, but they didn’t deserve to be slaughtered.

 

In order to ensure access to the mainframe, one of Kara’s contacts had provided her with a virus that would unlock any firewall - apparently. Alex had never seen or heard of such a thing, but she wasn’t about to question her girlfriend on this.

 

“Sounds good to me,” Selina chimed in, her arm now wrapped around Batwoman’s shoulders and a sharklike grin playing along her mouth (Batwoman’s face was littered with lipstick marks). “Can’t wait to kick those bastards straight in the teeth.”

 

Nodding, Alex brought her hands down to her waist and took on her power pose.

 

That always made her feel more confident.

 

“Someone’s gonna get twatted in the face with a hammer,” Harley said mischievously, casually twirling her weapon around in her fingers. She was wearing her classic jester outfit and a face full of white clown’s make-up. Pam shook her head, a loving expression on her face. Her green skin almost glowed under the warehouse lights. “I can taste the sweet victory.”

 

Before any of the others could make a comment about Harley’s obvious excitement to get violent, the door to the warehouse opened and closed, admitting a harried-looking Vasquez. They were breathing heavily, and briefly placed their hands on their knees.

 

“Sorry! Lord Grievous ranted at me for about thirty minutes about how unsatisfied he is with my work,” they babbled, running a hand through their hair and shaking out their shoulders. “But I’m here now! What did I miss?”

 

Taking a step forward, their eyes flit over the assortment of people now staring at them.

 

When their gaze lingered on Batman, they froze.

 

-

 

Mind elsewhere, Kara barely noticed the sound of the doorbell. Only when Lucy got up to speak through the intercom did Kara tear her gaze away from Han Solo’s face. Truth be told, she hadn’t been paying attention to what was happening on screen. Back when she’d been living with the Kents, she’d seen the original _Star Wars_ trilogy so often that she could quote them in her sleep even when she didn't have her powers.

 

“Come on up,” Lucy said, hitting the buzzer just before she let out the smallest of sighs. If Kara hadn’t been paying such close attention to her best friend, she wouldn’t have noticed the sound at all. When Lucy turned around, her face was back to normal - somewhat. “It’s your cousin.”

 

Nodding quickly, Kara placed Trish on Caesar (who was still snoring on Eliza) and got to her feet. Of course Lucy had known that Clark would be here tonight, but Kara could tell that his arrival had shaken her.

 

There had been some tentative communication between Lucy and her sister, but Kara didn’t think it had extended beyond some simple text messages. They’d certainly checked up on one another, but as far as Kara was aware, her best friend hadn’t seen or talked to Clark since Lucy’s marriage had blown up.

 

“I’m sorry,” Kara said reflexively, gripping Lucy’s arm before her friend could walk back to the couch.

 

“I told you it’s fine,” Lucy said, her lips trying and failing for a smile. “Tonight isn’t about me.”

 

Giving Lucy a quick hug, Kara echoed her friend’s earlier sigh.

 

Pulling away, Kara gave Lucy another squeeze to the arm, before she let her get back to Eliza and the television. She wanted to talk to Clark without anybody else overhearing anyway. Just for a couple of minutes - just to express how worried she truly was.

 

Opening Alex’s front door, Kara watched the elevator. For a second, she thought about using her x-ray vision to watch Clark ride up, but then she decided against it. It wasn’t right to watch him without his knowledge just because she was going out of her mind with fear about what might happen to her girlfriend.

 

When the doors to the elevator finally opened, Kara furrowed her brows.

 

“Thank you so much for your help,” Mrs. Robershire said as she walked over to her own apartment. She sent Kara a calculating look, before her eyes went back to Clark, who was holding two very full grocery bags in his big arms.

 

“It’s really not a problem,” Clark said, smiling down at the older woman and waiting as she unlocked her front door. He gave Kara a concerned look behind the bags, and she shook her head in gentle amusement. Leave it to Clark to find an old lady to help while he was off-duty. “I hope you have a wonderful night, Mrs. Robershire.”

 

“Thank you, dear,” she said, accepting the grocery bags and entering her own apartment. With a wave, Clark closed the door behind her, before he turned around and placed his hands at his waist. He was wearing a dark blue shirt under his red jacket and a pair of form-fitting jeans. Though he visibly slumped to stay in his Clark Kent persona, Kara could clearly see the House of El radiating from his every pore.

 

And the glasses didn’t do much to hide that part of him, either.

 

But, of course, that was just because Kara _knew_ him.

 

“Hey, Clark,” she said, stretching out her arms and waiting for him to give her one of his bear hugs. He complied instantly, his warmth and familiar smell doing wonders to calm her down. With Lucy and Clark by her side… maybe she could do this.

 

“Hey, sorry I’m so late,” Clark replied, hugging her even more tightly. If Kara hadn’t been a Kryptonian, his grip would have snapped her clean in half. “There was a problem at one of the youth shelters in town and I didn’t want to leave them there before we could get them some help.”

 

Closing her eyes, Kara let out a small breath.

 

“I’m just glad you’re here.” The fact that neither of them could be out there to help Alex and the others was awful, but at least they could be there for one another. Kara knew that if things had been different, Clark would have been the first to volunteer his help.

 

“I wanted to bring Lois, too, but… with Lucy…” Clark’s face looked stricken as they pulled away, and Kara nodded at him with understanding as he walked inside. “She’s with Chloe, though. She’s going to send us updates.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and waved it around. “But only if you want them.”

 

Kara had specifically asked Alex not to send any updates, because she didn’t want her girlfriend to be distracted during the mission. But maybe… if it came through Lois… Maybe Kara wouldn’t have to be so afraid. Honestly, she almost slapped herself. Why hadn’t she thought of that herself?

 

“That sounds great,” Kara said, relief coloring her words. “Thanks.”

 

Clark smiled and squeezed her shoulder.

 

-

 

Alex would have sniggered if the situation had been different - if the future of Kara’s life didn't hang in the balance. Because looking at Vasquez’s shocked and awed face was almost too good to be true. Their eyes were fixed on Batman and their mouth was hanging wide open.

 

Giving off an amused sigh, Alex elbowed Batman in the side.

 

“That’s Vasquez,” she told him and he gave her a nod. “Go say hi. They're not going to stop staring.” Patting Batman’s arm, Alex gave the others around the table significant looks, hoping they’d get the hint and resume their conversation.

 

Green Arrow picked up on it first.

 

“I think we should talk about our formations again,” he said, taking a step forward to close the gap that Batman had left behind in their group. While Green Arrow continued to talk about where everyone was supposed to go, Alex surreptitiously watched the interaction behind her out of the corner of her eye.

 

She was pretty sure that Vasquez almost fainted on the spot when Batman held out his hand to them in a friendly handshake.

 

“We should adopt them, edelweiss,” Pam said, suddenly at Alex’s side. Her arm slipped around Alex’s shoulder and her nose nuzzled Alex’s temple, but she was most likely watching Vasquez, too. “They’d make a great Isley-Danvers.”

 

Snorting gently, Alex watched Vasquez’s fingers tremble with excitement as they shook Batman’s hand and said some stuttered words to him. “Danvers-Isley,“ Alex corrected her friend, which earned her a chuckle and a pat on the chest.

 

“You wish,” Pam replied, pressing a sweet and patronizing kiss to Alex’s cheek. “You're going to make a great Alex Kent when you fold and take your wife's name.” Her words were just loud enough for Harley to hear, who sniggered and gave her girlfriend a thumbs up.

 

Alex scoffed.

 

Just as she was about to retort that there would be nothing wrong with taking Kara’s name (likely only digging her own grave deeper), Batman and Vasquez started moving. His hand was on their shoulder, and Vasquez seemed to be in a daze. Their hands were stuffed into the pockets of their police jacket and they gave Alex a slightly nervous look.

 

Trying to hide her grin, Alex brought her hand up to her face. This distraction was exactly what she'd needed to take her mind off the dire circumstances under which they were conducting this mission. The fact that they were all well-trained and powerful in their own right didn't make her feel any more secure in what they would be doing.

 

Once Vasquez stood next to her, Alex clapped them on the back.

 

“Breathe, Vas,” she teased, leaning closer and catching their eyes, which looked at her almost reproachfully. Finally allowing herself to snigger, Alex looked up just in time to catch Selina’s mischievous smirk.

 

“Officer Vasquez,” she trilled, absolutely destroying the illusion that none of them had noticed how absolutely star-struck Vasquez was by Batman’s presence. And it definitely didn't help that Selina’s catsuit was at least partially unzipped at the front. Alex knew that she’d close herself up before the mission, but while they were here… well. Batwoman might have a very nice girlfriend, but that had never stopped Selina before. “Have you met my good friend Batwoman?”

 

While Vasquez stopped and stared again (clearly equally as excited as before), Batwoman gave Selina a rather suspect look, as though wondering how many of their interactions could really be considered _friendly_. Especially since she still had some of Selina’s lipstick smeared on her face.

 

Alex just shook her head.

 

-

 

“Would you like some tea?” Eliza asked kindly as Clark sat himself down on the couch. Inexplicably, Lucy had moved over to the easy chair - likely so she wouldn’t have to sit next to him. The realization made anxiety bloom in Kara’s stomach. “Or a glass of juice?”

 

Gently placing both Caesar and Trish on the couch, Eliza got to her feet.

 

“A glass of juice would be great. Thank you, Mrs. Danvers,” Clark replied, giving Alex’s mother a warm smile. A second later, he absent-mindedly righted his glasses, his interest clearly piqued by the two cats who were curiously looking up at him.

 

While Clark held out his fingers to be sniffed (a pleased smile breaking over his face when Caesar licked at his skin), Kara followed Eliza into the kitchen and opened one of the cupboards. As expected, J’onn’s oreo cookies were in the same place, and Kara felt zero qualms about grabbing them.

 

“I don’t think Alex has a sweater that’s going to fit him,” Eliza said quietly, opening the refrigerator.

 

“Maybe we can give him a scarf.” Kara pulled down a tub of popcorn that Alex had brought to sate Kara’s ravenous appetite during movie nights. “I’m sure he doesn’t want to be left out of our thing.” Anything to keep their minds off the fact that their friends were in unimaginable danger.

 

Fingers gliding over the faded Gotham City PD patch on her chest, Eliza let out a small breath.

 

Acting on instinct, Kara took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

 

“If anything happens to Alex, I’m going to fix it,” she said, catching Eliza’s eyes and holding onto them intensely with her own gaze. “It won’t, but even if it does.” She gripped Eliza’s hand just a little more tightly. “I promise, I’ll stop at nothing to bring her back to us.”

 

Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to say; maybe Kara shouldn’t have displayed her clearly alien nature as much as she just had. But when she saw Eliza’s gaze harden into determination and relief, Kara knew she’d done the right thing and that Eliza had _seen_ her. Truly seen how powerful Kara was. One day, she would tell Eliza everything, but now wasn’t the time.

 

With a nod, Eliza grabbed Clark’s glass of juice with one hand while cupping Kara’s cheek with the other. “Let’s get back to the television. I haven’t seen enough of Harrison Ford, yet.” Turning around, Eliza made her way back to the couch, walking just a little taller than before.

 

Kara’s chest was full of consternation, but she knew that what she had told Eliza was true. Even if her girlfriend was mortally wounded, Kara would stop at nothing to change the effects. There were a number of ways to reverse death. After all, Clark himself had come back from the dead multiple times. And yeah, sure, he was a Kryptonian with a destiny, but Kara wouldn’t let a little something like genetics stop her. Not when it was Alex’s life on the line.

 

In the end, Kara would pay any price that the universe would ask of her.

 

She was a hero, but she was still a person. And once, just once, Kara wanted to be selfish.

 

Walking slowly, Kara slipped into Alex’s bedroom to get Clark the scarf she’d promised Eliza. With the closet doors open, Kara smoothed her fingers over Alex’s shirts. They’d been sorted by color - no doubt Eliza’s work.

 

Grunting in annoyance, Kara grabbed one of Alex’s scarfs, before closing the door to the closet once more. She needed to stop acting as though Alex was going to die tonight. Kara wasn’t a war widow - Alex would come back. She might be hurt and bloodied, but she would come back. She always came back.

 

And once the kryptonite was gone… Kara was going to _kick some ass_.

 

-

 

Pushing her back against the wall, Alex let out a slow breath and nodded to Batman, who was standing a few feet away from her. They were already inside the lab, and slowly making their way along a poorly lit hallway. A few minutes before, Selina had taken out one of the guards, before dragging his unconscious body out of the compound. While she’d taken care of the second guard, Alex and the others had invaded the building.

 

They needed to get everybody out if what they were planning was to succeed.

 

Lifting her fingers to her face, Alex sent a few unmistakable tactical gestures, which Batman immediately responded to. They’d all split up into teams, aside from Selina, who still worked best by herself. Alex and Batman would get to the kryptonite supplies, while Harley and Pam went around the place and took out guards. At the same time, Vasquez and J’onn would raid the different offices around for any non-computerized data, with Selina infiltrating the server room, which left Green Arrow and Batwoman.

 

On the technical end of things, Watchtower (which Alex had been informed was Lucy’s cousin Chloe Sullivan) would play their eyes and ears from the hacked security system. All in all, Alex was pretty satisfied with how their whole team had shaken out, even though the thought of Selina going in alone still made her worry.

 

“Guard to your left, Team Dark and Gritty,” Chloe’s voice rang loud and clear in Alex’s earpiece, giving her plenty of time to ready her baton and get into the proper position while Batman vanished into the shadows ahead of her. Thankfully, this wasn’t the first time she’d heard the codename, or else she might have wasted precious seconds with a facepalm. Why in the world they had allowed _Harley_ to pick the names was beyond Alex.

 

It definitely didn’t have anything to do with her pout being too adorable to resist up close.

 

Or with the way Pam had been silently threatening them all behind Harley’s back.

 

When the guard rounded the corner, Alex slammed her baton into his throat so he couldn’t produce a scream or alert the other guards to their presence. If at all possible, Alex wanted to ensure that they wouldn’t be spotted by anyone. Reinforcements from the rest of the hero menace movement would only lead to more trouble than Alex was willing to handle.

 

While the man in front of her was dazed, she flipped him onto his front and slammed his head against the concrete floor, knocking him out cold. Letting out another slow breath, Alex pushed her baton back into its resting place at her waist and took a second to listen for any changes in the air. When nothing else moved around her, she liberated the guard’s gun, taser and various other weapons from his belt.

 

“There’s an empty office not too far from you,” Chloe continued, while Alex handed the guard’s equipment off to Batman. Grabbing the unconscious man under his arms, she waited for Batman to get the guy’s legs, before following Chloe’s directions and dumping their cargo in front of a fancy desk. Following after her quickly, Batman stowed the equipment he was carrying in a cabinet, before walking back over to Alex and fastening zip-ties around the guard’s wrists and ankles.

 

Listening to Chloe lead _Team Flower Power_ through the building so they could move the unconscious man outside, Alex and Batman returned to their original goal, which was to find the rooms of the lab that actually held the kryptonite.

 

“This is Team Ladykiller. I’ve reached the brain.” Selina’s voice was quiet, but no less excited for it. “Time to crack this baby open.” Alex could imagine her mischievous smirk perfectly. “Let’s see if we can’t bend this movement of morons to our will.”

 

Grinning to herself, Alex followed Batman down the underlit hallway.

 

-

 

“It’s really no problem,” Clark insisted, obviously trying to keep Mrs. Danvers from getting off the couch. “I’m here to help.” Alex’s dark blue scarf was wrapped around his throat and complimented the color of his eyes quite beautifully, making him look even more like his father Jor-El.

 

“I’ll help.” Lucy’s offer took Kara by surprise, and she raised an eyebrow at her best friend. Barely tolerating Clark’s presence and helping him with an after-dinner snack were two very different things. But maybe some part of Lucy was aware of the fact that she would need to speak to Clark sooner or later.

 

When Mrs. Danvers opened her mouth to refute Clark’s offer yet again, Kara gently poked her in the side. Mouth snapping shut, Eliza waited and watched as Clark and Lucy got up to make their way into the kitchen, where Clark immediately opened the refrigerator.

 

Aunt Martha had taught Clark everything she knew about cooking and baking, the same way she’d taught Kara. There were plenty of adorable pictures of a young Clark baking with his mother, both of them covered in flour because of Clark’s enthusiasm. In the end, the fact that he knew his way around a kitchen came in handy, since Lois could burn water.

 

Briefly, Kara visualized the pleased face of James’s mother. She would no doubt be thrilled once she realized that she’d have two more people around to feed with her cooking now that James, Clark and Lois had come to terms with their feelings for each other.

 

Turning towards Kara, Eliza lifted both eyebrows, clearly waiting for an explanation.

 

“I’ll tell you later; I promise,” Kara whispered, casually moving around so she could look at Clark and Lucy out of the corner of her eye. While her cousin was cutting up the chicken, Lucy worked on washing the vegetables. “They have a lot to talk about.”

 

Even though Clark was turned away from her, Kara could read the tension in his broad back plain as day. Not speaking to Lucy about everything that had happened was obviously eating at him, and Kara understood his desire to clear the air. If she’d been in his position, she would have felt the same way.

 

Next to her, Eliza’s hand gently stroked over Caesar’s head, and the big cat purred loudly.

 

Looking back towards Lucy, Kara bit her bottom lip. Talking it out was good… but she didn't want to see her best friend cry again.

 

-

 

“Team Dark and Gritty, the first lab should be to your left,” Chloe said, sounding almost as tense as Alex felt. There were no cameras in any of the labs, but Selina had started transferring some of the data, which had helped Chloe to get a better understanding of the layout. Again, Alex was damn glad to have her allies and friends.

 

“Roger that,” Alex replied, slipping her baton into her hand and nodding at Batman again. Just in case there was some sort of surprise on the other side of that door, they needed to be prepared. Before Chloe remotely unlocked the door, they slipped on their gas masks. The altered kryptonite gas (or whatever else was in the room) hopefully wouldn't be able to hurt them through those.

 

Forcing herself to calm down, Alex pushed down the handle and slowly opened the door.

 

The lab was dark at first, but as soon as Alex stepped inside, the movement sensors registered her presence and triggered the fluorescent lighting in the ceiling. Blinking against the sudden change in brightness, Alex glanced around quickly. The laboratory looked very similar to what she had imagined. White walls and floors, and an assortment of large tanks. The desks were covered with small pieces of equipment that glowed menacingly under the bright lights.

 

“Definitely kryptonite,” Batman said, moving in after Alex and closing the door behind them. The shade of green inside the tanks was unmistakable, and Alex had half a mind to drown Gordon Godfrey in the stuff the next time she saw his ugly, xenophobic face. “Let's see if there is anything of value to us here.”

 

They went to work quickly, looking through all the files they could find, taking pictures of whatever looked particularly interesting. Alex couldn't glean much from this quick overview, mainly because she wasn't a scientist. Inwardly, she silently cursed herself that she _hadn't_ become a bio-engineer like her mother. She really needed to work on her scientific knowledge.  

 

Once they were done, they left the lab, after reassurances from Chloe that there wasn't anyone else around. Alex still had half a mind to tip the big tanks of kryptonite over to vent her frustration, but she had to make do with a disgusted last look. Besides, none of that would matter soon, anyway.

 

-

 

Kara didn't want to use her superhearing.

 

It was a gross violation of privacy.

 

Her cousin and her best friend deserved better than to be spied on during their private conversation, and Kara had _never_ used her superhearing for personal gain. _Ever_. That wasn't something Kara did… She pushed aside the memory of Alex’s private phone call with Harley during their first date so many months ago.

 

Or that time her ex-boyfriend in high school had made a call to his ‘mother’.

 

Okay fine, so maybe Kara wasn't quite above using her powers for personal reasons _occasionally_. But still. This was Lucy… her best friend. Whose life Kara had meddled with enough by flying Lois over from Metropolis and causing the whole thing to explode in the first place.

 

Kara was already turning away - mind made up about not listening in - when she caught Lucy’s gaze. In all honesty, Lucy had probably seen the guilty look on Kara’s face, because she rolled her eyes and casually lifted her left hand. While Clark continued to focus on cutting the chicken, Lucy pulled at her own earlobe, clearly indicating that she knew exactly what Kara had been thinking about.

 

Flushing bright red, Kara fiddled with her glasses, before staring intently at the television again. Thankfully, Eliza had been reaching for her glass of juice the very second Kara had snapped her head back to the front. Otherwise, she would have seen (or rather, _not seen_ ) Kara move faster than the human eye could pick up.

 

“Do you know how old Alex was the first time she watched _Star Wars_?” Kara asked Eliza casually, hoping that she’d identified Lucy’s gesture correctly as she opened up her senses enough to pick up the sounds from the kitchen as well as those from the living room. She was more than glad for her ability to multi-task.

 

Eliza sighed, then she nipped from her glass.

 

“Jeremiah watched the original trilogy with her when she was six,” she said, clearly disagreeing with her husband's decision even years later. After all, there was plenty of limb chopping in those movies Frankly, Kara wasn't sure if she’d be fine with it either, if Alex decided to do the same thing with their hypothetical future children.

 

 _If she survives tonight_ , Kara thought, before pushing the notion away. Batman and all of their other friends wouldn't let Alex die.

 

While Eliza continued to speak and Kara made comments throughout, the kitchen was filled with anxious silence. The only noises present were the sounds of Clark’s hands seasoning the raw chicken strips and Lucy’s knife as it sliced through the freshly washed vegetables.

 

At least until Kara let out a snort that seemed to fill the entire apartment. The sound of her laughter apparently snapped Lucy out of whatever frozen state she’d been in (Kara really needed to see those pictures of a six-year old Alex dressed as Han Solo on a regular school day). For a moment, the sound of Lucy’s knife stalled.

 

“Alright, let’s do this already,” Lucy whispered intensely, though not unkindly. Chancing another glance behind herself, Kara watched as Lucy put aside her knife and fixed Clark with a piercing look. The steel in her eyes was a defense mechanism she’d perfected over the years, and Kara was more than a little proud that Lucy had never needed such armor with her.

 

The tension in his back loosening ever so slightly, Clark rounded Lucy to wash his hands in the sink. When he turned his face to speak to her, Kara looked away again. It was one thing to get a knowing look from Lucy - she didn't need one from Clark as well.

 

“I wanted to apologize in person,” Clark said, his voice barely audible. If Kara hadn't been using her powers, she would have had no idea that Clark had even opened his mouth to speak. “James, Lois and I… we should have said something sooner.”

 

The sound of the vegetable chopping started again, while Eliza pulled up a few truly adorable pictures of a much younger Alex on her phone. She’d clearly scanned some old photographs, so she could have them with her at all times in a digital format - and Kara wasn't going to pass up the opportunity.

 

“It happened,” Lucy replied stiffly, making Kara wish she could give up the pretense and simply join Lucy in the kitchen. But this wasn't her moment, and her best friend needed to figure this out for herself. “Nothing to be done about it now.”

 

Metallic clangs momentarily filled the room as Clark presumably grabbed a pan from one of Alex’s cupboards.

 

“How would you feel about having dinner next week? I know Lois wants to see you; she’s just too proud to admit it.” Clark’s voice was so full of guilt that it took Kara several seconds to find her control. She couldn't get up and comfort him, either. Instead, she forced herself to look down at Alex’s pudgy little face. It was covered in dirt, and Eliza’s disapproving expression right next to it was more comical than anything else.

 

For several seconds, Lucy didn't say anything. Then, she let out a resigned sigh.

 

“How about we have a _family dinner_ at my place?” Her words were more than a little sarcastic, but when Kara looked over to her, she noted the small hint of relief on her best friend’s face. No matter how many times the Lane sisters fought, they always found their way back to one another. Even after those couple of years where they barely saw each other at all. “I’ll force Kara and Alex to come by, too.”

 

For a second, it looked as though Clark would reach out to her. Then, he seemed to think better of it. “That sounds great,” he said, his back losing what little tension had been left. “I’ll call you about the details.” His hand twitched, before he finally lifted it to awkwardly pat Lucy on the shoulder.

 

Clark had never been shy about doling out affection, but he and Lucy weren't close. Even so, she didn't pull away from his attempts to connect with her in some way.

 

Leaning back on the couch, Kara reined her super senses back in and focused her full attention on Alex’s small five-year old face yet again. “Oh my gosh, can you send this one to me?” she asked, eyes flitting over the tiny, adorable figure on the screen.

 

Eliza smiled.

 

-

 

“This should be your final destination, Team Dark and Gritty,” Chloe informed them, causing Alex to let out a breath of relief. They were almost done with this, and then she could go home to Kara. She just needed to keep her wits about her a bit longer. And so far, no reinforcements seemed to have been called. That was something, at least. “Team Leather Babes, how is the situation on your end?”

 

Predictably, Batwoman uttered an annoyed huff, the same sound she made every time anyone used her and Green Arrow’s codename. “We’re done, Watchtower,” Green Arrow replied, amusement coloring his voice. “Everything has been placed.”

 

“Sounds like we’re all going to have a grand old time when we get out of here,” Selina joined in, words rather too sultry for a shared frequency. “After this is over, I’m going to need someone to make this kitten purr. Any takers? Team Leather Babes? Maybe a particular… redhead?”

 

Batwoman grumbled quietly, and Alex grinned as she rounded the corner. “Keep the line clean, please,” she teased, taking a moment to survey her surroundings while Batman made sure no one was following them. Even with Chloe’s constant supervision, it wouldn't do any of them good to get complacent.

 

Moving slowly along the corridor, Alex readjusted her gas mask with one hand while holding on to her baton with the other. It was unlikely that anyone would be getting in their way at this point, but that didn't mean she’d lower her guard.

 

The door unlocked in front of them, and once Chloe had confirmed that she’d been the one to open it, Alex grabbed the handle and pushed her way inside.

 

The first thing she noticed was the beeping sound.

 

Above her and Batman, the fluorescent lights flickered on at the same time as Alex turned to her right to find the source of the noise. When her eyes made contact with the machine, she almost dropped her baton. The sight in front of her was horrific.

 

“Fuck,” Alex whispered, slipping her weapon back onto her belt and hurrying over to what she’d just discovered. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” If she hadn’t been a police officer for almost her entire adult life, she would have been vomiting in the corner by now.

 

The chrome of the flat metal table in front of her gleamed under the ceiling lights, and by the time she reached the man who lay on top of it, she’d blocked out the beeping of the heart monitor. Her eyes scanned the vivisected body of the shivering and twitching _Kryptonian_ , who had been strapped to the table with cuffs that held down his arms, legs, and his neck. She realized what was keeping him truly contained in a matter of seconds, as she raked her gaze over the glowing, green lamps set up on either side of him.

 

When she came to a stop next to his head, he looked at her.

 

For a moment, she was frozen in place by the unconcealed _pain_ and _despair_ that greeted her.

 

“Jesus,” Alex heard herself say as she looked away from the open chest cavity in front of her. She should have been prepared for what the hero menace movement was doing, and what it truly stood for, but she just hadn’t grasped how despicable these people could be, even after all the murders they’d committed. “Watchtower, this is Team Dark and Gritty. There’s a prisoner here.” Moving closer to the Kryptonian, Alex lifted her gas mask for only a second to reassure him. “We’re getting you out of here.”

 

The man whimpered, trying to move as little as possible. His mouth was taped shut, and he blinked at her a couple of times. His hair had been shaved off, and there were deep scratches along his face, as though the scientists had cut strips of flesh right out of his cheeks. Clenching her jaw, Alex gave him a firm nod, before turning around to the kryptonite lights. Those needed to go first.

 

“Understood,” Chloe responded immediately, before telling Pam and Harley to meet Alex and Batman at the destination of the lab to help with the extraction of the Kryptonian.

 

While Alex unplugged the lamps one by one, Batman continued to photograph any and all material that could be of use to them - especially now that they’d found this man the movement had clearly been experimenting on. Alex could see in the tension of Batman’s back that he was just as angered by what they had found as she was.

 

Unplugging the final lamp, Alex started pushing the equipment away from the metal table, so any and all of the kryptonite would be well out of the way.

 

A picture flashed through Alex’s mind. Of Kara… strapped to the table.

 

She pushed the horrific thought away.

 

Rushing back to the man, she gently removed the tape that had been placed over his lips. He hadn’t attempted to move on his own, and his wounds weren’t healing, which most likely had something to do with the prolonged exposure to the alien mineral. Alex didn’t even want to imagine how long he’d suffered like this.

 

“I have to unclip these,” Alex told the man, pointing at the metal clamps that were keeping his skin away from his body. “Can you tell me your name?” Before she did anything else, she placed her gloved hand on his forearm, hoping that the touch of someone friendly would help him.

 

His lips quivered.

 

“T-Tra-Gob,” he said, his insides moving around as his body formed the words. Seconds later, he panted with pain as Alex started releasing the clamps and folding his skin back over his torso. Hoping to affect a strong and steady presence for Tra-Gob, Alex didn’t flinch whenever he twitched in pain.

 

“I’m Alex. I work with Supergirl.” She noted the small video camera on a desk next to the table. With a gesture to Batman, Alex nodded towards the equipment, so Batman would bag it. The lab people were likely using a camera that couldn’t be hacked to keep track of their prisoner’s development.

 

It took an agonizing few minutes to completely free the man from all of his restraints. And still, his body didn’t begin regrowing. Alex would have worried about this discovery, if she weren’t at least pretty sure that a bit of exposure to the sun would recharge Tra-Gob’s cells.

 

Once he was free, Tra-Gob stayed on the table, clearly scared to move.

 

Slipping off her bulletproof vest, Alex handed it over to Batman.

 

“This will keep you together until we’re outside,” she told Tra-Gob, retaking his hand and squeezing it gently. He nodded shakily as she and Batman helped him sit up and put on the vest. Since Kara’s Aunt and her followers had been on Earth for quite some time, there was no way to know how old Tra-Gob truly was, especially since Kryptonians didn’t age the same way that humans did.

 

Alex wondered what it would take to break a brave Kryptonian like this.

 

She hoped she never had to find out.

 

A second later, Batman had taken off his cape, and wrapped it kindly around Tra-Gob’s shoulders and midsection to give him at least a modicum of warmth and security. And to cover up his naked body after he’d been subjected to such cruelty.

 

-

 

Once they were all outside again, everyone helped carry the shivering Tra-Gob away from the lab and towards the Batwing. Alex wasn’t sure what they’d do with the man, but she knew that it wouldn’t be right to simply leave him alone in this state.

 

“Are you with General Astra In-Ze?” Alex asked after they’d lowered the Kryptonian down to the ground. Crouching next to him, she took off her gas mask and stowed it at her side, before raking a hand through her hair. “Can we help you get back to her?”

 

Tra-Gob’s eyes were closed, and there was no doubt in Alex’s mind that he was simply relishing the feeling of the wind on his face, since there had been no windows inside of the room he’d been kept in. He was leaning against Batman and Harley, and when Alex placed her hand on his shoulder, he opened his bright green eyes to give her a grateful look.

 

“Thank you for getting me out of that place,” he said, already looking better than he had on their way out of the lab. “The General has been trying to keep her niece out of this conflict, but the humans…” He clenched his jaw.

 

“Did they take you, because Astra won’t tell them where they can find Supergirl?” Alex noticed the color return to Tra-Gob’s cheeks, and she was glad to see it. Even if he was one of Astra’s soldiers and decided to turn on them for whatever reason, Alex would never regret freeing him from that place.

 

He nodded yes to her question, before he pushed himself to his feet. Batman, Harley and Alex reached out to steady him at the same time, and he wobbled a bit on his feet, his body still clearly knitting itself back together.

 

“Tell Supergirl she needs to be careful,” he said, tugging Batman’s cape closer around himself. “I do not want to see my General lose another member of her House.” When the scratches on his cheeks started filling out with new flesh, Alex knew the sun had done its job well, even through the darkness of the night’s sky.

 

Without another word, he nodded to them, before flying off into the air.

 

“Yer not gettin’ back that cape, Batsy,” Harley observed, patting Batman on the shoulder, before leaning against his bicep. “That sucker’s _gone_.”

 

“I’m afraid so,” Batman replied gruffly, looking supremely unperturbed by the loss. Knowing him, he probably had a spare cape on the Batwing and wouldn't have to forgo his classic look for long. Making no move to dislodge Harley, he turned to Green Arrow, who was typing away on a small, green tablet. “How much longer?”

 

Turning around the tablet, Green Arrow revealed a digital clock that was counting down. “We should get out of here. We don't have a lot of time left.” He turned the electronic back around to himself. “And it’ll look a whole lot better from the air.”

 

Grinning, he lifted his hand and waited for Batwoman to give him a high five.

 

“Let’s blow this popsicle stand,” Selina said, wrapping her arm around Vasquez’s shoulders, before gently ruffling their hair and kissing their temple. “My girlfriend and wife are waiting for me at home and I don't like to keep them waiting.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Alex turned towards the Batwing.

 

There was no use in trying to fight Selina’s outlook on life. And besides, maybe, just maybe, Alex thought her friend’s behavior was a little bit funny. Maybe. A bit.

 

-

 

Kara was on her feet the second the key turned in the lock, and she would have super sped to the door, if Eliza hadn't been right behind her. Crossing her arms over her chest as she stood next to Alex’s coat rack, Kara waited until the door was open, before launching herself into Alex’s arms.

 

“Oof,” Alex exclaimed, temporarily startled by Kara’s hug-assault. It didn't take her more than a second to respond, wrapping her hands around Kara’s body and holding her tightly. “It’s good to see you, too.” The words were whispered into Kara’s ear, before Alex let out a sigh of relief and buried her face in Kara’s neck.

 

“I’m coming with you next time,” Kara murmured, reassuring herself that Alex was alive and well. She smelled the same way she always did, even through the added layer of sweat and the scent of her tactical equipment and gun oil. And she felt the same, too. Soft and strong, all at once.

 

Kara would have probably held on to Alex for the rest of the evening, if their tender moment hadn’t been broken by Selina clearing her throat.

 

“We're all glad the two of you are reunited after so much time apart, but can you maybe move your lovemaking out of the doorway?” Her voice was equal parts exasperated and loving, and Kara only reluctantly let Alex go, allowing her detective to walk inside the apartment, followed by the three Sirens. They all looked tired, and Kara felt the inexplicable urge to give _all_ of them hugs.

 

“Welcome back,” Eliza said gently, wrapping her arms around Selina, while Harley and Pam both gave Kara a kiss on the cheek, before joining Clark and Lucy in the living room.

 

Using the various distractions to her advantage, Kara clasped Alex’s hand and pulled her through the living room, the hallway, and into the bedroom. She ignored Pam’s knowing look as she walked past her, because right now, all Kara wanted was to be close to her girlfriend without anyone else butting in on their private time. Even Alex’s mom, who probably wanted to spend time with her as much as Kara did.

 

As soon as the bedroom door was closed behind them, Kara was back in Alex's arms, their lips pressing together insistently. Hands cupping Alex’s cheeks, Kara let out a breath she’d been holding in all night and leaned her forehead against her detective’s.

 

“Are you okay?” she whispered, pushing her body closer against Alex.

 

“A few new bumps and bruises,” Alex admitted casually, folding her fingers around Kara’s wrists. “One of the guards didn't want to stay down and he had a mean swing. Took Batman and me a bit longer than we wanted to knock him out.” She drew one of Kara’s hands down to her abdomen.

 

Pulling up Alex’s sweater, Kara grimaced as she spotted the new bruise on her girlfriend. “We should put ice on that.”

 

With a nod, Alex shook off her jacket and let it drop to the floor.

 

“I need to take a shower first, though. I’m disgusting,” she said, pulling her sweater up and over her head. “And I need to tell you about what we found.” Her bra came next, and Kara had enough sense to pull Alex into the bathroom, before anyone else came in and saw her detective topless. After all, Clark and Lucy were still in the apartment.

 

Kara was under no illusion that the Sirens hadn't seen Alex at least _partially_ nude before.

 

“Lois texted us about all the important stuff.” Leaning against the closed bathroom door, Kara watched as Alex stripped off the rest of her clothing and dropped it all off in the hamper. The bruises on her back from a few weeks ago were barely visible now. “She was with Chloe at the Watchtower.”

 

Nodding absentmindedly, Alex turned on the water in the shower, before running her hands through her hair. Her muscles tensed as she turned to Kara, a haunted look in her beautiful, hazel eyes. “Did she tell you that we found one of your aunt’s soldiers at the lab?”

 

“Yeah,” Kara replied, fighting desperately to keep her rage about the situation contained. She didn't want Alex to have to pay for a new sink, or a new _wall_ . “I don't even know what to say. I’m so _angry_ .” Going around killing human civilians, experimenting on live aliens - and yet, somehow, _Kara_ was the bad guy?

 

Getting under the spray of the water, Alex let out a sigh, like she’d seen far more on this singular mission than she’d ever wanted to. “He should be back with your aunt now, and I don't think she’s going to be thrilled with the way he’s been treated.” She wasn't visible through the shower curtain, and Kara didn't bother with using her x-ray vision.

 

“She’ll probably plan a counter attack, if she hasn't already,” Kara grumbled, her voice barely audible above the sound of the shower. Walking over to the toilet, Kara slumped down on the lid, wishing she’d brought the half-empty bucket of popcorn. Maybe sugar could salvage the situation. “We need to make a plan, too.” At least the kryptonite had been destroyed, when the others had blown up the lab. Kara wished she could have seen it.

 

An affirmative grunt from behind the curtain told her that Alex agreed with her statement.

 

“Tomorrow,” Alex said, just as the water cut off. They’d all made plans to meet up on Thursday morning to talk about their future plans. Chloe would need more time to sift through all of the data, but if Astra and her people decided to retaliate, Kara and the others needed a contingency plan, regardless of what the files would tell them.

 

Getting up from the toilet lid, Kara grabbed a fluffy, blue towel and handed it to Alex when she pulled back the curtain. A gentle smile and a wet kiss on the mouth was Kara’s sweet reward, and she felt a small spark of warmth deep in her stomach. At least Alex had come back to her, no matter what happened next.

 

“I love you,” Kara said softly, watching as Alex rubbed her hair with the towel, the bruise on her stomach still an angry shade of red. Inwardly, Kara thanked Rao that it wouldn't leave a scar. Her girlfriend had enough scars already.

 

“I love you, too.”

 

-

 

Furrowing her brows, Alex stared down at Lucy’s chest.

 

“My eyes are up here, Danvers,” Lucy snarked, setting down Alex’s mug of tea and rolling her eyes. With a grimace, Alex curled her fingers around the mug that the Sirens had given her a good while ago. Holding onto that thing always made her feel better. “Honestly, your girlfriend’s right there.”

 

Kara barely glanced up from Selina’s laptop.

 

“I'm just wondering when we started dating,” Alex shot back, pointedly staring at the red sweater that Lucy was wearing. “I wasn't aware we’d started sharing clothes.”

 

While Harley, Pam, Clark and Eliza were watching _The Empire Strikes Back_ in the open living room (a constellation of people that Alex never would have foreseen in a million years), Selina and Kara were looking at some of the data that Selina had pulled onto a flash drive at the lab. They were sitting at the kitchen table, huddled together, while Alex tried to decide whether or not she should join in or keep taking notes on her own laptop. A few minutes prior, Lucy had been on her phone, before deciding that Kara could use something hot to drink after her stressful evening.

 

And she’d been generous enough to make Alex and Selina a cup of tea as well.

 

“Trust me, my skin has been crawling for hours, but when your mom hands me a sweater, because she’s so worried about you, I can't very well tell her to shove off.” Lucy poured a bit of honey into Kara’s cup. “I’m not a monster.”

 

Feeling properly chastised, Alex looked over to her mother, before her eyes traveled to the dark scarf around Clark’s neck, and finally settled on the soft sweater that Kara was wearing.

 

Well.

 

“Carry on,” Alex mumbled, taking a sip of her hot tea and ignoring the feeling of pain on her tongue as she burned her mouth. Looking smug, Lucy barely even noticed that the high five she responded to a second later was _Selina’s_.

 

Glancing up from Selina’s laptop, Kara’s eyes met Alex’s.

 

They both grinned into their cups.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? A bit more actions this time. Like? Dislike?
> 
> as always, beta-d by the beautiful Coara
> 
> and if you wanna talk to me, find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	28. You're Stupid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex wakes up to kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cripes, only one chapter left after this! Dangit i really need to get on with writing more sdghfsd no more prewritten stuff to fall back on after that. I hope you'll enjoy this!
> 
>  **Notes** : Warning for mature content at the start of the chapter, if you would like to skip it.

Friday morning, Alex woke to the feeling of gentle kisses being placed against her lower back. Humming appreciatively, she stretched, before letting out a low groan of pleasure.

 

“Mmh, Selina,” she teased, chuckling when Kara let out an offended huff. “I’m kidding.” Turning onto her back, Alex slipped her hands along Kara’s arms. “I have awful morning breath, but I wouldn't say no to a closed-mouthed good morning kiss.”

 

“I was actually hoping we could use this morning, to…” Kara moved up Alex’s body, her right hand dancing over the inside of Alex’s thigh. “Fool around a bit until your mom and Selina come back from their shopping trip.”

 

Letting out a shuddering breath, Alex closed her eyes as Kara started sucking and nibbling on her throat. In the face of her girlfriend’s fingers running over the front of her boxers, Alex only vaguely remembered that her mom had told them about her and Selina’s plans the day before.

 

“Are you sure?” Alex asked, trying to keep her wits about her as Kara pulled down her t-shirt and softly bit into her shoulder. More than enjoying the sting of the bite, Alex’s hips jumped up against Kara’s fingers. “We can wait, if you're not ready to try again. Or we can not do it at all, if you aren't comfortable.”

 

The nibbling on her shoulder ceased for a moment.

 

Then, Kara’s head popped up, a blush rapidly spreading over her cheeks.

 

“You know I talked to Dr. Zhou…” Kara said, placing her hand on Alex’s waist as opposed to continuing to fondle her crotch while they had this conversation. When Alex nodded, Kara let out a slow breath that smelled an awful lot like mint. Apparently Kara had taken the time to brush her teeth before trying to seduce Alex. “And she told me that it’s going to take time to get over my fear, but… that it’s not going to go away, if I don't try it again.”

 

Rubbing her hands up and down Kara’s back, Alex nodded her understanding.

 

“And… I do want to take it slow…” Kara continued, squeezing Alex’s waist. “But there’s a difference between letting go for one orgasm, and going for the Olympic gold, the way we did last time.” The smile on her face was genuine, and Alex couldn't see any signs that Kara was forcing herself to do this. But still, she wanted to ask just one more time.

 

“You're really, really sure?” Her fingers stilled on Kara’s back, and she squinted up at Kara, trying to see if any part of her reaction left any doubt in Alex’s mind that they should be having sex this morning. Even if Alex’s boxers were pretty much soaked already.

 

With a smile, Kara leaned in and captured Alex’s lips in a sweet, loving kiss, carefully pressing her entire body against Alex, and pushing her down into the mattress. The movement was enough to force a whimper out of Alex as her girlfriend sucked her bottom lip into her mouth.

 

“Yes, I’m sure,” Kara whispered, slipping her fingers into Alex’s boxers. “And your mouth really does smell disgusting.” Giggling at Alex’s huff, Kara kissed Alex again, clearly unperturbed.

 

“You could let me get out of bed and brush my teeth before we do anything else.” Alex’s hips bucked up when Kara dragged her short nails further down, strategically bypassing her wetness to softly tease her inner thigh instead. “You're the one who wanted to get down to business immediately.”

 

Shrugging happily, Kara leaned down to nibble at Alex’s throat again, her fingers finally sliding up and onto Alex’s clit.

 

“I just want to feel you,” Kara murmured, making Alex’s insides feel like goo. Wrapping her arms tightly around Kara’s back, Alex moaned appreciatively when Kara slipped inside of her. With the early morning sunlight falling down on them, Kara’s golden hair seemed to gleam and glitter every time she moved.

 

Or maybe that was just Alex’s mind playing tricks on her.

 

Having Kara’s strong body on top of her made Alex feel safer than almost anything else. It even topped flying over the city and looking down on it all. And having Kara’s fingers inside of her wasn't a bad time, either. Quite the contrary, Kara seemed to have memorized every single twitch and response that Alex’s body could produce when properly taken care of, because her fingers somehow seemed unnaturally capable of hitting every single one of Alex’s spots.

 

And when Kara’s thumb gently slipped up to circle Alex’s clit, Alex knew she was only seconds away from losing it.

 

In the end, it was the added feeling of Kara biting into her shoulder again that drove Alex into her orgasm. The slight twinge of pain, coupled with Kara’s expert caresses… well, Alex was simply no match for the onslaught of pleasure.

 

Digging her nails into Kara’s back, Alex arched up into her girlfriend, her eyes squeezed shut and her throat too tight to do much but whimper. Warmth spread through every fibre of her being, and she lazily rolled her cheek against the top of Kara’s head when the aftershocks washed over her, helped along by Kara’s gentle movements.

 

She wanted to say something, but her mouth didn’t work quite yet and her brain seemed to have lost most of its functions. Instead, she slowly grabbed Kara’s hand and pulled it out of her boxers, before guiding it up to her mouth.

 

Enraptured, Kara watched as Alex took the fingers into her mouth and _sucked_.

 

Dragging her tongue along the pads of Kara’s digits, Alex felt more than gratified when her girlfriend’s eyes took on a red glow. Something along those lines had been exactly what Alex had been hoping for, and she grinned as Kara pulled back her hand, before surging forward and capturing Alex’s mouth in a bruising kiss.

 

-

 

Gasping, Kara pulled her hands away from Alex’s head and pushed them into her own hair instead. She didn't feel like having to explain to Eliza and Selina why the bedspread was ripped and needed to be thrown out.

 

As she felt her orgasm rapidly approaching - Alex’s tongue and mouth on her clit was still almost more than Kara could handle - Kara had to remind herself that nothing would happen to her while she rode through that orgasm. The first time Alex had made her come, Kara had been too focused on the surprise of it all to be worried. And when they’d last had sex, the sensory overload hadn't started until well into the night.

 

And Kara wanted to feel close to Alex, she really did, and she loved for Alex to make her feel good. She just had to work through this irrational fear of the loss of control. And she knew it would take time, but she was frustrated nonetheless. She wanted it to work _now_.

 

With a whimper, Kara bent her left leg just a bit, enjoying the way Alex’s hand moved over her skin as she continued to eat her out. This was good, and Kara didn't feel like she was forcing herself, as she threw back her head and gave herself up to the sensations.

 

When Alex swirled her tongue just right, Kara’s entire body tightened with pleasure, and her mind emptied itself.

 

When she came to, Alex was lying next to her, her fingers softly stroking Kara’s stomach. Her expression was tender, and Kara rolled onto her side, so she could bury her face in her detective’s neck. Breathing slowly, she pressed her mouth against the bite marks and hickeys she’d left there.

 

“How are you feeling?” Alex asked quietly, her hand slipping under Kara’s pajama top to stroke her back.

 

“Good,” Kara replied, after several seconds of quiet thought. Glancing up at Alex, Kara tried to gauge her expression. She wasn't afraid that Alex would grow bored with her issues, but she also wanted to ensure that Alex’s needs were met. “How about you?”

 

With a shrug, Alex drew her nails up and down Kara’s spine. “I feel like I want to take a shower and change the sheets.” Her head was resting on her hand, and Alex looked so beautiful and relaxed that the rest of Kara’s worries melted away.

 

“I have a better idea,” she said, getting out from under the covers and pulling up her pajama bottoms.

 

-

 

“I’m going to fall asleep again,” Alex mumbled, drawing her nails lazily up and down Kara’s bare arms. Her shoulders were relaxed and the tension that usually accompanied her body had melted away in the heat of the water. And Kara liked to think that her presence and proximity had helped that process along, too.

 

“I’ll keep you from drowning, I promise,” Kara replied, gently nuzzling Alex’s temple with her nose and enjoying the way Alex’s naked back rested against her front.

 

She knew that taking a nice bath together would be a fantastic idea.

 

“I don't want to sleep, though,” Alex lamented, pulling her hands into the water and settling them on Kara’s knees. Her touch showed no indication that she wanted to start another bout of sex, and Kara wasn't particularly interested in anything of the sort, either. Right now, she was just soaking up all of the free time she could with Alex by her side. “I want to call Chloe and talk to her about whether or not she’s found anything else of use to us.”

 

Smiling gently, Kara nibbled at Alex’s earlobe.

 

“She said she’d call _you_ , Alex.” She knew she sounded ridiculously smitten, but Kara barely even cared anymore. “Chloe and Selina are working as fast as they can.” She ran her hands over Alex’s shoulders and neck. Back and forth in a soothing motion.

 

“You know I worry,” Alex tried to defend herself half-heartedly, dragging her thumbs over the insides of Kara’s knees.

 

“Yes,” Kara said, pressing her forehead against Alex’s temple. “But the only thing you should be worried about right now is Lois and Lucy’s family dinner.” She wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck and held her tightly. “There’s nothing you can do about the rest.”

 

“I don't know how you can be so calm about everything,” Alex grumbled, sounding suspiciously like she wanted to cross her arms over her chest.

 

“Trust me, I’m furious.” Kara shrugged. “But everybody came home safe, you blew up that terrible Lexcorp lab, we have all of their data, _and_ you helped Tra-Gob escape.” She shrugged again. “I’m choosing to take this as a sign that things are going to get better from here on out.” She stroked the freshly healed bullet wound on Alex’s right arm. “Because we _are_ stronger together.”

 

With a huff, Alex pulled out of Kara’s embrace and turned around in the bathtub.

 

“Your optimism is disgusting,” she said, before wrapping her arms around Kara’s neck and bringing their lips together in a gentle kiss. “I love it.”

 

With a giggle, Kara held Alex close to her and reciprocated the kiss.

 

-

 

Handing over the receipt, Kara smiled brightly at one of their customers and wished them a great day. On this Friday afternoon, Kara let out a small breath of relief as she thought back to the phone call Alex had received earlier in the morning. Apparently the hero menace people on the force couldn't justify keeping Alex suspended any longer, since the case about Lawrence Dunwall hadn't gone anywhere.

 

All of their attempts to make Alex look guilty had failed, and the many sessions her detective had spent in the interrogation room had finally paid off. Kara could have vibrated out of her seat at the news, considering how much of Alex’s identity and professional ambitions tied into her desire to help people.

 

Turning towards Lucy, Kara gave her best friend a blinding smile.

 

“If you keep smiling like that, I’ll need to get my sunglasses,” Lucy teased, moving her hand to her face as though trying to shield her eyes from a bright light. When Kara chuckled, Lucy looked even more pleased with her own joke.

 

“I’m just happy for Alex,” Kara said, shrugging with one of her shoulders.

 

“If she doesn't punch every single one of the assholes who kept her away from work in the face, then she's squandering one hell of an opportunity.” While she spoke, Lucy’s hands busied themselves with reorganizing her work space to make sure she had everything perfectly within reach for the next wave of customers. “Do you have time to help me out tomorrow?”

 

Raising one eyebrow, Kara leaned her hip against the counter.

 

“Sure, what do you need me for? I have the morning shift.” She’d been planning on hanging out at Alex’s apartment for the rest of the day, but if Lucy needed her for something, that was a different story. And Alex would understand.

 

“I want to move back into my apartment,” Lucy said, squaring her shoulders seemingly without thinking about it. “It’s time. I talked to James, and he said his stuff is gone already.” Taking a deep breath, Lucy drummed her fingers on the counter top. “I miss being home.”

 

Lucy didn't have to explain herself any further. No matter how much she loved living with Kara, there was something to be said about living by yourself and being _home_. And besides, Kara’s apartment lacked one key feature: A gigantic canvas of Lucy dressed as a queen surrounded by all of her riches.

 

“Do you want me to ask Alex to help out? Or Harley and Pam? I’m sure they’d love to help,” Kara offered, knowing full-well that Lucy texted Harley and Pam every day now. It was great how well they got along, but sometimes asking people for help could be tougher than just texting them to say hello.

 

Shaking her head, Lucy lightly kicked Kara’s shin.

 

“I think we can handle my two measly bags,” she said, looking like she was trying to affect nonchalance. Maybe she simply didn't want anyone but Kara around when she settled back into her home. For the first time without her husband.

 

Deciding not to push, Kara tapped the tip of her shoe against Lucy’s. “How about we get lunch tomorrow and then we attack those bags head-on?” she offered, already thinking about flying Lucy to that food cart across the city that sold those amazing hot dogs.

 

“Sounds like a plan,” Lucy agreed, lifting up her shoe and trapping Kara’s foot underneath her own.

 

-

 

Saturday afternoon, Kara leaned her back against the wall of the elevator in Lucy’s apartment building, and loosely held onto the two suitcases in her hands. Next to her, Lucy was carrying a box of trinkets that she’d managed to accrue over the time she’d spent at Kara’s apartment.

 

“Eliza was pretty disappointed when I told her yesterday that I wouldn't be around,” Kara said casually, smiling as she thought back to the evening before. “The others are having a game night.”

 

Snorting, Lucy leaned her head against the elevator wall.

 

“That sounds hilarious,” she said, a wide grin on her face. “How long do you think Mrs. Danvers is going to stay?” Before Kara could answer, Lucy lifted her left hand away from her box and held it up. “Sidebar - is it too late to keep Mrs. Danvers and send your dumbass back to Gotham City?”

 

Rolling her eyes, Kara walked off the elevator, Lucy trailing after her.

 

“I think she wanted to stay a couple of weeks at first, but then Alex’s suspension dragged on longer than she thought,” Kara explained, watching as Lucy put down the box and unlocked her front door. There was a slight tremor in her hands, making the keys rattle more than usual. “And then the whole hero menace stuff happened…”

 

Shrugging, Kara followed Lucy into the apartment, hoping that her chatter would distract her best friend. After all, this would be the first time Lucy would be in her apartment since James had moved out his things.

 

“So Alex’s mom might just live with her forever,” Lucy said, even though her words lacked their usual fire. Her shoulders visibly stiffened when Kara closed the front door, and she stopped walking after the first five steps.

 

When she said nothing else, Kara put down the suitcases.

 

“Everything okay?” she asked, gently placing her hand on Lucy’s back.

 

With a shudder, Lucy slowly nodded her head.

 

“It’s weird…” she replied quietly. “He took his paintings.” She sounded so forlorn that Kara didn't hold herself back from wrapping her arms around her best friend. Another shudder wracked Lucy’s body and she sobbed a little as she laughed. “I’m so _relieved_.”

 

Smiling softly, Kara grabbed the box from Lucy’s hand and put it on the ground so she could wrap her arms more tightly around her friend.

 

Things were looking up.

 

-

 

With a huff, Alex sat down on the couch in Kara’s apartment.

 

“Are you sure tonight won't just end in a complete disaster?” she wondered out loud, staring up at the ceiling and listening to the sounds of Kara and Selina discussing which pair of shoes would go best with her nice, rose-colored dress. “If Lucy murders Lois there's nothing I can do. I won’t be back on duty until Monday.”

 

Turning her head to the side, Alex watched as Selina held a pair of high heels against Kara’s dress to gauge how compatible the colors were. The sight was incredibly sweet, and Alex could have never wished for anything more than for her best friend and her girlfriend to get along.

 

Which was the only reason why she didn't roll her eyes when Selina’s hand strayed a little too far down Kara’s waist, before it was slapped away.

 

“If things go south, we just have to intervene,” Kara asserted, picking up a pair of black high heels that matched the black belt she had on around her waist, before she walked over to Alex, Selina trailing after her with an amused expression on her face.

 

“If all else fails, just call me and I’ll instigate a diversion,” Selina purred, sinking onto the stool Kara usually used for painting. Her eyes trailed over the Kryptonian scenery on the new canvas. “Or you could just take me with you. It’s a _family_ dinner, after all.”

 

Giving in to her urge to roll her eyes, Alex placed her hand on Kara’s thigh and rubbed it gently while Kara pulled on the high heels. For her part, Alex was dressed in her nicest pair of dress pants and an expensive, blue shirt. At her mother's insistence, she’d even curled her hair.

 

“You're not invited,” Alex snarked back, her hand trailing from Kara’s thigh to her back.

 

With a sigh, Kara got back to her feet and shook out her shoulders. Turning on the spot a couple of times, she seemed unsure what to do. They still had a good fifteen minutes before they were supposed to leave, and the evening was clearly bothering Kara more than she was willing to let on.

 

Getting to her feet, Alex took Kara's hand and started pulling her in the direction of the bedroom, steadfastly ignoring Selina’s loud whistling. When Alex gave her the finger, she sniggered.

 

Kara seemed slightly perplexed when Alex closed the bedroom door behind them, but once Alex’s lips were on hers, her confusion cleared up quickly. Due to the high heels, she was even taller than usual, which meant Alex had to rise up on the tips of her toes even more than on any other day.

 

Lifting her hands, Kara slipped her fingers into Alex’s hair and held her close while her lips pressed gently against Alex’s mouth. Tilting her head to the side, Alex captured her girlfriend’s bottom lip in between her own and sucked it softly.

 

When Kara pulled away, she was smiling.

 

“What was that for?” she asked, smoothing Alex’s hair back down and bumping the tip of her heels against Alex’s old, beat-up boots.

 

“I figured you might need a distraction,” Alex murmured, wrapping her arms around Kara’s waist and kissing her chin. “To help calm you down.” She knew that both Lois and Lucy had been texting Kara non-stop about the dinner and how worried they both were.

 

“I don't know if this was the right way to make me _calm down_.” Kara’s voice was low and suggestive and Alex felt the telltale signs of a giggle in her throat, before she pushed it back down. She felt downright giddy with happiness. “We should get back out there, before Selina starts assuming things.”

 

Snuggling into Kara’s neck, Alex took a moment to enjoy her girlfriend’s warmth and the reassuring pressure of her hands trailing along her back.

 

“I get to go back to work,” Alex whispered, holding Kara just a bit tighter.

 

“Yes, you do,” Kara replied, slipping her hands under Alex’s shirt and drawing her nails along the skin she’d discovered.

 

Letting out a soft sigh of pleasure, Alex closed her eyes and listened to Kara's steady heartbeat.

 

-

 

“Took you both long enough,” Selina drawled as soon as Alex and Kara left the bedroom. Looking down at her watch, Alex realized they’d been in there for roughly ten minutes. “Kara’s phone has been blowing up with messages, so you might want to check that out.” Selina had picked up one of Kara’s sketchbooks and a pencil and was scribbling away.

 

Sighing quietly, Kara walked over to the coffee table and picked up her smartphone.

 

“It’s Lois. They're early, because Clark and James insisted,” Kara revealed, handing Alex the phone so she could see for herself. Peering down at the message on the screen, Alex raised both eyebrows.

 

 

> [Daily Planet’s Star Reporter Lois Lane]: Get over here RIGHT NOW. U kno Luce has an EPEE. _Sent 06:19pm._

 

But the fact that Lucy apparently practiced fencing wasn't what drew Alex’s attention. Instead, she tried to make out exactly what was on the background of Kara’s messaging system. It looked suspiciously familiar…

 

“Kara, where did you get this?” Alex asked, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she realized what was on Kara’s phone. She was pretty sure not even Selina had this picture. She’d certainly _seen_ it, of that Alex had no doubt, but her mother usually guarded Alex’s baby pictures like a hawk.

 

Looking up from what Selina was scribbling and onto her own screen, Kara seemed confused for all of five seconds, before her mouth split into a happy smile.

 

“Oh, your mom gave that to me.” She came back over to Alex, who was standing next to the couch with what surely must have been a dreadfully disgruntled expression, and plucked her cell out of Alex’s hand. A few clicks and swipes later, Alex was staring down at an unobscured view of her four-year-old self.

 

“Why…” Shaking her head, Alex ran a hand through her hair, utterly bewildered that her mom apparently trusted Kara enough to share something like this with her. A picture of Alex in her old _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ hat, her face covered in birthday cake, and clutching the old cat they’d had tightly to her chest. “And she just… sent this to you?”

 

Furrowing her brows, Kara’s happy smile vanished, only to be replaced with an expression of confusion. “Um, yeah.” She slipped her phone into her pocket, before reaching out to rub Alex’s bicep. “You looked super cute, so I asked her if I could have it. Was that not okay?”

 

Behind them, Selina snorted, which pushed Alex out of her stupor.

 

“No, sorry, of course that’s okay,” she reassured Kara quickly, pushing down her feelings of relief and bewilderment. Apparently, her mom had decided that she was absolutely fine with Alex dating Kara - so fine, in fact, that she was willing to assume that Kara would be in Alex’s life for a very long time. “I think we should get going before Lois has a heart attack.”

 

Still looking mildly worried, Kara nodded and chastely press her lips against Alex’s, almost as though she was trying to reassure herself. Before she got a chance to get her trench coat, Alex wrapped her arms around Kara’s waist and gave her a longer, gentler kiss.

 

While Kara packed the rest of her things, Alex rubbed one hand against her mouth while she placed the other one on her waist. She would need to have a serious discussion with her mom about those pictures she had on her phone.

 

“Looks like your marriage has Liza’s blessing,” Selina teased quietly, tapping her foot against Alex’s shin. “How does it feel to know that your mom is probably looking up yet more wedding venues as we speak?”

 

“Shut up,” Alex grumbled, starting forward and ruffling Selina’s hair.

 

“You owe me ten bucks, Lexie,” Selina joked, getting to her feet and hitting Alex over the head with the sketchbook. “I told you Liza was planning your wedding already.” Snorting, Alex dodged the next whack.

 

“I never agreed to this bet!”

 

-

 

“Everything’s going to be fine,” Alex said, soothingly squeezing Kara’s fingers. “Don’t worry.”

 

They were riding up the elevator to Lucy’s floor, and Kara’s body was as tense as it could be. Honestly, at this point Alex was used to having her fingers crushed just a bit too much, but still, she could do without the added visual of Kara tearing into her own bottom lip with nervous fervor.

 

“You were the one who said this would all end in disaster,” Kara reminded her, while the cut in her lip closed up immediately and knitted itself back together. “I think my nervous energy is more than justified.”

 

Shrugging, Alex rested the bottle of wine in her hand on her knee, and pressed a soft kiss against Kara’s shoulder. She purposefully didn’t ask what the worst outcome of the night could be, because she was sure that there were a million and one possibilities for disaster swirling around in her girlfriend’s beautiful brain.

 

“I know Selina was joking earlier, but I wouldn’t be above calling her for help, if this evening devolves into fisticuffs.” Bumping her shoulder against Kara’s, Alex pulled her out of the elevator. She’d never been in Lucy’s apartment before, so she waited for Kara to pull her in the right direction.

 

With a sigh, Kara straightened out her shoulders, nodded to herself, then started striding forward purposefully. Her posture had changed from her usual Kara Kent-persona to the way she held herself when she was Supergirl, and Alex had to remind herself that they would be in polite company soon. Otherwise she might have decided to drag Kara into a stairwell to make out with her some more.

 

The door to Lucy’s apartment swung open mere seconds after Kara had knocked on the wood, and Alex was pretty proud of herself that she didn’t try to reach for a gun that wasn’t there. Considering that there were two Kryptonians, a man with a black belt and two women with degrees in dirty fighting around, Alex felt pretty sure that she didn’t need her firearm. And if something horrible happened, she still had the karambit knife tucked into her boot.

 

“Thank god you’re here,” Lucy groaned, grabbing Kara by the arm and pulling her inside, leaving Alex to trail behind them. “If I have to listen to Clark trying and failing to make conversation for even a second longer, I’m going to gouge my own eyes out with my fork.”

 

“Please don’t,” Kara whispered, shrugging off her trench coat and handing it over to Alex, before disappearing around the corner.

 

Rolling her eyes fondly, Alex hung up their jackets on the coat hangers in the hallway. Since she was now alone, she took a second to steady herself. This was Kara’s family, personal grievances or not. They’d all known each other for years, and Alex would be the outsider coming in. Thankfully, she didn’t feel the least bit desire to drink, even though the wine bottle felt far too familiar in her hand.

 

Walking slowly, Alex rounded the same corner that Kara and Lucy had vanished behind, and found herself looking at a living room with a dining table that almost everybody was already seated at.

 

There was no reason to be worried. After all, the only one she didn’t know was James, and Kara had assured her that he was one of the nicest people she’d ever met. And even though Lois was scary as all hell, she’d pretty much adopted Alex as soon as Kara had convinced her that Alex really hadn’t cheated on her and that it had all been a massive misunderstanding.

 

And Clark? Well, he looked very intimidating because of his sheer size, but the fact that Alex had seen him cuddle Caesar and Trish while wearing Alex’s scarf and shoving popcorn into his mouth had sort of ruined the scary image of the burly older cousin.

 

Lucy and Kara weren’t there.

 

Great.

 

“Hey,” Alex greeted the others, placing the wine down on the dining table and trying her best to force a friendly smile onto her face.

 

“Hi,” James replied, getting to his feet and rounding the table with an outstretched hand. He was even taller than Clark, but he seemed genuinely glad to see her. “You must be Alex. I’m James. It’s so great to finally meet you.”

 

Shaking his hand, Alex found that the next smile was much easier to produce.

 

“Likewise.” He was wearing a nicely tailored shirt and a pair of jeans, and Alex was pretty sure that if she were straight, she’d find him very attractive. “Kara has told me a lot of great things about you.”

 

Once he made his way back to Clark’s side, who had his arm placed on the back of James’s chair, Lois lifted her glass in greeting. Without a word, she went back to sipping her clearly alcoholic drink, and Alex watched as Clark surreptitiously tried to nudge Lois’s arm.

 

“Alright, alright,” she said, setting down her glass and giving Alex a quick once-over. “I hope you’re prepared for a night of Lane family horrors.” While her words made Alex raise her eyebrows, they caused Clark to sigh and rub his face.

 

“That’s definitely the right attitude to have,” he said sarcastically, before standing up to give Alex a big hug. “Thanks for coming.” He was just pulling away from the hug, when Lucy and Kara finally joined them in the living room.

 

Moving on from Alex, Clark wrapped his arms around Kara instead, clearly indicating that Lucy had kidnapped her to somewhere else before she could even say a proper hello to the others. Considering that Lucy was holding a pot of soup, they’d likely been hanging out in the kitchen.

 

Eyeing the table for the right place to sit, Alex decided that sitting next to James might not be the worst idea. That way, Lucy wouldn’t have to sit next to her ex-husband, and Kara could sit next to Lois to create a Kryptonian buffer between the two sisters.

 

Honestly, even though it meant that Alex couldn’t spend the evening sitting next to Kara, she was much more concerned with avoiding a catastrophe than anything else. And maybe, just maybe, Alex was worried about Lucy’s emotional well-being, too. Just maybe.

 

-

 

“So, Alex, Kara told us that you’re finally going back to work,” Clark said, both his hands back at his own sides. Kara had noticed that he’d stopped touching James the second Lucy was back in the room, and she felt a quiet pang of hurt for her family. She wished there was something she could do for them all, even though she knew she couldn’t.

 

“Yeah, the case they were trying to manufacture about the guy who wanted to shoot Kara didn’t go anywhere,” Alex replied, her fingers looking suspiciously tight with stress on her spoon. She was sitting opposite Kara, wedged in right between James and Lucy, who had been avoiding eye contact pretty much the entire night. “Took them long enough.”

 

Nodding understandingly, Clark swirled his own soup around on his plate. He usually ate almost as much as Kara did, but tonight he’d been strangely reserved with his food. Unlike Lois, who’d been shoving soup and bread into her mouth for the past thirty minutes. Much like Kara, she was a big stress-eater.

 

When no one said anything, Alex apparently decided that she could milk the topic for some more words to fill the silence. Kara was glad for it, considering how stiflingly awkward the whole affair was.

 

“I don’t know whether or not I’ll be able to go back into active duty straight away, though.” Alex’s eyes moved from Clark to Kara and back again, while Lucy picked at a piece of flatbread. This was truly excruciating. “Before I was suspended, our inhouse psychologist couldn’t recommend me to go back on active duty, because he’d been threatened.”

 

Scoffing, Lois dunked a piece of bread into her soup.

 

“Fuckers,” she mumbled, shaking her head.

 

“No kidding,” Lucy agreed, looking up for a second and making eye contact with her sister before staring down at her soup again. The exchange almost made Kara vibrate with excitement, but she kept it in.

 

Lois’s eyes stayed on Lucy.

 

“That’s messed up,” James joined in, reaching for the ladle to pour a bit more soup onto his empty plate. “Is there anything we can do? Give him some sort of protection? They can’t keep you off the streets forever with that excuse.”

 

“We should just beat up every single one of those human losers,” Lois muttered, before she put the bread back into the soup without taking a bite. “Maybe they just need to learn the lesson that aliens aren’t the ones they should be worried about.”

 

Heart pounding in her chest, Kara observed as Lucy looked up once more.

 

“We just need a proper plan,” Lucy offered, her fingers still fiddling with the flatbread and sprinkling her soup in small white bits of fluff.

 

“Chloe basically has the entire database,” Lois continued her sister’s train of thought.

 

“We could make house-calls.” There was a nervous excitement to Lucy’s words, like she was actually considering going around National City, knocking on people’s doors, and beating them up for their involvement in the hero menace movement. Granted, Kara could understand that impulse all too well, but still.

 

“You’re not going to go around and punch xenophobes,” Clark interjected before Kara had the chance, his face torn between a mixture of disapproval and cautious hope. “For this, I think we need to go through the official channels.”

 

Crossing her arms over her chest, Lois raised one of her eyebrows at her boyfriend.

 

“Clearly, the police are involved, otherwise Alex wouldn’t have been out of work for weeks.” Kara had a feeling that Lois was arguing mainly for the sake of having something to do and continuing this unexpected camaraderie she’d established between herself and her sister.

 

“They’re not all bad.” Alex’s words were swallowed up by Clark’s noise of dissent, and Kara had to hide her grin behind her hand. Especially when Lois, Clark and Lucy continued to squabble without acknowledging Alex’s contribution to their conversation.

 

A glance to the left revealed that James had leaned back in his chair and was watching the interaction fondly. He seemed perfectly unperturbed by the fact that he wasn’t included, but then again, he’d always been the quiet and rational part of their family constellation.

 

Placing her chin on her hand, Kara found Alex’s foot under the table and established eye contact between them.

 

The smile she got in return was just as relieved as her own.

 

-

 

At the end of the night, Lucy was pretty drunk.

 

She’d indulged in the wine Kara and Alex had brought, and after that one had been finished, she’d brought out another one of her own. And since she’d been pretty much the only one drinking the stuff, she’d ended up with quite the buzz.

 

“Come on, Lane,” Alex said, leaning over Lucy and grabbing her arm. After saying goodbye to Clark, James and Lois, Lucy had slumped down on her couch, and while she’d been dozing, Kara and Alex had cleaned up the apartment and stowed the dishes inside the dishwasher. “Time for you to go to sleep.”

 

Grunting, Lucy peered up at Alex through a cloud of alcoholic lethargy.

 

“You’re stupid,” she slurred, pulling her arm free from Alex’s grip.

 

“I know,” Alex said, trying to ignore the giant painting of Lucy as a queen staring down at her in quiet disapproval. “But you still need to sleep, and Kara got called away to do superhero stuff.” Taking Lucy’s arm once more, Alex gently pulled on her, more than a little happy when Lucy finally deigned to sit up.

 

“You make me so mad,” Lucy murmured, leaning her full body weight on Alex as they slowly made their way over to the bedroom. “So mad.” Alex had half a mind to call Selina, so Lucy could see how mean she really could be, but then she decided against it.

 

“Yes,” Alex agreed, pulling Lucy a little straighter to keep her from stumbling again. All of this would be so much easier if Kara hadn’t been called away to deal with some alien crisis. She could have simply picked Lucy up like she weighed nothing, and Lucy definitely wouldn’t have ended up complaining this much. “Just a bit further.”

 

Before waking Lucy from her drunken stupor, Alex had taken a look around the apartment to see where the bedroom was located. She was glad for that now as she pulled Lucy into the lit room and helped her over to the bed, since Lucy seemed to be in no condition to help her locate anything.

 

Slowly, Alex guided Lucy onto the bed, before kneeling down and taking off her slippers and socks. Above her, Lucy grumbled something about Alex keeping her hands to herself, but she seemed too tired to do much but wiggle her toes.

 

Choosing to stay quiet, Alex got back to her feet and unbuckled Lucy’s belt.

 

“I’m serious,” Lucy grumbled, even though she was laying on her back by this point. “No funny business, or Kara’s going to kick your ass.” Her toes wiggled again, and Alex had to bite back a snort of amusement. Drunk Lucy was someone she could get used to. Of course, Alex had been drinking water throughout the night.

 

Letting the belt fall to the floor, Alex shifted Lucy off the duvet for a moment, before she lifted the woman’s legs onto the mattress as well. If she’d known earlier in the day that she’d be tucking Lucy Lane into bed at the end of the night, she might have elected to stay home, all things considered.

 

“Just sleep,” Alex said, pushing Lucy onto her side, before tugging the blanket over her. If Lucy vomited in her sleep for some reason, Alex didn’t want her to be on her back. Even though the chances of that were slim, there was no reason to take the risk.

 

Just as Alex was about to walk away and get Lucy a glass of water and a couple of painkillers for the morning after, Lucy opened her eyes and stared up at her. There was something vulnerable in her look, and it softened even the smallest vestiges of Alex’s annoyance.

 

“Do you think Vasquez likes me?” Lucy asked quietly, surprising Alex with her words. Out of all the things that could have come out of Lucy’s mouth at this point, this wasn’t what she’d been expecting.

 

“I think so, yeah,” Alex replied, sort of hoping that Lucy wouldn’t remember any of this. Especially when Alex reached out to squeeze Lucy’s shoulder in reassurance. “Vasquez would be lucky to have you.”

 

 _Stop talking_ , she thought to herself, knowing full well that Lucy wouldn’t hesitate to use anything she said against her later on.

 

With a silly smile on her face, Lucy turned her back on Alex and snuggled into the blankets. Then, just as Alex was about to leave the room, her voice drifted up from the bed. “You’re stupid.”

 

Sighing, Alex left to fetch that glass of water.

 

-

 

Monday morning, Kara felt just as relieved as she had on Friday afternoon. The night before, Lois and Lucy had spent an entire evening getting along, without it ending in a pointless, but ultimately hurtful argument. Instead, Lucy and Lois had schemed together, something which Kara very rarely saw, but that always made her happy.

 

Even if she’d been the one to dash some of their more elaborate plans in the past.

 

“Fuck,” Lucy grumbled, shuffling into the employee’s lounge at six thirty am. “Please slap me the next time I go for the wine.” With a wince, she lifted her hand to her head and moved over to her own locker.

 

Winn snickered next to them.

 

“Looks like someone partied just a bit too hard,” he said, tugging on his apron. “Aren’t you getting a bit too old for that, Luce?” Closing his locker, he gave Kara an amused look, which she returned in full.

 

“Fuck off, Winslow,” Lucy replied, giving Winn the finger, before opening up her locker and putting away her purse. Taking pity on her, Kara placed her hands on her best friend’s shoulders and started massaging. “Why can’t you be more like Kara?”

 

With a laugh, Winn shook his head and left the lounge to help out the other baker that Ms. Grant had hired recently to lighten Winn’s load. Kara was glad she’d managed to keep him out of this hero menace mess for now. He had enough to worry about with his father’s retrial on the horizon.

 

“Anything I can do to make it better?” Kara asked, rubbing her hand along Lucy’s back.

 

“Unless one of your powers includes being able to suck the alcohol out of my system and replacing it with water, I don’t think so.” Turning around, Lucy wrapped her arms around Kara and held on tightly. “I’m glad yesterday evening went so well, though.”

 

“Me, too,” Kara murmured, kissing the top of Lucy’s head and swaying her gently back and forth. “Not that I was worried.” The addition made Lucy chuckle. “I totally knew the two of you could behave yourselves.”

 

“Right,” Lucy said sarcastically, untangling herself from Kara’s loving embrace and grabbing her red and gold apron. “I can’t believe you left me alone with Detective Dumbass. She could have throttled me in my sleep.”

 

With an amused eye-roll, Kara closed her locker.

 

“She told me you called her stupid. Several times,” she countered, checking her phone quickly to make sure the sound was off. Besides, she had her trusty earpiece, just in case Indigo needed to contact her about something truly important going on in the city.

 

“I love drunk me so very much.” Lucy’s tone of voice was dreamy, and it made Kara laugh out loud. They were just about to leave the room, when the door opened in front of them to admit Ms. Grant.

 

“Kiersten,” she said, nodding to Kara before looking at Lucy, “Luna.”

 

Both of them said their hellos, and Kara stood up just a little bit straighter under her boss’s gaze. Ms. Grant very rarely came into this room, especially when there were still people inside. Usually, she enjoyed standing in the café and watching her coffee shop working flawlessly.

 

“Kiera, my office, now,” Ms. Grant said, snapping her fingers and turning around without another glance. Scrambling to follow quickly, Kara gave Lucy a concerned look. She hoped this was merely about the promotion Kara had handed in her application for, and not anything more harrowing.

 

Winn lifted his eyebrow at Kara, and she shrugged helplessly, following Ms. Grant all the way to her office at the very back of the building. Neither one of them said a word until the door was shut behind them and Ms. Grant had sat back down behind her desk.

 

“Sit,” she said, gesturing at one of the two chairs in front of her desk, and Kara obliged instantly, folding her hands neatly in her lap. Leaning back in her chair, Cat studied her for several moments, before she slowly nodded her head. “I’m glad you decided to spine up and hand in your application.”

 

Digging her nails into her palms, Kara nodded quickly.

 

“I wanted to congratulate you on your promotion.” Cat’s expression barely changed, but Kara saw the hint of a smile play across her lips and the corners of her eyes. “Starting next week, you’ll be assistant manager.” Her words were almost enough to make Kara jump to her feet and fist pump, but then again… Ms. Grant might not appreciate that gesture. “I hope you’re up to the task.”

 

“I definitely am, Ms. Grant,” Kara said, unable to hide her excitement. “I promise I’ll do a great job!” She wished her boss would get up, so Kara could round the desk and pull her into a hug. The fact that Cat was staying seated probably meant that she knew exactly what Kara wanted to do.

 

“I know you will,” Ms. Grant said, picking up her pen and a stack of papers and going back to her work. “Or I will be very disappointed.” The fact that she’d put on her glasses and had started to write indicated clearly that Kara had been dismissed.

 

“Thank you, Ms. Grant.” Almost flying with joy, Kara left the office, carefully closing the door behind her. She tended to let go of her control just a bit when she was happy, and she didn’t want to splinter and break the wood, because she’d been too exuberated.

 

The first thing she did was call Alex, even though she knew her girlfriend was back at work and wasn’t supposed to take personal calls. With this amount of energy flowing through Kara’s veins, she felt like she was justified in breaking the rules just a little bit.

 

Alex picked up after the second ring.

 

-

 

Rolling up into work on her motorcycle on Tuesday morning, Alex relished in the feeling of being at work again. Of course, she’d done the mandatory meet and greet with Lord yesterday, as well as the hugs, handshakes and back slaps from the colleagues who were genuinely glad to have her back.

 

But today, all of that was done, and Alex could just go about her business.

 

Locking down her machine, Alex casually strolled up to the front doors of the precinct, a mischievous smile coming over her features. She had a plan for today, and nothing was going to deter her. Besides, she’d already talked to Kara about it, and even though she’d been a little hesitant at first, she’d ultimately seen the logic in Alex’s thought process.

 

“You look happy today,” Senior Criminalist Chang said as she looked up from her coffee to see Alex walk through the doors. She’d given Alex a hug the day before, and that had only cemented Alex’s relief to be back at work. A small part of her had been worried about returning.

 

“I have a surprise planned,” Alex revealed, giving Susie a bright grin. “I’ll let you know how it goes.” Considering how much of an asshole Alex had been to Susie a couple of months ago after the whole Selina-debacle, it was a miracle that the lab tech even spoke to her. The fact that they’d started a kind of friendship was all too precious as a result.

 

Giving Susie a small wave, Alex continued on her way towards her desk.

 

She would need to be patient for a while longer, but she could hardly wait.

 

Just as she’d sat down, Vasquez leaned against the side of her desk, a grim expression on their face. Which could only mean one thing…

 

“No,” Alex whined, slipping down in her desk chair. “Again?”

 

With a shrug, Vasquez patted her on the shoulder.

 

“Sorry, dude.” They grimaced first at Alex, then at J’onn. “Whatever Lord Hades wants, etcetera, etcetera.” Getting back to their feet, Vasquez squeezed both of Alex’s biceps from behind. “Still really glad to have you back, even though you’re about to go back into hell.”

 

“It was nice while it lasted,” Alex said sarcastically, pushing herself back into a proper sitting position, before getting to her feet. “Guess I should get this over with now.” And she’d been in such a jovial mood, too. Goddamn Lord had to ruin everything.

 

-

 

 _Stunned_ would have been the right word to describe how Alex was feeling.

 

She almost felt like she was in a daze as she walked through the corridor that led back towards the bullpen. Out of all the things she’d expected to come out of Lord’s mouth, that really hadn’t been it. The shock must have shown on her face, because J’onn’s expression immediately turned to one of concern when she sat back down next to him.

 

“What happened?” he asked straight away, setting a bottle of water down in front of her. Gratefully, she twisted the cap off and took a few hearty gulps. Next, J’onn pulled out a Tupperware box and opened it up to reveal his signature homemade cookies.

 

Setting down the bottle of water, Alex shook her head.

 

“He put me back on active duty,” she said, furrowing her brows and giving J’onn a perplexed look. “And he seemed… strangely happy about it.” She shook her head again. All of this was way too weird for her. “Frank signed off on it, too.” Even though their in-house psychologist had been blackmailed and the lives of his children had been threatened… “Guess that means the hero menace movement _wants_ me out on the streets.”

 

J’onn didn’t have to say a thing. They both knew that these were troubling news, because it likely meant that another attack was coming.

 

Clenching her jaw, Alex picked up one of J’onn’s cookies and bit into it, savoring the taste of chocolate and hazelnut. On the one hand, she was glad to be completely reinstated, but on the other hand… well. She wasn’t thrilled about being attacked again.

 

“Whatever,” she finally said, picking up another cookie. “Doesn’t matter if they attack me while I’m on the job or not. I have a giant target on my back no matter what.” Maybe she should start practicing some of Kara’s optimism. “They could attack at any time. I’d rather be out there doing stuff, than being stuck in here.”

 

Nodding his agreement, J’onn picked up one of his own cookies. “You need to start wearing your vest at all times. Or ask Batman to get you one of his reinforced suits that you can wear under your clothes. His technology is a lot more advanced than what we have here at the precinct.” His voice brooked no argument, and Alex let out a small sigh.

 

Great, now she had _two_ superhero dads.

 

-

 

Spotting Alex walking outside, Kara finished up with the customer in front of her, before switching places with Hayashi. Rounding the counter, Kara watched as Kelly took Lucy’s place, before making her way over to a booth in the corner.

 

“If this goes badly, I’m blaming you for it,” Lucy threatened, leaning against the bench and staring over at the front door of the coffee shop, while Kara took off her own apron and placed it down next to where she’d sat down.

 

“It won’t go badly,” Kara promised. “You just need to relax, be yourself, and let it happen.”

 

Grumbling quietly to herself, Lucy drew a hand through her hair. “I haven’t done this since high school.” Biting her bottom lip, her whole body stood at attention when the front doors were pushed open and Alex entered the coffee shop. “I feel like a kid again.”

 

Grinning fondly, Kara waved at Alex, whose mouth shifted into a beautiful smile. She was wearing her standard detective’s uniform, which consisted of a pair of dress pants, a blue shirt and a blazer. Sunglasses sat on the top of her nose, and she ran a hand through her windswept hair, making Kara feel weak in the knees.

 

She really fudging loved this woman.

 

Behind Alex, Officer Vasquez had their hands stuffed into the pockets of their police jacket. Their cheeks took on a slight blush when they made eye contact with Lucy, and the shy smile on their face made Kara want to hug them.

 

“They’re so into you,” Kara whispered to her best friend, chuckling when Lucy’s expression turned mushy and excited instead of terrified. Apparently, seeing Vasquez in person had somewhat helped her calm down. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

 

“You need to stop,” Lucy murmured out of the corner of her mouth as Alex picked up her tray and waited for Vasquez to join her, before they both made their way over to the booth. There was something of a smug smile playing across Alex’s lips, and Kara was pretty sure that her girlfriend had made a very similar comment to her friend as Kara.

 

“Hey, baby,” Alex said, setting down her tray and leaning down to give Kara a kiss. “Sorry we’re a few minutes late.” She smelled absolutely divine, and Kara’s senses locked in on her girlfriend’s presence immediately.

 

“No problem,” Kara replied, gripping the lapels of Alex’s blazer and pulling her back down into another kiss. When no sarcastic comment came from Lucy, Kara let go of Alex to look at her friend, more than a little gratified to see that Officer Vasquez was standing in front of Lucy with their tray clutched tightly in their hands.

 

Finally letting Alex sit down, Kara watched as Lucy placed her hand on Vasquez’s bicep and squeezed it softly. “You know, I’ve always really liked that uniform,” Lucy said, straightening up from where she’d been leaning against the booth and taking Vasquez’s tray out of their hands.

 

Once it was on the table, Lucy drew her fingers along the two sides of the zipper on Vasquez’s police jacket, while their face flushed bright red. Seeing them so flustered was absolutely adorable, even though Kara felt just a bit bad for them. Lucy was a force to be reckoned with, even when she wasn’t flirting with anyone.

 

“It suits you,” Lucy continued, her own face much more vulnerable than it likely would have been under other circumstances. Over the course of the last few weeks, Lucy and Vasquez had spent quite a lot of time together between missions, and it was obvious that Lucy liked them as a person and valued their friendship above everything else.

 

“Um, t-thanks,” Vasquez replied, their fingers twitching at their sides.

 

When Alex nudged her, Kara looked down at her own club sandwich and muffin. It was probably horribly rude to stare, especially since Vasquez had had no idea that this little meeting would even take place. Unlike Lucy, who had been well-aware of the fact that Alex would be bringing her friend.

 

“Would it be very inappropriate for me to ask you to arrest me, because I’ve been a bad, bad girl?” Lucy asked, the delivery of her pick-up line somewhat hampered by the fact that she sounded horribly sincere in her attempt to let Vasquez in on her intentions. In any other situation, Kara would have facepalmed, but in this moment, she merely bit into her sandwich and decided to let Lucy do her thing.

 

“I, uh, I think that… that would be fine.” Vasquez’s voice sounded shaky, and when Kara chanced a glance up at their face, she could tell that they were unsure how to proceed. Alex had told her plenty of stories about how Vasquez behaved around beautiful women - and she’d seen first hand how interacting with Selina tended to rile them up. “Maybe not right now… Or else the coffee’s going to get cold.”

 

Alex seemed to be on the verge of spitting up her sandwich in a fit of uncontrollable laughter, but Kara’s hand settling on her thigh distracted her just enough. Especially when Kara slid her fingers further up. Although that made her girlfriend choke for entirely different reasons.

 

“That’s a very good point, Officer,” Lucy agreed, squeezing Vasquez’s bicep one last time before sitting down on the bench, facing Kara’s amused expression. It took Vasquez considerably more time to coordinate their limbs and slide in after Lucy, and a few seconds after they’d sat down, their knee hit the bottom of the tabletop.

 

Kara had half a mind to tell her best friend not to feel up the nice police officer under the table, until she realized that her hand was still drawing circles on the inside of Alex’s thigh. “I’m glad we could all meet for lunch,” Kara said instead, moving her hand onto safer territory on Alex’s knee.

 

Grinning, Lucy picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip.

 

“Yes, that was a great idea,” she replied, her right hand still suspiciously lost under the table.

 

For a few moments, they all ate in comfortable silence, which meant that both Kara and Lucy had to move their hands up again. It was probably for the best, considering that Vasquez looked to be on the verge of passing out from the attention.

 

“Lord put me back on active duty,” Alex mentioned offhandedly, making Kara almost spit out her hearty gulp of hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon. Somehow, Alex’s usual order had rubbed off on her.

 

“What?” she asked incredulously, putting down her mug and grabbing Alex’s hand. “Why would he do that? I thought he was trying to keep you in the bullpen?” They really needed to figure out if Lord was involved with the hero menace movement in some way, but so far everything about him had come back clean. The only thing they knew for sure was that he was friends with Gordon Godfrey, who was one of the key players in the whole conspiracy. But that didn’t mean that Lord knew about it all.

 

Shrugging, Alex placed her own, free hand over Kara’s.

 

“I guess the hero haters want me back out on the streets,” she said almost too casually, as though she was trying not to worry Kara. It was entirely possible that Alex was downplaying the danger she was in for Kara’s sake. “Don’t worry, J’onn already told me to ask Batman for some proper protective gear.”

 

Head swirling with all kinds of terrible scenarios, Kara reached up to her face and fiddled with her glasses. This was bad news. They were planning something, and Kara wasn’t sure what she could do about it.

 

“That’s it, we need to make a proper plan for the Alex Danvers Buddy System,” Kara finally declared, scooting over just a bit on the bench so she could be closer to her girlfriend. “Someone needs to be with you at all times.” In her head, Kara was already charting out the proper time schedule. While Alex was at work, she could be either around J’onn or Vasquez. Then there were the Sirens, and possibly Clark, if she could persuade him to drop by.

 

Vasquez’s eyebrows rose up on their forehead, and they seemed to forget for the moment that they were sitting next to their crush. “Alex Danvers Buddy System? Is that the new _Pokémon Go_? Do we get candies if we walk around with you, Danvers? ‘Cause if we do, you owe me a buttload of candies.”

 

At their words, Lucy let out a short burst of laughter, before leaning just a bit closer to Vasquez.

 

“I think we should all be getting something for hanging out with you, Danvers. Where’s my compensation?” she needled, bumping her shoulder against Vasquez, who blushed all over again, seemingly surprised and pleased about the fact that Lucy had joined in on their joke.

 

“You can get this,” Alex replied, giving Lucy the finger.

 

Shaking her head at her friends and girlfriend, Kara squeezed Alex’s fingers just a bit tighter, careful not to hurt her this time. “I’m serious, Alex, this isn’t good.” She placed Alex’s hand in her lap, making her detective look back over to her. “I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

 

As usual, a public coffee shop wasn’t the place to have this discussion, but Kara would make do. If she had to send her cop back out there, she at least wanted to make sure that Alex wouldn’t be taking any unnecessary risks.

 

“I’ll be careful,” Alex tried to reassure her, as though Alex’s signature move _wasn’t_ putting herself in harm's way in order to save her friends and colleagues. “You need to worry about yourself right now. I have J’onn and Vasquez and the others; I’ll be fine.”

 

Pulling back her hand, Alex picked up the chocolate chip muffin she’d bought herself and set it down in front of Kara. The soothing gesture almost made Kara give into her urge to clutch Alex to her and never let her go.

 

Picking up the muffin, Kara tried not to think about how much danger the woman she loved would be in on a daily basis. Sure, Alex had been a cop before, but now she had an even bigger target painted on her back, and with the destruction of the hero menace lab…

 

When Vasquez’s hand came into view, Kara looked up at their face. They, too, were holding their dessert out to her - a piece of Winn’s chocolate cake. Before she could say no, Vasquez had already placed down the cake in front of her.

 

Feeling incredibly loved and understood, Kara didn’t feel like she had to say anything else at all.

 

-

 

On their way back to the precinct, Alex thought about how worried Kara had been for her. She also called Batman, because Kara had insisted that she shouldn’t waste any time, and he’d promised to send her some of his and Batwoman’s gear.

 

He’d also told her to be careful, because apparently everyone in Alex’s life thought she couldn’t handle herself. She was almost afraid to go home and face her mother and Selina. Their reactions likely wouldn’t be any different.

 

Trying to pull her thoughts onto a more lighthearted subject, Alex eyed Vasquez out of the corner of her eyes.

 

“You okay there, Vas? You look a little flushed,” she teased them, biting her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning. In all of this mess, this was one thing to be excited about, at least. Both Vasquez and Lucy deserved someone who would treat them right (even Alex had to admit that Lucy wasn’t actually all that bad).

 

For a couple of minutes, Vasquez didn’t say anything. They’d been touching their cheek off and on since they’d left the coffee shop, because Lucy had given them a kiss there before they’d left. Vasquez’s stammering had been pretty cute, Alex had to give them that.

 

And she’d be giving them shit for it for _all_ of eternity.

 

Opening their mouth to speak, Vasquez seemed unable to form words. Seriously, the level of smugness Alex was feeling at this moment was probably unhealthy, but she’d _known_ that this was a damn good idea. Kara might have been hesitant, but Alex hadn’t had any doubts.

 

Not waiting for a response, Alex pushed on. “You’re going to ask her out, right?”

 

Cheeks roughly the color of fire hydrants, Vasquez gave a shaky nod in response.

 

At Alex’s laugh, they finally managed to produce a sound.

 

“Wow.”

 

Alex clapped them on the back. “Yeah, yeah.”

 

“No, like… wow,” Vasquez repeated, their fingers touching their cheek again.

 

“Very articulate there, Officer Vasquez. Now I know what gets you all the ladies.” Alex was having a damn good time teasing her friend like this, especially with all of the worrisome things going on around them.

 

“No, Danvers, you don’t understand. You have Kara, you don’t see it. She’s just… _wow_ .” The two of them rounded the corner and found themselves almost back at the precinct. Alex couldn’t wait to tell J’onn all about their little excursion to the coffee shop. “I had no idea it would be like this. _Wow_.”

 

Wrapping her arm around her friend’s shoulders, Alex felt like her smile would soon grow too big for her face. Briefly, she wondered if she’d acted this dumbfounded after meeting Kara and asking her out on a date.

 

“Well, now you know.” Steering Vasquez into the precinct, Alex kept an eye out for Senior Criminalist Chang, and was almost disappointed when she didn’t see her. Maybe she should pop down to the morgue. “How does it feel?”

 

Vasquez shook their head.

 

“I don’t know, how am I even supposed to ask her out?” Their eyes were almost desperate for Alex to give them an answer. “She’s so _wow_ , and I’m so… well… _me_.” The words reminded Alex of the last time she’d seen Vas this distressed over relationship issues. When Siobhan had sent Alex the fruit basket, and Vasquez had revealed that they’d been cheated on before.

 

Dragging them along, Alex pushed Vasquez into the stairwell.

 

“Look at me,” she demanded, placing her hands on her hips and waiting for Vasquez to gaze up at her. “Lucy Lane is a goddamn trainwreck of a human being, and you know why that is?” She held up her hand to stop Vasquez’s rebuttal before it could start. “It’s because she’s a person, the same way you’re a person.”

 

“I know that,” Vasquez grumbled, clearly trying to get out of this weirdly intimate exchange that Alex had started. To be fair, having a heart to heart with her friend wasn’t exactly on Alex’s favorite list of activities either. “But…”

 

“No _buts_ ! It either works out, or it doesn’t. But if I were you, I’d think long and hard about the fact that she basically felt you up in front of everybody and then told you to _arrest_ her for being a bad, bad girl.” Grabbing Vasquez by the shoulders, Alex shook them back and forth. “For fuck’s sake, Vas, you still have lipstick on your cheek and your damn uniform is rumpled from her fondling. Get it together!”

 

When Vasquez looked down in embarrassed terror at Alex’s words about their uniform, Alex let out a small sigh. “I’m kidding about the uniform bit, but the fact that you even felt the need to check basically proves my point.” Straightening herself back out again, Alex crossed her arms over her chest. “I know it’s tough, but you need to go back to that coffee shop and ask her out. Soon.”

 

Nodding and sighing at the same time, Vasquez stuffed their hands into the pockets of their police jacket.

 

“Yeah, maybe…” they conceded.

 

Huffing in pretend-annoyance, Alex kicked Vasquez’s shin.

 

“There are no _maybes_ allowed in this precinct, Officer Vasquez.” She was well-aware that what she was proposing was much easier said than done. Before she’d gotten up the courage to ask Kara out on that date, she’d been riddled with doubts about herself and about Kara’s nice smiles and words and acts of kindness.

 

“Alright, so, I hear what you’re saying,” Vasquez started, squaring up their shoulders in an effort to look less intimidated by the prospect of asking Lucy out. “But let’s assume that I make a total fool of myself. I can’t even think straight right now, how am I supposed to keep it together when I’m actually talking to her?”

 

Trying to push down the desire to smirk, Alex shrugged one of her shoulders. “I’m pretty sure it’s impossible for you to think _straight_ ,” she teased them, checking her watch to see whether or not she’d be reprimanded for coming in late.

 

“Jerk,” Vasquez whispered to themself, before kicking Alex in the shin, too.

 

“I get why you’re worried, but think about it. What would be worse? Asking Lucy out and making a fool of yourself, or wondering what could have been for the rest of your life?” Her question was spoken a lot more gently than her earlier teasing. “You have her number, so send her a text message, if you can’t do it in person. Just… you know… Do it.”

 

Nodding again, Vasquez lifted their head for a second, before surging forward and wrapping their arms around Alex in a tight hug. The two of them had never had the cuddliest relationship, which Alex was absolutely fine with, so this was definitely a surprise. Still, Alex awkwardly patted them on the back.

 

“Thanks, dude,” Vasquez murmured, squeezing Alex just a little bit tighter for a moment, before letting her go.

 

Slightly embarrassed, Alex rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah, sure, don’t mention it.” Acknowledging feelings was so damn overrated. “You know what you need right now? J’onn’s cookies.”

 

“I’ll meet you at your desks.” Shaking out their arms, Vasquez took a deep breath. Then, they marched out of the stairwell, their phone clutched in their trembling fingers a moment later. Feeling just a bit too proud of their friend, Alex slowly walked off in the direction of the bullpen.

 

Kara was going to flip out.

 

-

 

Leaning back against the couch, Kara sniggered when Lucy unlocked her phone screen for about the dozenth time in about ten minutes. It was absolutely adorable, and Kara was taking great delights in teasing her best friend about it.

 

“So, when are you and Officer Vasquez going to move in together?” she teased, turning away from the romantic comedy they were watching so she could devote her full attention to Lucy. “I’m going to be the godmother to whatever children you might be having soon, right?”

 

With a snort, Lucy held up her hand for Kara to high-five.

 

“Nice one,” she said, putting her phone back onto her lap. “But I wouldn’t celebrate too soon. They haven’t even asked me out, yet.” With the way Lucy and Vasquez had been texting all night, Kara was pretty sure the whole asking out thing was sort of a formality at this point.

 

“Give it time,” Kara said, trying to sound wise and knowledgeable, just before she shoved a handful of popcorn into her mouth and chowed down on it. With her mouth still half-full, Kara chuckled a bit. “I wonder what Selina’s going to say about the fact that you and Vasquez will start dating soon.”

 

She’d intended her comment to be something that she and Lucy could laugh about, but instead, Lucy went very still. Her face took on a stony expression, and she turned down the volume of the television, making Kara swallow the rest of her food.

 

This seemed much too serious for a fun conversation during a Tuesday evening movie night.

 

“I still can’t believe they kissed that woman,” she said, leaning her elbow on the back of the couch and demanding Kara’s full attention. “They’re so great, they don’t need to resort to settling with someone that awful.”

 

Squirming a bit under Lucy’s intense gaze, Kara was more than glad that Alex wasn’t around to hear Lucy’s words. There was nothing that her girlfriend hated more than listening to other people talk badly about the ones she loved.

 

“Well, it wasn’t really their choice,” she tried to placate her best friend, reaching out and softly patting her thigh. “I’m sure they didn’t actually want to kiss Selina, if that makes you feel any better.”

 

Furrowing her brows, Lucy leaned in closer.

 

“Are you saying that she forced herself on them?” Her expression was absolutely thunderous, and Kara bit down on her own bottom lip in chagrin. That certainly hadn’t deescalated the situation like she’d hoped.

 

“Selina and Vasquez talked about it afterwards, and Selina apologized for kissing them without their consent.” Why in the world had she decided to add that little bit of information? She really needed to work on her communication skills.

 

“Unbelievable,” Lucy murmured, before slumping back onto the arm of the couch and staring up at the ceiling, her dark hair fanning across one of Kara’s throw pillows. The fight had gone out of her as quickly as it had come. “I can’t believe she got to kiss them before me.”

 

With a small smile, Kara took Lucy’s hand.

 

“It was just a kiss, Luce, and it didn’t mean anything.” Playing with Lucy’s fingers, Kara chuckled quietly to herself. “At least this isn’t like Siobhan. Imagine if you tried to date her, and Selina would constantly taunt you about how much better she is in bed than you.”

 

Again, Kara’s attempt at humor made Lucy sit up straight.

 

“Oh my god,” she said, her expression as stony as before, making Kara vow to keep her mouth shut for the rest of the night. “I can’t believe this.” Running her hands through her hair, Lucy pinned Kara with her eyes. “Tell me I don’t have the same taste in people as _Selina Kyle_.”

 

The dramatic way in which the words were delivered almost made Kara’s carefully constructed resolve crack. She definitely shouldn’t say anything else at this point, but… the way Lucy was looking at her… the sheer horror on her face…

 

It was all too comical.

 

“I mean… you did say you thought Alex was attractive,” Kara said, trying to school her features into an expression of complete innocence. This was so much better than that romantic comedy, at least now that Lucy seemed more exasperated than angry.

 

“Oh god,” Lucy repeated, falling back once again and burying her face in her hands. “This is the worst day of my life.” As though to rub yet more salt in the wound, Lucy’s phone vibrated in her lap, and the name _Vasquez_ appeared in bright blue letters. “They’re way too sweet for Selina.” She grumbled. “I don’t even know what she saw in them.”

 

Finally giving in to her urges, Kara started giggling.

 

“Are you implying that my girlfriend isn’t sweet?” she asked, poking Lucy in the stomach. “Because I’ll have you know that she’s the sweetest person in the whole world.” Her poke turned into tickling, but not before she’d placed Lucy’s phone on the coffee table.

 

When Lucy’s hand shot out through her flailing, Kara pulled back to avoid being hit in the face. Mostly for the sake of Lucy’s fingers - she didn’t particularly _want_ her best friend to break her limbs on Kara’s steely skin.

 

“Danvers isn’t sweet,” Lucy panted, glaring up at Kara, who probably looked all too pleased with herself for diverting her best friend’s attention. “If anything, she’s sexy and dirty and-”

 

“And she wears chubby Pikachu boxers,” Kara interjected, sticking her tongue out at Lucy, who blinked for a couple of seconds, before apparently deciding that this knowledge was enough to soothe her wrath.

 

“Alright, fine, whatever, your girlfriend’s really sweet.”

 

Chuckling, Kara slumped down on top of Lucy and looked back at the television, where two attractive women were engaged in a long and sensuous kiss. When she felt Lucy’s left arm wrap around her, Kara smiled to herself.

 

A few seconds later, Lucy’s phone was back in her hand.

 

“You know… I can see why you started dating a cop,” she purred, apparently already over the thought of Selina and her sharing a few common traits. “That uniform really is something special. Danvers still has hers, right?”

 

Blushing bright red, Kara hoped Lucy couldn’t tell how flustered that comment had made her. While Alex rarely had occasion to wear her uniform these days, Kara _had_ seen her wear it before, and… well…

 

Some things were better left unspoken.

 

At least for the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter left........ and the fic ends on a Wednesday! How poetic, you guys! Starts on a Wednesday, ends on a Wednesday. I love it. Also, the scene with Lucy and her fam doesn't mean that everything is peachy and perfect from here on out. I just means Lucy and Lo took their first steps back towards one another. 
> 
> Also how dang cute is Vasquez?? I love them
> 
> As always, beta-d by the hard-working Coara
> 
> And if you wanna come talk to me, find me @goshdarnitjay on tumblr xoxo


	29. Stronger Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Kara try to have movie nights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is. The final chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed this ride. Let me know your feelings in the comments! I can't wait to hear what you're going to say :) Thanks for sticking with this story until its conclusion! ♥ I hope you enjoy!
> 
>  **Note** : Graphic depictions of violence, mention of blood cw.

Giggling through their kisses, Kara pulled Alex close by the lapels of her blazer. Their lips moved at a slow and loving pace, and Alex had absolutely no problems with that whatsoever. Especially when Kara held her like this. In fact, she sort of wished she’d thought to wear a tie to work, because the prospect of Kara pulling her along by her tie was incredibly enticing. 

 

They’d made plans to meet up at Kara’s apartment after Alex was done with her shift. Now that Lucy was back in her own home - and preoccupied with Vasquez - the apartment had suddenly become a much more pleasant place to hang out at. At least in Alex’s opinion.

 

“Thanks for stopping by, detective,” Kara purred, slipping her palms briefly onto Alex’s chest, before gripping the neatly pressed blue and white striped shirt Alex had thrown on that morning. “I’m so happy to see that the police is willing to help  _ all  _ of the citizens it swore to protect.”

 

Feeling like she was on the verge of melting into a puddle, Alex slipped her hands around Kara’s body.  

 

“Just doing my duty, Ms. Kent,” she replied, smoothing her hands under her girlfriend’s comfy sweater and seeking out perpetually hot skin. When they’d made plans to hang out by themselves, Alex had expected that they’d be watching TV and surfing the internet while cuddling on the couch. 

 

Maybe Kara was determined to work through her fear of losing control.

 

“Quick question,” Kara husked after pulling away just enough to be able to look directly into Alex’s eyes. “Would you mind if I ripped your shirt? I’ve wanted to do that for months.” The question sent a spark of electricity right down to Alex’s crotch.

 

Sure, she liked this shirt well enough, but the way Kara was looking at her… well, she liked that a whole lot more.

 

“Go for it,” she whispered, sliding her right hand into the back of Kara’s sweatpants. 

 

She gasped when Kara pulled on the shirt, buttons popping and scattering everywhere. 

 

A second later, Kara was kissing her again, her hands gliding over Alex’s exposed stomach and chest. Alex would have been more than fine with staying right here for the rest of the night, but Kara apparently had other ideas. 

 

Grabbing Alex’s blazer again, Kara roughly pushed Alex backwards until her back hit the wall. The impact was so forceful that Alex had the wind knocked out of her, which only served to turn her on more.

 

The noise of surprise and pain she produced, however, made Kara rear back in contrition.

 

“I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” she asked, desire momentarily pushed aside to fuss over Alex’s well-being. It was incredibly sweet. “I’m so sorry, Alex, I got caught up in the moment.” Her hands slipped over Alex’s back and the intensity of her gaze made it more than plain that she was using her x-ray vision to check for any damage she might have caused.

 

“Kara,” Alex tried to distract her, moving both of her hands to Kara’s cheeks. “Kara, look at me.” Her eyes back to normal, Kara gazed back up at Alex’s face, her bottom lip caught in between her teeth. “I’m not going to break if you’re a little rougher with me.”

 

Hands stilling, Kara surged forward to wrap her arms around Alex, pulling her away from the wall and into a hug. 

 

“I don’t ever want to hurt you with my powers,” Kara murmured into Alex’s neck, her nose seeking out the spot behind Alex’s ear where Alex usually dabbed her perfume. “I don’t- I  _ can’t  _ lose control.”

 

Softly rubbing her girlfriend’s back, Alex leaned  her temple against Kara’s head.

 

“Kara, I’ve roughhoused with Harley Quinn. I’ve been blown up; I’ve been shot and stabbed multiple times. If I can keep my superpowered friends from breaking my entire apartment, I think I can handle it when you push me up against a wall,” she said reassuringly, knowing that her words probably wouldn’t sink in for Kara right away. Just like Alex would never be fully over her trauma, Kara would likely never stop being worried about losing control. 

 

But maybe there was something else she could do to soothe Kara’s nerves.

 

“Actually…” she whispered, “I like it when you’re rough. I like it a lot.”

 

Kara’s body went very still at that, before she slowly lifted her head away from Alex.

 

She was biting her bottom lip again, and Alex flushed at the look of curiosity clearly reflected in Kara’s unsure expression. “Okay…” Moving Alex back against the wall - much more gently this time - Kara pressed their bodies together once more. “I’m just saying… I bet I’m a lot stronger than Harley.”

 

Wrapping her arms around Kara’s neck, Alex was more than a little relieved that Kara didn’t seem to think that her comment was weird. To be fair, Alex had mentioned on more than one occasion that Kara’s super strength turned her on, too, so she probably shouldn’t have been too worried. 

 

She’d never been into BDSM, but there was something to be said about rough sex that bordered on being painful from time to time.

 

“I’m sure you are,” Alex agreed, tugging softly on her girlfriend’s hair. “But I’m not worried.”

 

“A  _ lot  _ stronger.” Moving her lips down to Alex’s jaw, Kara pushed her leg in between both of Alex’s, before her hands moved to Alex’s abdominal muscles. When her nails dug into the skin there (though not hard enough to break the skin), Alex whimpered and bucked up her hips. 

 

“I’m sure they don’t call you the Girl of Steel for nothing,” Alex teased her, pleased with herself when Kara grinned against her jaw and let out a chuckle. A moment later, they were kissing again, much more roughly than they ever had before.

 

The kiss stole Alex’s breath and made her feel weak in the knees, the only thing holding her up being Kara’s strong hands and the leg pressing against her crotch. While they kissed, Alex tried to move her hips back and forth on that thigh as best as she could, but Kara’s grip on her was tight and steady.

 

“If it’s too much, just tell me to let go and I will,” Kara husked in between kisses, drawing her nails up and along Alex’s stomach and onto her breasts. “I’ve never tried to let go of my strength even a little bit during sex…”

 

“This is a work in progress,” Alex stuttered, her mind already a million miles away. “I’m totally fine with being your test subject.” She was mostly babbling at this point, her mind focused on the ache in her groin. 

 

Sucking and biting at Alex’s neck, Kara lowered her fingers do the waistband of Alex’s dress pants. 

 

“How attached are you to your belt?” she asked, voice rough with arousal.

 

Alex gulped.

 

-

 

> [No. 1 Ladykiller]: I can’t believe you left us alone so you could spend time with the wife all by yourself, Supercop.  _ Sent 08:21pm _ .
> 
> [No. 1 Ladykiller]: For shame!  _ Sent 08:21pm _ .
> 
> [Ultimate Quinner]: Leaving ur mom to pick up the slack! Typical!  _ Sent 08:22pm _ .
> 
> [Red-Hot Chili Pepper]: Give Kara our best! Hope you’re having a great evening with lots of sex and cuddling! You deserve it.  _ Sent 08:23pm _ .
> 
> [Ultimate Quinner]: Take pix.  _ Sent 08:23pm _ .

 

-

 

Grabbing her phone off Kara’s bedside table, Alex squinted up into the bright light of her screen. While she and Kara had been busy, the sun had gone down around them, bathing them in darkness. 

 

“Any news?” Kara asked from her position on Alex’s chest. Her head was tucked neatly under Alex’s chin, and her right hand was drawing shapes and sizes on and around Alex’s collar bones. The blanket was only haphazardly thrown over Alex’s bare legs.

 

“Just Selina and the others being ridiculous,” Alex replied, sending back a quick text and telling the others to fuck off. “They’re all hanging out at my apartment with mom.” The texts from two hours ago were followed by a couple of pictures of the Sirens, Eliza sitting in between them. The sight of her mother’s carefree smile filled Alex with a sense of contentment.

 

“It was totally rude of me to steal you away,” Kara teased, flattening her palm on the skin of Alex’s chest and nibbling playfully at the collar bone her fingers had just vacated. “I don’t know how they’ll survive an evening by themselves.”

 

“I know, they’re lost without me.” Putting her phone back on the bedside table, Alex pulled Kara just a bit closer. “Harley asked me to take pictures.” Her words garnered an amused chuckle. “I don’t know why they keep asking. It’s not going to happen.”

 

Fingers dancing across Alex’s abs, Kara shrugged her right shoulder.

 

“Have you ever sent them nudes before? Maybe that’s the reason.” Her words sounded mischievous, and they were enough to make Alex huff in mock-affront. “I mean, you’ve shared everything else with them…”

 

“You think you’re so funny, Supergirl.” Alex shook her head. “You should stick to saving people; your future definitely isn’t in comedy.” Lifting her hand, she brushed a stray hair out of her eyes. 

 

“Someone’s feeling especially sassy tonight,” Kara said, lifting her head and skimming her lips across Alex’s chin. “Maybe the reason why they keep asking is because you’ve never sent them a nude.” Placing her elbow next to Alex’s head, Kara leaned her cheek against her hand and grinned down at Alex. “I bet they’ve sent you loads of them… they probably just want you to reciprocate.”

 

Her tone belied her nonchalant words, clearly letting Alex in on the fact that she was joking. Still, the thought sparked something in her brain… it certainly wouldn’t tame the requests for pictures, but maybe Alex could use it to tease her friends, something she always thoroughly enjoyed.

 

“I’ve seen way too much of my friends,” she agreed, reaching up and pulling Kara’s hair over one shoulder, so it would stop tickling her nose. “I just had a thought, though.” Grabbing her phone once more, Alex raised one of her eyebrows at Kara. “Maybe we  _ should  _ take a picture.”

 

The look Kara gave her was nothing short of comical. Her cheeks darkened and her eyebrows pulled themselves together, forming that adorable little crinkle she always got when she was unsure about something.

 

“I don’t think I’m comfortable with that, Alex…” she said, raising her hand to fiddle with a pair of glasses that wasn’t there. 

 

“I don’t mean that we should take a full frontal,” Alex tried to reassure her, screwing up her face at the thought of the Sirens having such an incriminating picture of her. “I just mean our faces and shoulders.”

 

Blushing heavily, Kara buried her face in Alex’s neck.

 

“You can take a picture, if I can stay right here,” she mumbled, before blindly grabbing for the blanket and pulling it over them both. The whole thing made Alex grin to herself as she turned on the lamp on the bedside table.

 

“That’s more than fine with me,” she said, opening up her camera app and affecting the most smug expression she possibly could. She made absolutely sure that nothing truly scandalous was part of the picture, because she really didn’t want her friends to have a picture of her private parts. “They’re going to be so damn jealous.”

 

She just hoped they wouldn’t show it to her mom, although they’d always been great about keeping the more sordid details of their day-to-day lives away from her. At least in Gotham City. And Selina had once sworn up and down that she’d never talked to Eliza about any of Alex’s casual hook-ups.

 

“I don’t think I’ll ever really get used to those three.” Kara moved back onto her elbow and drew her pointer finger down Alex’s throat. “But I’m glad you have them.” The words were so achingly sincere, that Alex almost missed the instant replies to her picture.

 

Instead of checking them out, she leaned up to give Kara a small kiss. “Now you have them, too.”

 

When she finally did look down to check her friends’ responses, Alex almost wished she’d never even purchased a smartphone in the first place. Maybe she should have stuck with a flip phone. Or maybe she should have never become a police officer and avoided meeting the Sirens altogether.

 

Then she never would have been forced to bear witness to the deluge of nudes currently being sent her way. Nudes from her friends with the hashtag  _ badgirlsdoitbetter _ . Really, at this point she should have known that a stunt like this would only lead to more trouble.

 

“I hate myself,” she groaned, turning the phone over and pressing her hand against her eyes. “I’ve been scarred for life; I’ll never be the same.” Blindly picking up her cell, she passed it over to Kara, who squeaked a couple of seconds later.

 

“Alex!” she screeched, before the sound of something solid hitting the floor reached Alex’s ears. “Why would you show me that! I have an eidetic memory!” A quick glance confirmed that Kara had pushed the phone off the bed in her haste to get rid of the images. “I’m never going to be able to unsee that!”

 

Dropping her hand, Alex let out a resigned sigh.

 

“If I have to suffer, then you have to suffer,” she proclaimed, before rolling out of the way of the pillow Kara had just tried to whack her with. In her hurry to get off the bed, Alex almost stepped on her phone. 

 

“The picture was your idea!” Kara complained, before she supersped herself into a pair of panties and a t-shirt. After which she brandished the pillow all over again and took a threatening step closer to Alex.

 

“No fair! You can’t just use your powers like that.” Ducking away from the next whack, Alex quickly moved over to the discarded pair of sweatpants that Kara had left by the side of the bed. Slipping them on, Alex barely had enough time to body-roll over the bed as Kara followed after her. Again, she almost stepped on her phone, so she took pity and picked it up. “This experience will bring us closer together!”

 

“How am I ever going to look Pam in the eye again, after I saw her like that?” Kara demanded, following after Alex, who decided to forego a shirt in order to slip into the living room. Maybe her girlfriend wouldn’t be so trigger-happy if there was more stuff in the vicinity for her to break.

 

“At least you’ve never walked in on them,” Alex tried to placate her, putting the couch in between Kara and herself. “Besides, Pam doesn’t care that you’ve seen her naked. When she’s out doing vigilante stuff, she usually only wears a suit made of flowers and vines to cover herself up anyway!”

 

That one earned her a soft whack across the side, after Kara had flown over the couch.

 

“But I care!” She flew after Alex, who sought refuge in the kitchen, ducking down behind the counter. A packet of tissues was tossed to the floor when Kara narrowly missed her target. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Alex relented, looking up from behind the counter at a pouting Kara, who was floating a few inches above it. “I promise I won’t show you my friends’ nudes again.” At least not for the rest of the day. There was no doubt in her mind that the Sirens would send her more inappropriate pictures in the future. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

 

Tapping her pointer finger against her lips in thought, Kara slowly lowered the pillow. “Hmm…” 

 

Popping up a little higher, Alex waited for the verdict. She was still pretty sore from the rough lovemaking she and Kara had partaken in for the past few hours; with a number of snack and water breaks in between. If she could avoid getting smacked with a pillow, that would probably be for the best.

 

“Alright,” Kara agreed, floating down onto one of the chairs around her counter and placing the pillow on her lap. “You could make us some late-night pancakes. Then I might be persuaded to revoke your sentence of death by pillow.”

 

With a raised eyebrow, Alex got to her feet. 

 

“And would her majesty like anything else?” she asked sarcastically, already moving over to the refrigerator to get the milk and the eggs. “Maybe a simultaneous neck-massage?” A quiet giggle behind her was more than enough confirmation that Kara was over the whole nudes-debacle, for which Alex was glad.

 

“Pancakes will do,” Kara said happily, placing her elbows on the countertop and putting her head in her hands to watch Alex work. She was obviously enjoying the view, so Alex took the opportunity to strike a ridiculously macho muscle pose, which made Kara laugh even harder.

 

Life was good when she didn’t have to worry about anyone.

 

-

 

Friday evening, Kara was cuddled into Alex’s side in front of the television. They were hanging out with Lucy, Pam and Harley at Kara’s apartment, while Selina and Eliza spent a quiet evening alone at Alex’s place.

 

It was nice.

 

They’d picked an old show on Netflix to play in the background, while they mostly chatted. 

 

The giant tub of popcorn on Kara’s lap was almost empty, and a couple of raided cartons that had once held pizza were stacked on the counter in the open kitchen. And Kara had only been called out once on Supergirl business.

 

“Don’t do it, Davis,” Harley called out to the TV, her arms wrapped tightly around Pam’s waist. They were cuddling on the easy chair, while Kara and Alex had picked the loveseat. “Don’t be a creep, ugh. Every time.”

 

“I always want things to go differently,” Alex agreed, looking up from her laptop to establish eye contact between her and Harley. “He really doesn’t start out as a bad guy during the first couple of episodes.” 

 

“He’s just misunderstood,” Pam supplied, her fingers sifting through Harley’s hair.

 

“Pam, he killed people.” Lucy didn’t even look up from her magazine.

 

“Well, yeah,  _ bad  _ people.” For a moment, Pam’s fingers stilled, before she picked up the motions again when Harley squeezed her waist. “Honestly, that totally makes some of it okay.” At her words, Alex facepalmed.

 

“I’m just going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Kara said, rubbing her forehead. Sometimes, she had to remind herself that the Sirens had been villains at some point in their lives. They were mostly reformed now, but they still held some points of view that would probably never align with Kara’s.

 

“He’s still a creep.” Harley reached over to Kara and grabbed a handful of popcorn, completely ignoring Kara’s displeased expression. Due to Harley’s enhanced strength, she ate almost as much as Kara did, and she’d already made her way through her own tub of popcorn. Though hers had been a bit smaller.

 

Looking poised to respond, Alex placed her laptop onto the coffee table, clearly seconds away from delving into a much deeper discussion on the eighth season of  _ Greatcity  _ they were watching. But before she could say anything, the sound of a loud thump came from behind them, prompting everyone to look up from what they were doing.

 

The breath almost froze in Kara’s lungs as she looked over to the glass door leading onto the balcony.

 

“ _ Astra _ ,” she murmured, jumping to her feet at the same time as Alex, who was holding a gun she’d seemingly produced out of nowhere. If Alex had hidden guns in Kara’s apartment as well, they’d need to have a serious discussion. 

 

Her aunt wasn’t alone. There were roughly fifteen Kryptonians hovering nervously behind her. A closer look revealed that they all looked slightly worse for wear. Quickly, Kara’s eyes found Astra again, who was holding her side and leaning heavily on Tra-Gob’s shoulder. Kara recognized him immediately. He’d been one of Astra’s close friends on Krypton.

 

Speeding over to the balcony door, Kara threw it open and wrapped her arms around Astra, gently helping her inside. It was a testament to how hurt she was that she barely even protested the help. 

 

“What happened to you?” Kara asked, trying to ignore the drops of blood dripping onto her floor. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so terrified. During the Lexcorp lab mission, Kara had known that Alex would be back. But this? “Did the hero menace movement do this to you?”

 

When Astra didn’t respond, Kara looked towards the other Kryptonians who were still hovering outside. At her panicked look, they all flooded into the apartment, sending nervous and contemptuous looks at Alex and the others, who had all gotten to their feet. Pam looked seconds away from propelling Kara’s potted plants forward to attack.

 

“Come on, Aunt Astra,” Kara whispered, pulling her wounded aunt over to the couch. “Alex, can you grab me some towels? Lucy, get the first aid kit from the bathroom, please. Pam, do you know if your painkillers work on Kryptonians?”

 

To Kara’s great relief, Alex didn’t hesitate for even a second. Handing the gun over to Harley, she jogged quickly into the direction of Kara’s bedroom, Lucy hot on her heels. At the same time, Pam bent down to search through her purse.

 

Thankfully, they all knew to trust Kara’s judgement.

 

Keeping Astra steady, Kara looked over at Tra-Gob and the others, a look of determination etched into her face. “You need to tell me what happened,  _ right now _ .” Her voice was calm, steady and full of authority. In this moment, she carried all the strength of her mother and father inside of her, and the other Kryptonians reacted thusly.

 

“The humans returned,” Tra-Gob said, straightening up despite his obvious injuries. “They made us an offer to exchange your life for ours. Our General refused.” There was pride in his eyes, as though he was glad to be fighting for someone who stood by their values even in the face of danger.

 

Alex returned with the towels, quickly spreading them out over the couch so Kara could lay down her now unconscious aunt. She’d never seen Astra this weak and broken before, and Kara wished she could have been there to protect her. 

 

“But who did this to her?” Kara asked, stroking her shaking hand over Astra’s hair. “Did the humans have other kryptonite weapons?” If they had used the Manhunter weapon the movement had been working on, her aunt wouldn’t be alive. So, what? Did they now also use kryptonite bullets and knives?

 

“Non,” Tra-Gob said, his voice shaking with rage. He was standing with his hands behind his back, but Kara had a feeling they were clenched into fists. Hearing the name of her uncle spoken in such a way made Kara want to retch. “He intends to cooperate with the humans. He believes that once you are out of the way, he can implement myriad successfully.”

 

The only thing keeping Kara inside her apartment and away from Non was Alex’s hand settling on her shoulder. Drawing strength from her girlfriend, Kara nodded sharply to Tra-Gob, before turning towards the first aid kit that Lucy had placed on the coffee table. 

 

“Alex, can you call Superman and ask him to fly over the sunlight dispensers they keep at Watchtower?” If Non had used whatever weapons they’d been keeping at Fort Rozz to fight Astra, then her aunt could use all the help they could get. 

 

“Of course,” Alex replied quickly, grabbing her phone from her pocket and dialing Clark’s number. Giving Alex a nod, Kara  unzipped the front of Astra’s leotard, exposing her military undergarments, which were holding her breasts in place during combat. 

 

When the deep wounds in Astra’s stomach came into view, Kara almost cried. Aside from Clark, her aunt was the only living relative that Kara had left; she’d also once been her best friend on Krypton. And now she was here. Dying.

 

“I have the painkillers, Kara, but I don’t know how much good they’ll do,” Pam said, kneeling down next to Kara and holding out the small bottle with her green pills. “If I were in my lab, I might be able to whip something up for her, but…”

 

“Where is this lab? What do you need?” Tra-Gob asked, taking a step forward and looking intently at Pam’s face. “I will take you there myself.” Pulling his right arm to the front, he knelt quickly, lowering his head in quiet submission. “Anything to save our General.”

 

“It’s in Gotham City,” Pam said quickly, getting to her feet. “I have a kit there we need to grab. Let’s go.” Sending Harley a reassuring look, Pam, gave Kara a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be back soon, baby.”

 

“Thank you.” Kara’s chest swelled with gratitude as she watched Tra-Gob get back to his feet and swoop Pam into his arms. A moment later, both of them were gone, leaving behind the other Kryptonians, who crowded around the couch in his absence.

 

“Superman will be here in a moment,” Alex announced, pushing unceremoniously through the throng of people to help Kara clean Astra’s wounds. “I called Martian Manhunter, too. He might be able to help us identify the proper treatment for the weapon that was used.”

 

Nodding, Kara continued to wipe at the deep cuts and holes inside of Astra’s stomach. She couldn’t believe her uncle had done this. No matter what else could be said about him, he’d always been loyal to Astra, and he’d always loved her. She wondered what could have happened during those twenty years in Fort Rozz that had turned him into such a monster.

 

They’d just placed gauze over Astra’s open wounds, when Clark came flying through the open balcony door, a pile of sunlight dispensers, cables and wiring held in his arms. He was wearing his Superman suit, and he didn’t spare the Kryptonians a single look as he made his way over to Kara.

 

“I came as quickly as I could,” he said, putting down the electronics in his arms. “How is she?”

 

“She’s alive,” Kara said, wondering how long that statement would remain true. “Non is planning to sell out my identity to keep the rest of the Fort Rozz prisoners safe.” As she tried to get up to help Clark with the dispensers, he shook his head and gestured for her to stay put. Probably a good idea, since her hands were covered in Astra’s blood.

 

“What kind of weapon did Non use?” Kara asked the group of Kryptonians, accepting the clean towel that Harley was handing to her to wipe her hands. Harley was still holding onto Alex’s weapon, although they all knew it ultimately wouldn’t work on Astra’s soldiers. 

 

“An Almeraci cannon was used, ma’am,” one of the youngest Kryptonians said. She had long, dark hair framing her equally dark face. Kara didn’t know her personally, but she’d seen her around Astra before. The respect on her face was clear as day, and Kara sent her a nod. 

 

Almeraci. 

 

Kara had never been to their home planet of Almerac, but she’d encountered their queen Maxima before. When she’d gone on a rampage in National City, it had taken quite a long time to talk her down. 

 

“We need to keep her alive until she heals,” Clark said, pushing the sunlight dispenser over to Kara and Astra and turning it on. Kara felt its strength seep into her pores, and she hoped it was doing the same for Astra. Thankfully, Maxima hadn’t been carrying such devastating weaponry when Kara had fought her. 

 

“Once Red gets back here, she’ll whip you up somethin’,” Harley tried to reassure her, handing the gun off to Clark, before kneeling down next to Kara as well and rubbing her shoulders. “We’ve got you, Supergirl.”

 

“Thanks,” Kara said, leaving Alex to hold the gauze while she wrapped both of her hands around Astra’s fingers. Turning back to the Kryptonians, Kara focused her eyes on each one of their faces. They were all scratched and bruised, and clearly needed to be taken care of as well. “Were the humans still there when Non turned on you?”

 

“No, ma’am,” the same woman from before said, shaking her head. “They gave the General an ultimatum of two days to make a decision.” She looked severely displeased, and Kara sympathised with her all too much. 

 

Nodding again, Kara clenched her jaw and waited for Astra to heal. Her heartbeat was weak and thready, but it was still there, and for that Kara was grateful. She wasn’t about to lose her aunt, too. 

 

Five tense minutes passed, in which Kara contemplated what they should do next. Two days from now, her identity would be revealed to the hero menace movement if she didn’t do something about it. Which left her two options. She could either stop Non from attending the meeting, or she could stop the hero menace movement. 

 

Neither was appealing, but there were no other options.

 

While they waited, Lucy and Harley tended to Astra’s soldiers. They were all hurt in some way, and they weren’t too happy about the  _ humans  _ touching them, but a sharp look from Kara brought them all up short. They all knew that if Kara had lived to adulthood on Krypton, she’d have been the head of one of the most powerful Houses on the entire planet. And while they were under her roof - even on Earth - they would obey her rules. 

 

Aside from that, Harley’s glare was unspeakably scary.

 

“Tell me she’s going to make it,” Kara whispered to Alex, pressing the back of Astra’s hand against her cheek and taking a deep breath. The smell of blood was all over the apartment now, but Kara focused her attention on the unique scent that Astra had always had about her. 

 

“She’s going to make it, if she’s as stubborn as her niece,” Alex said, keeping her hands steady over Astra’s stomach. Her face held so much conviction that Kara almost believed her words. “She’s a Kryptonian General. I doubt anything can keep her down for long.”

 

With a nod, Kara closed her eyes and listened to Astra’s heartbeat. She loved her aunt more than almost anything else in the universe, and the thought that she might lose her was more than she could bear. 

 

She only looked up when she heard two feet landing after flying inside. 

 

Without much fanfare, Tra-Gob set Pam back onto her feet, before joining his comrades. When he and Alex made eye contact, he nodded and lifted his fist to his chest in a show of respect. The gesture was so unexpected that several of the other Kryptonians furrowed their brows, before apparently realizing who Alex was. 

 

Considering that Tra-Gob had only recently been saved, he’d most likely told Astra and the others who had helped him escape. 

 

Alex gave him an answering nod.

 

Now clad in a white lab coat, Pam hurried around the couch and set down a huge black bag next to Kara. Giving her a gentle look and a pat on the back, Pam slowly urged Kara to vacate her position right next to Astra.

 

“I need to take a blood sample,” she said, pulling out a syringe. “Has the stomach wound healed in any way?” When the others shook their heads, Pam went to work. She’d brought an abundance of equipment, some of which Kara had never seen. 

 

Taking the opportunity for what it was, Kara walked over to the bathroom to wash her hands, Alex hot on her heels. Clark and the others could handle themselves among the other Kryptonians, and Kara had a feeling that Tra-Gob would not soon forget Alex’s, Pam’s and Harley’s compassion.

 

-

 

When the blood had disappeared down the drain, Kara placed her hands on the bathroom sink edge and closed her eyes. She’d never seen her aunt this hurt before, not even during the many battles they’d fought over the last few years. What Non had done was unforgivable and he was going to pay for his actions; Kara was going to make sure of that.

 

“How are you holding up?” Alex asked, wrapping her now dry and clean hands around Kara’s waist. In the bathroom mirror, Kara watched as Alex pressed her nose against Kara’s temple. Just having her close was a relief.

 

“I’m scared,” Kara admitted, loosening her grip on the sink for fear of breaking it. “Astra’s dying and the hero menace movement is about to find out about my secret identity.” Absentmindedly, she wiped her hands on a clean towel. “I think it’s about time the universe threw me a bone.”

 

She didn't allow herself the privilege of breaking down. Instead, she turned into Alex’s embrace and pressed their foreheads together.

 

“Your aunt isn't dying,” Alex reassured her, her voice warm and loving. “And we’ll figure something out to stop the identity leak.” Her hands softly massaged Kara’s sides, and Kara let out a long, slow breath. 

 

“You're just talking out of your butt,” she mumbled, hiding her face in Alex’s neck and breathing in her scent. The smell of blood was on Alex as well, but Kara pushed it aside. Everyone was here to help. She wasn't alone in this. No matter what happened, she could always rely on her friends and family.

 

“Yes,” Alex confirmed, her right hand moving up Kara’s back to stroke her hair. “But I love you.”

 

“I love you, too,” Kara replied, taking a second to ground herself in this moment. The next time she walked out there, she would be Supergirl. But right now? Right now she could be Kara, and she could be scared and worried in Alex’s arms.

 

-

 

When Kara and Alex rejoined the others in the living room, J’onn was kneeling next to Pam and helping her grind down herbs. Except for Tra-Gob and the young black Kryptonian woman, the roughly fifteen soldiers had all crowded around Kara’s dining table, where Harley was making them sandwiches.

 

Clark was keeping the stomach wound compressed, while Lucy held onto Astra’s hand.

 

“How is she?” Kara asked, stopping behind the couch and staring down at her wounded aunt. Her face looked ashen, and her hairline was wet with sweat, but at least her heart rate hadn't decreased. 

 

“She’s stable,” Pam replied, pressing a button on one of her little machines, before taking out a slimy green paste and adding it to the herbs J’onn had just finished grinding up for her. “We're devising an antidote to the Almeraci chemicals that are keeping your aunt’s wounds from closing up.”

 

Nodding, Kara kept vigil over Astra while J’onn and Pam continued to work. As she waited, Alex spoke to Tra-Gob and the other soldier about the interaction between Astra and the hero menace movement. By the time the antidote was finally done, Harley had finished up with the sandwiches and had forced Kara to eat one, too. 

 

“Let's see if we can't get you back to full health, sweetie,” Pam told Astra’s unconscious form. She had put on a pair of surgical gloves and her hair was pulled up into a ponytail. Next to her, J’onn was holding the salve, a grim and determined look on his face. He, too, had known Astra on Krypton many years ago. “Superman, please remove the gauze.”

 

Everyone watched intently as Pam dabbed the leaf green salve onto the open wound with a cotton swab. Kara’s attention was so preoccupied that she barely even noticed it when she snapped the plastic cutting board in half that Harley had previously handed to her. At least the sandwich on top of it had long since been devoured.

 

Once Pam was done, they all waited with baited breath to see if anything was going to happen. 

 

For a few long minutes, the green salve simply glistened on Astra’s charred and broken skin and flesh. Then, slowly, oh so slowly, the skin shifted and started knitting itself back together. 

 

Astra’s face twitched, and Kara was at her side in an instant. Moving backwards, Lucy made sure Kara had enough space, without letting go of Astra’s hand. She clearly didn't want Kara’s aunt to lose the sensation of someone warm and alive being there for her.

 

“Aunt Astra?” Kara asked, cupping both of Astra’s cheeks and staring down at her. “Can you hear me? It’s Kara. I’m here. You're safe.” She stroked her aunt’s cheeks with her thumbs, before looking back over to the wound. It was still closing itself. “We're all here.”

 

This time, Astra’s eyelids fluttered, and her lips twisted into a grimace. 

 

“Aunt Astra?” Kara asked again, moving up one of her hands to brush back her aunt’s hair. At least the sunlight dispenser could help her, now that J’onn and Pam had finished the salve. Bringing it here hadn't been in vain. 

 

Another fluttering of lashes.

 

Then…

 

“Little One?” Astra’s voice was weak and raspy, and her eyes didn't want to stay open.

 

Her heart feeling ten times lighter, Kara pressed a couple of kisses against Astra’s sweaty forehead, completely unperturbed by the moisture. Her aunt would be okay. She would live. That was all that mattered. 

 

“I’m here, Aunt Astra,” Kara repeated, waiting with baited breath as her aunt continued to struggle with keeping her eyes open. “You're safe.” In a matter of seconds, Astra’s soldiers were all crowded around the couch once more, their expressions intensely relieved.

 

“M-My… p-people…” Astra whispered, her eyes trying to focus on Kara. 

 

“They're here. They're okay.” Stroking Astra’s hair slowly, Kara allowed the relief to wash over her in droves. Astra was safe. She was alive. She was regenerating. “We fed them and healed them. You don't have to worry.” 

 

A few of the Kryptonian soldiers looked to be suspiciously on the verge of tears.

 

“You need rest,” Kara said, satisfied to see that the wound had healed over. It was still red, but it would improve in time. “You can all stay here tonight. We’ll talk more tomorrow.” She pressed another kiss to Astra’s forehead. “Sleep.”

 

“No,” Astra protested, her voice barely audible. “I need to tell you… Non…” Her worry for Kara was clear as day in her words, but so were her exhaustion and agony.

 

“It’s okay. The others told me everything.  _ Sleep _ ,” Kara insisted, rubbing her thumbs over Astra’s temple, the same way her aunt had always done for her when she’d been anxious as a child. “We’ll be here when you wake up.”

 

For a second, Astra looked as though she was going to protest again, but then she closed her eyes. It took no time at all for her to fall asleep, and Kara rested her forehead on her aunt’s for just a moment. 

 

When her heart rate had calmed itself back down, Kara straightened up. Now that this crisis had been averted, it was time to work on the other one. Her identity. 

 

Getting to her feet, she placed her hands at her waist and took on the most authoritative pose she could; even if she was wearing a pair of fluffy, baby blue pajamas. At least the fact that they were now covered in blood made her look a bit intimidating. 

 

“Alright, here's the plan,” she said, looking from one face to the other, lingering a little longer on Alex’s determined expression. “J’onn and Superman, you fly over to Alex’s place to pick up Selina and the things she needs to work. And bring along some of Alex’s spare blankets. Pam and Harley, you're going to call her, so she knows to expect them. Lucy, you're going to ring up our favorite pizza place and order about twenty pizzas. Tell them it's for a party, if they're curious.”

 

Lucy saluted, and Kara took a second to smile about that, before she turned serious again. 

 

“Alex, Tra-Gob and…” Kara looked at the younger woman who had spoken to her before, and she immediately straightened up. 

 

“Zora Vi-Lar, ma’am,” she said, placing her fist over her heart in a show of respect and gratitude for helping her General. “Whatever you need.” It was very likely that Astra had told her soldiers to help Kara in whatever way they could.

 

“Thank you,” Kara replied, mimicking Zora’s stance. “Alright, so, Alex, Tra-Gob and Zora, please go into my bedroom and get Watchtower on a video call.” Picking up Alex’s laptop, Kara handed it over to her girlfriend. “We need to make a plan. Call Vasquez over, too. I want everyone to be on the same page about this, and we don’t have much time.”

 

Accepting the laptop, Alex nodded reassuringly.

 

“Will do, Supergirl,” she said, waving Tra-Gob and Zora after herself.

 

Once the three of them were gone, Kara turned to the rest of the Kryptonians. “You need to rest. We might have to fight Non, if push comes to shove. If it’s alright with you, I’ll whip you up some temporary sleeping quarters here in the living room, where you can keep an eye on Astra while she sleeps.” 

 

They all nodded in unison, and a tall black man with a powerful presence stepped forward.

 

He bowed his head.

 

“Thank you, Kara Zor-El. We are in your debt.”

 

She returned his bow without hesitation.

 

Time to get started.

 

-

 

“Alright, so… Selina and I have been working on decrypting a large file that we found while sifting through the data we extracted from the Lexcorp lab,” Chloe said, her face looking worried and just a bit stressed on the laptop monitor on Kara’s desk. 

 

They were all crowded around it. 

 

From the open living room and kitchen area, Kara had liberated all the chairs and stools she could, before softly shutting the door behind her, so the wounded Kryptonians could have a moment of peace. So far, Astra hadn’t stirred again, but Kara could hear her ever-steadying heartbeat and the constant rhythm of her breathing, so she didn’t worry too much about that. 

 

The Sirens were huddled together on the bed, while Selina typed away on her laptop, which was linked up to Watchtower’s servers, so she and Chloe could work together properly. Alex and Kara were sitting together on Kara’s bean bag, while everybody else was either sitting on chairs or leaning against walls.

 

The fact that they were holding this meeting in Kara’s bedroom right next to her collection of bird statues was just a bit bizarre. At least Kara had changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a nice blouse and sweater combination. 

 

“We think the file might include something they don’t even want their employees to see, so we’ve made that one a top-priority,” Selina continued Chloe’s train of thought. “We’re hoping it will give us some incriminating evidence we can use to dismantle their shitty organization.”

 

“Indigo has been helping, too,” Chloe added, her fingers flying over the keyboard on her end of the video call. “But I think we should focus on something we can do right now. I don’t know how much longer it will take us to crack this code.”

 

Humming in agreement, Kara took Alex’s hand to steady herself. 

 

_ Stronger together _ .

 

“If we don’t know who else might be a key player in the hero menace movement and who might be calling the shots aside from Gordon Godfrey, I think it would be best if we focused our efforts on Non for the moment,” Kara suggested, looking at the faces of her friends and allies, drawing strength from their presence. “If he can’t tell them my identity, we have more time to uproot their organization.”

 

Nodding thoughtfully, Clark rubbed his chin. 

 

“I could try to contact Wonder Woman. She’s off-planet right now, but I might be able to reach her,” he said, his face turning into a grimace at the thought of his friend not being at hand to help out. “She would kick Non’s butt.”

 

At the mention of Wonder Woman, Alex’s heart rate picked up, and Kara tried not to feel too jealous about that. She knew, of course, that Alex was a big fan, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t pout about this moment later. Probably while taking a shower with Alex.

 

“Many of our soldiers stood by Non and his foolish plans,” Tra-Gob interjected. He was leaning against Kara’s window sill, a bottle of water held loosely in his hand. “We will need all the help we can get to bring him and our people down.”

 

“Guess it’s time to call in even more of our friends,” Kara said. Placing Alex’s hand in her lap, she thought about everyone she might be able to contact. Bruce and Oliver would certainly be there to help out once more, as would Kate. She looked at Tra-Gob and Zora. “How about you tell the others what to expect from Non and I start contacting our reinforcements.”

 

Tra-Gob and Zora bowed their heads in agreement.

 

“I’ll go into the bathroom to make some calls,” she whispered to Alex, pressing a quick kiss against her cheek. “You stay here and start planning, okay?” At Alex’s nod and gentle smile, Kara gave her another kiss on the cheek. “Superman, you want to come with me?”

 

Immediately, Clark stood up from his chair and followed Kara into the bathroom.

 

-

 

“Oh my god, I got it!”

 

Sitting up straight in bed, Alex looked around herself, ready for an attack. Her hands were balled into fists, and raised up into a fighting stance, and if Kara’s arm hadn’t been thrown tightly across her waist, Alex would have been on her feet as well.

 

It took her several seconds to realize that the exclamation had come from Selina, who was typing away at her laptop. Chloe was still clearly visible on Alex’s laptop on the desk, even though she’d been turned a bit so Selina could look at her more easily. 

 

“Fuck, did you work all night?” Alex whispered, looking over at the alarm clock, which told her that it was barely six am. On a goddamn Saturday morning. Not exactly Alex’s favorite time to be awake, if she was honest with herself. 

 

“Some of us are dedicated to our friends, Supercop,” Selina replied quietly, waving Alex over and giving Chloe a grin. “Now get your butt over here; Chloe and I decoded the files.” At least Chloe looked a bit apologetic. 

 

How anyone but Alex could have slept through Selina’s outburst was beyond her, but she was glad that Kara would be getting a bit more rest. Slipping out from under her girlfriend’s arm, Alex stepped over a sleeping Harley (noting absentmindedly that Pam was missing as well), before pulling up one of the chairs and sitting down next to Selina.

 

She was barely able to see Clark’s feet peeking out from behind the bed. 

 

“What did you find?” Alex asked softly, giving Chloe a small smile, before looking down at the now open folder on Selina’s screen.

 

“I don’t know, we haven’t gotten that far, yet,” Selina admonished her. It was interesting to watch Selina and Chloe work, especially when Alex realized that they were using a split-screen mode that Alex had only ever seen in video games. 

 

Handing Alex one of her earbuds, Alex was unsurprised to suddenly be able to hear Chloe’s voice. “Let’s crack this baby open, shall we?”

 

“Oh, I thought you’d never ask,” Selina purred, clicking on one of the files while Chloe went for a different one. The two of them were so in sync that Alex was just a bit relieved that they were on her side. “Hm… looks like a registry of some sort.”

 

She opened up another file.

 

“There are transcripts in here as well,” Chloe added, highlighting a part of the document for them. “And here’s Nathan Tessmacher. Definitive proof that he was in on the acquisition of the Lexcorp lab by the hero menace movement.”

 

From what Kara had told her, Chloe had looked into both Eve and Nathan Tessmacher after the footage at Lex’s prison had shown that Eve had visited with him. And after finding out that Nathan and Gordon Godfrey had once attended the same college for a few weeks. 

 

“This is some good shit,” Selina murmured to herself, while Alex scratched the side of her own face. 

 

“Can I get you a cup of coffee or tea?” she asked her best friend, feeling like she needed to do something other than staring at a screen. Especially considering that she couldn’t do anything for the other two, anyway. “Sorry that I can’t get you one, too, Chloe.”

 

The blonde woman grinned and waved her off.

 

“No worries, I have my own coffee boy right here,” she said, turning the camera around until Green Arrow came into focus. He was lying on a green couch in the corner, clearly asleep. There was a bloody bandage on his arm, so Alex assumed he’d come back from patrol and simply crashed. “I’m going to send him out for breakfast soon.”

 

“Sounds like a plan,” Alex replied, giving her a thumbs up. Next, she nudged Selina’s arm to get her attention. “Coffee or tea?”

 

“Tea, please, baby,” Selina replied, leaning in and giving Alex a small kiss on the lips. “Whatever Kara’s got kicking around in her cupboards; I’m not picky.” Giving Chloe a quick look, Alex was glad to see that she didn’t look scandalised by the fact that Alex had just gotten a kiss from someone who wasn’t Kara. Which either meant that she hadn’t seen it, or that Kara had talked to her about Alex’s unique friendship with the Sirens.

 

Shaking off the thought, Alex got to her feet.

 

“Coming right up,” she said, squeezing Selina’s shoulder and sending a last look at a sleeping Kara. After the stress from the previous day, Kara deserved her sleep. Stretching out her back, Alex lumbered into the bathroom first to rinse out her mouth. Just in case any of the Kryptonians were awake, Alex didn’t want to knock them unconscious again with her bad morning breath.

 

It was a wonder Kara didn’t faint every time they woke up together.

 

With her mouth feeling less like something furry had slept in it overnight, Alex left the bedroom, taking great care to shut it quietly behind herself. When she looked up, her eyebrows climbed up so quickly that she might have been afraid they’d pop off. If she hadn’t been so weirded out by the sight in front of her.

 

Astra’s bloody leotard had been done up, and she had her arms crossed tightly over her chest, a glare fixed on her face. Next to her, three Kryptonians stared at the coffee machine, while Pam gestured at the different buttons and levers to teach them how to use it.

 

The sight was so bizarre that Alex almost turned right back around to reenter the bedroom.

 

“But before you do any of this, you need to put coffee powder into the machine and-- oh, Alex!” Pam said, waving Alex over. Feeling slightly self-conscious in just her pair of boxers and an old t-shirt (especially in front of Astra), Alex tried not to let her anxiety show as she walked over to Pam’s side. “I’m teaching Astra and her friends how to make coffee.”

 

“Yes, I can see that,” Alex replied, straightening up under Astra’s intense gaze. “Why?”

 

Before Pam could open her mouth, Astra placed her hands behind her back and affected a strong and official military pose. “Because we will not be returning to Fort Rozz, and as my second in command tells me, Kal-El and Kara will help us settle into our new environment. Pamela was kind enough to start our training in human customs.”

 

Placing her hands at her waist, Alex decided to push her anxiety aside in favor of being suspicious. Sure, Astra had decided not to cooperate with the hero menace movement to protect Kara, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t tried to control humanity with Myriad. From what Kara had told her, Alex would not have enjoyed being a member of a slaving workforce.

 

“I thought you hated humans, and now you want to live among us?” Alex’s tone wasn’t sharp, but it also wasn’t friendly. No matter what happened next, Alex would trust Kara’s judgement, but that didn’t mean she had to trust this woman blindly and without asking any questions.

 

“I do not care for your species,” Astra admitted, her posture losing none of its authority. “You are ignorant and primitive and prone to violence in large numbers.” At a cough from Pam, Astra bowed her head for a second. “Of course, there are exceptions, as there are in any society, in any species. And yes, I would prefer to return to Fort Rozz. But since that is impossible, now that it is unsafe, I will have to provide my soldiers with a different life.”

 

Choosing to accept this answer for now, Alex looked at Pam. “And you chose to go with the coffee maker?” she asked, giving her friend an exasperated look. 

 

“Lots of humans love coffee, Supercop,” Pam defended herself, handing Astra the bag of ground coffee. “Besides, Astra and her people are fast learners, so I’m sure we’ll make our way to the TV and Netflix in no time.”

 

Rubbing her face, Alex decided not to dwell on it.

 

There was no use for it, anyway.

 

-

 

While Alex waited for the water to boil, she sat at the kitchen island and wondered what her next plan of action should be. Last night, Kara hadn’t exactly been thrilled at the thought of Alex joining in on the fight against Non. Considering the fact that he was a Kryptonian and Alex only had metal bullets and easily breakable batons and single sticks, her girlfriend had a point. It was a small one, but a point nonetheless.

 

Maybe she should ask Batman to share some of his equipment. He’d fought Kryptonians before, so it would stand to reason that he had something up his sleeve that he could use to kick their asses. And she was going to be wearing the body armor he’d sent anyway, so Kara couldn’t even worry about that.

 

Besides, there were plenty of non-Kryptonian Fort Rozz prisoners that Alex could fight. If she could stand up to The Penguin and Mr. Freeze, she could damn well fight a Hellgrammite. Whatever the fuck that was.

 

Placing her chin in her hand, Alex closed her eyes and listened for the water kettle to start making a ruckus. She was dead tired; they’d planned well into the night. How Selina and Chloe weren’t completely exhausted was beyond her.

 

Vaguely, she heard Pam tell the others to move over to the living room so they could have a look at the TV remote, and she had to bite back a grin at the thought. These were deadly alien soldiers from a planet that was light years away, and yet Pam was promising to tell them how to do human laundry and how to dress in order to fit in. 

 

She had to admit… it was kind of cute.

 

Seconds later, she was startled out of her thoughts by the clearing of a throat right next to her. Opening her eyes, Alex was surprised to see Astra standing next to the counter, a grim expression on her face. 

 

_ If this is the Talk, I’m out of here _ , Alex thought to herself, straightening out her back and giving Astra a suspicious look. Maybe this was the moment where Astra would tell her not to be with Kara anymore. It was certainly possible, considering how much the woman seemed to loathe humans.

 

Or, as she’d inferred,  _ most  _ humans.

 

But she was surprised.

 

“Tra-Gob informed me of what you did for him,” Astra said slowly, a look of respect crossing her features that hadn’t been there before. “I did not make the connection before, that it is you who’s courting my Kara.” Her stance wasn’t as hostile as it had been before, and her arms hung loosely at her sides. “I wanted to thank you for saving my second in command.”

 

“Of course, anytime,” Alex replied, unsure of just how to feel about this moment. “I wasn’t going to leave him in that hellhole.” 

 

Nodding, Astra scanned Alex’s entire body, seemingly sizing her up. 

 

“Do you make her happy?” she asked, the look of respect replaced by one of calculation. And Alex was under no illusion that Astra would vaporize her if she ever hurt Kara in any way. Suddenly, Alex was kind of glad that Astra hadn’t been around after the whole  _ kissing Selina in front of CatCo _ thing. 

 

“Yes,” Alex replied without hesitation, looking directly into Astra’s eyes. “I would die for Kara.”

 

If the woman was surprised by Alex’s answer, she didn’t show it. Instead, she nodded again, before rejoining her people, some of which were still sleeping next to the couch. Slightly to the left, Pam was showing Tra-Gob and Zora how to unlock a smartphone.

 

Shaking her head, Alex got to her feet and poured hot water into a mug.

 

Better not to dwell on what was happening all around her.

 

-

 

After handing off Selina’s tea, Alex slipped back into bed. 

 

She didn’t intend to sleep, but she wanted to make sure that Kara didn’t wake up alone in bed. Not when the hero menace movement was about to find out her secret identity. Right now, Alex would be whatever Kara needed her to be. 

 

Curling herself back under Kara’s arm and the blankets, Alex wrapped her own arm around Kara in turn. Letting out a slow breath, she nuzzled her nose against her girlfriend’s forehead and closed her eyes, her mind whirring with possible ways to stop the hero menace movement. 

 

Drawing her fingers up and down Kara’s back, Alex reveled in the feeling of holding her like this and feeling the reassuring warmth of her body. It was absolutely unfair that Kara’s identity was being bartered with, especially considering that Non had known Kara on Krypton. Alex couldn’t understand how the man could stand to look in the mirror, knowing that he was betraying his family to further his own agenda. 

 

Even though she was trying not to fall asleep, the feeling of Kara’s body so close to her own and the steady sound of her breathing quickly reminded Alex’s limbs that she’d barely slept. And when Kara pulled her even closer in her sleep, Alex decided not to fight the urge. 

 

Instead, she breathed in the clean scent of Kara’s freshly washed hair and relaxed into the knowledge that she was safe. That the apartment was full of people that would protect them if anything happened while she was out.

 

And if anyone came into the building to do Kara harm, they would have to go through Alex first.

 

-

 

It felt as though Alex had just fallen back asleep, when another exclamation pulled her into consciousness.

  
“That fucking bastard.”

 

She would have sat up straight in bed again, if Kara hadn’t placed a hand on her chest to keep her down. “It’s just Selina,” Kara whispered to her, softly rubbing Alex’s t-shirt over the spot where Alex’s heart was beating wildly. After giving Alex a soft kiss, Kara turned towards where Selina and Chloe were still working away. Now it was seven am. “What’s going on?”

 

Selina looked to be on the verge of flying into a rage and obliterating everything and everyone who crossed her path. Thinking about it now, Alex had rarely seen her friend lose control like that. She usually only got this angry when one of her friends was hurt.

 

For a couple of seconds, Selina sat in her chair without replying, silently fuming. Next to the bed, Clark and Harley lifted up their heads in confusion, while Kara’s hand moved further inwards on Alex’s chest to caress her sternum instead.

 

Ripping the headphones out of Alex’s laptop, Selina seemed unable to speak through her rage. Chloe’s face looked equally as angry, but at least her faculties appeared to be working properly. Still, her voice shook as she spoke.

 

“We went through the different files we decoded, and we found a registry of names. People that would need to be contacted if the movement was compromised, so they could destroy whatever incriminating evidence they might be holding onto,” she explained, while Selina put down the laptop and left the bedroom, clearly too angry to listen to even one more word. 

 

Grimacing up at Alex for only a moment, Harley pushed herself to her feet and followed after her.

 

“Alright, so who’s Selina so pissed about?” Alex asked, finally pushing herself into a sitting position. Her heart was still hammering away, because the thought of any of her friends or allies turning out to be a sleeper agent was almost too much to think about.

 

“It’s Maxwell Lord,” Chloe finally revealed, her words confirming something that Alex had been trying to deny ever since she’d started at the National City PD. The fact that her asshole of a boss was a prominent member of a domestic terrorist group that was trying to kill all aliens shouldn’t have been a shock, and yet… Alex had always hoped that her boss was simply a bigot. Not a bigot with a  _ plan _ .

 

Without saying a word, Alex slipped out of bed and stalked over to Kara’s closet.

 

“What are you doing?” Kara asked quietly, her voice so calm it almost sounded forced. “Alex?” Ignoring the words, Alex pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a sweater that was too big even for Kara, before making a grab for her concealed waistband holster. “Alex?”

 

Before Alex could even think about taking her back-up gun from the bedside table, Kara was at her side.

 

“You are not going to face Lord all guns-blazing like this,” Kara said, picking Alex up despite her protests and placing her back down on the bed. “We’ll talk about it with everybody else and then we can devise a plan to bring him in.”

 

Seething with rage, Alex tried to get out of Kara’s embrace, but her girlfriend’s arms had turned into steely bear traps that were keeping her in place. After a few minutes of fruitless struggling, Alex finally gave up.

 

“If I don’t get to punch him in the face for everything he’s done, I’m going to be really fucking upset,” Alex warned, relaxing against Kara’s chest and giving both Clark and Chloe a glare. She tried to make it very clear that if either one of them told anyone about how Kara had basically held her down like a toddler, there would be hell to pay.

 

“You’ll have to fight me for it,” Kara replied, pulling Alex just a bit closer. “Who else was in that document, Chlo? Anyone that we thought we could trust?” Inside, Alex was already thinking up ways of how to bring Lord to his knees. For months, he’d been gunning for Kara, and he’d done everything he could to keep Alex off his case.

 

She should have assumed that he was in on it from the start. The fact that he had protected his brain from any form of mind-reading should have been a dead giveaway. The goddamn fucking hypocrite. Using alien tech to protect his own mind while planning on murdering aliens behind the scenes.

 

“It’s crazy how far-reaching this thing is,” Chloe responded, shaking her head in disgust and disappointment. “If we’re going to take down Lord and Godfrey, we need to make sure that we take down these other people at the same time. So none of them can have the chance to destroy evidence.”

 

“If the fact that we raided the Lexcorp lab hasn’t tipped them off already,” Alex grumbled, running both of her hands through her hair. This was such a big goddamn mess. “But I think you’re right. If we’re going to bring any of them in, we need to do it simultaneously.”

 

“This thing is much bigger than National City.” Chloe shook her head. “But first things first. You need to take care of Non so whoever has been sent to communicate with him won’t get the chance to find out your identity, Kara. We can think about who else we need to arrest after that’s done.”

 

Rubbing her face, Alex let out a groan of frustration. “I wish we were the bad guys. Then we could just shoot everybody and things would be so much easier,” she murmured, feeling soothed despite herself by Kara’s soft touches against her back. 

 

“If we all stick together, we can do this,” Clark suddenly interjected, causing Alex to look up. He was still wearing his Superman suit and looked just as powerful as he had the night before, even though his hair wasn’t as perfect as usual anymore. 

 

“Stronger together,” Kara added, grabbing hold of Alex’s hand and holding it tightly.

 

“Stronger together,” Clark repeated with a nod.

 

In the face of so much Kryptonian willpower, Alex was forced to give in.

 

“Optimism it is, I guess,” she said, once more leaning against Kara’s chest and letting herself get wrapped up in those strong, beautiful arms.

 

-

 

“We need to act fast,” Kara asserted, walking back and forth in front of the other people inside the warehouse. After breakfast, Kara and her friends had all changed into their proper outfits, before meeting up at the place where they were still keeping Desaad in the basement. The only one who wasn’t there was Lucy. While Kara had called to tell her about what had transpired that morning, Lucy would be safer in her own apartment.

 

“We need to take Non and his people out of the equation, so we can focus on confronting the hero menace movement,” Kara continued, her cape swishing along after her. Astra and her soldiers were standing all around them, their uniforms as torn and battered as they had been the day before. Even though Kara had offered them different clothing, they had chosen to face their own people in the traditional garb of Krypton’s military guild.

 

“Non will be prepared for retaliation.” Astra was standing next to Alex, her arms crossed over her chest. She seemed to have fully recovered, but Kara was cognizant of the fact that her aunt had almost died. If it were up to Kara, Astra would ride out this entire affair in front of the television, trying to figure out how to work Netflix. “He will employ Fort Rozz’s defense systems.”

 

“I can help with that.” Stepping forward, Indigo placed her hands at her waist. She was still in the human form she used to work for Dr. Zhou, but her eyes gleamed red with determination. “But as soon as the defenses are down, you’ll be on your own. I’ll probably be too busy fighting myself.”

 

Quite some time ago, when J’onn and Kara had fought against Indigo, they’d managed to split her into two parts. Now, the evil side worked with Non (and had previously worked with Astra), while the friendly version of Indigo worked as a hub for Kara’s side.

 

“Honestly, I’m just glad I don’t have to fight you again,” Kara replied with a smile, hoping to bring a moment of levity to the difficult situation they were faced with. “It was hard enough the first time to keep you down.”

 

Grinning, Indigo mimicked Kara’s stance. “I will take that as a compliment.”

 

“It will be dangerous even with the defenses down.” Astra’s words cut right through the middle of Kara’s enthusiasm. “Non has several weapons at his disposal that work just as well against Kryptonians as they do anyone else.”

 

Looking around at the faces around him, Clark raised his hand.

 

“I gave Batman kryptonite weapons,” he said, causing everybody’s heads to turn towards him. When no one said anything (not even Batman himself), Clark shrugged. “Look, we all know Kara and I aren’t the only Kryptonians out there, and until yesterday, you were among the ones we considered dangerous, Astra. No offense. And I’ve been under the influence of red kryptonite enough times to know how dangerous I can be under the wrong circumstances.”

 

Kara nodded, and Astra didn’t seem particularly angry about the small jab, either. Besides, humanity had a right to protect itself from hostile Kryptonians, and Batman wouldn’t go around and abuse the power he held. He was acutely aware of who to trust and who to fight. 

 

Noticing movement out of the corner of her eyes, Kara watched as Oliver rubbed the side of his face. In the wake of Clark’s speech, he seemed like he was ready to make a confession as well.

 

“Actually,” he said, drawing everyone’s attention away from Clark, “I’ve had kryptonite arrows for over ten years now.” He pointed at the quiver of arrows on his back. “Just in case push ever comes to shove and I have to put down our big blue boyscout for a couple of minutes.”

 

“Most of mine are designed to take down a single target,” Batman added, lifting his cape and showing off his tool belt. “They imbed in the skin, so the radioactivity doesn’t affect the Kryptonians on our side.” 

 

“What he said,” Oliver agreed, giving Kara a happy grin. 

 

“Alright, so we have a way to paralyze Non and the others,” Kara summarized the little exchange, trying to hide her smile as Alex shuffled over to Batman, no doubt to ask him about sharing his toys. “Aunt Astra, it would be great to know which weapons we can expect.”

 

Stepping up to join Kara in front of the others, Astra started explaining the situation. It took her upwards of ten minutes to extrapolate on the finer details of each weapon, and Kara focused all of her attention on figuring out which of them they should try to dispose of first.

 

The Almeraci cannon that had wounded Astra so severely was pretty high up on that list.

 

-

 

A few hours later, their strategy was finished. 

 

It wasn’t as great as it could have been, but time wasn’t a luxury they had at the moment. 

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here?” Kara asked Alex, taking both of her hands and drawing her girlfriend into a gentle kiss. Everyone else was checking their equipment one last time, and Kara didn’t feel the least bit self-conscious about showing affection in front of her friends and allies.

 

Shaking her head, Alex squeezed Kara’s fingers.

 

“Batman gave me some of his body armor  _ and _ kryptonite batarangs,” Alex repeated for what was probably the fifth time in thirty minutes. “I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve fought against super powered people before.”

 

“I know…” Kara whispered, trying not to clutch at Alex’s hands too hard. “Please be careful.” Pressing her forehead against her detective’s, Kara tried not to make it seem like she didn’t trust Alex. After everything that had already happened, losing Alex now would be more than Kara could bear.

 

“I will be,” Alex replied, pulling back her hands so she could cup Kara’s cheeks instead. “If you promise me that you’ll be just as careful. Remember, we’re doing all of this to protect  _ your  _ secret identity. It would really blow if all of that was for nothing because you got yourself into trouble.”

 

Chuckling, Kara pulled Alex close around the waist.

 

“Jerk,” she muttered, brushing their noses against one another. “I love you.”

 

“I love you, too.” 

 

Kara was just about to pull away, when three pairs of arms wrapped themselves around them, effectively trapping them inside a gigantic hug. And even though Alex protested, Kara could see that her girlfriend was pleased with the Sirens’ affection.

 

-

 

Her breathing was heavy, and she could barely keep herself upright as she stood over Non’s unconscious body. Eyes burning from the prolonged usage of her heat vision, Kara slowly looked up at the battle field around her. 

 

Kryptonians littered the meadow, friend as well as foe. Next to the giant ship that had once been the Fort Rozz prison, Kate was being held upright by Selina and Oliver. She was clearly bleeding, but since neither Selina nor Oliver were running to get her some immediate help, she was probably just groggy. In the hectic battle, Kara had seen Kate get clobbered over the head with a heavy object that might have been a hammer. 

 

She’d been fighting Non at the time, so her recollection was admittedly fuzzy.

 

Blood oozed from Kara’s side, and she pressed a hand against her ripped and tattered uniform. That damn Almeraci cannon had done a number on her stomach, but the wound didn’t feel as deep as Astra’s had. 

 

All around her, Fort Rozz prisoners were fleeing the premises, before being picked off one by one by Clark, who had taken to guarding a perimeter they’d set. Non had fought well, but he hadn’t been as determined as Kara.

 

“I win, uncle,” Kara whispered, letting go of her side and rolling Non onto his stomach. With bloody hands, Kara grabbed Non’s arm and started dragging him towards the pile of prisoners Clark had started and that Batman was now presiding over.

 

“Let me help you with that,” Batman offered as Kara came closer, his jaw clenched in concern. “You need to sit down, kid.” He hefted Non onto the pile before sticking a small dart into the back of his neck. It likely held a little bit of kryptonite to keep Non subdued.

 

“Thanks,” Kara said, refraining from patting Batman’s arm, because of the blood on her fingers. Now that the battle was over, all Kara could think about was Alex. In the scuffle, she’d lost sight of her girlfriend pretty quickly, and then Non had challenged her to a duel. She should have known that he wouldn’t fight fair.

 

Slowly walking away from Batman, Kara looked around herself, hoping she’d spot Alex somewhere. In her mind’s eye, she could clearly picture Alex helping someone else, or dragging prisoners around.

 

When she spotted Pam tending to one of Astra’s soldiers, Kara shuffled over to her. “Hey, Pam, have you seen Alex?” The fight had spread out quite far, and Kara was working hard to keep the fear at bay. Alex had to be fine. 

 

Pulling her eyes away from the Kryptonian next to her, Pam’s eyes widened in concern as she spotted the deep gash in Kara’s side. “I’m sure Supercop is just fine. What you need right now is to get yourself checked out.” She patted the soldier’s arm, before getting to her feet. “You look pale, honey, you need to lie down.”

 

“No, I need to find Alex first,” Kara protested, turning her head from side to side.

 

Where was she?

 

“Alex is stubborn; she’s  _ fine _ ,” Pam insisted, using her powers to let the grass underneath them grow into a makeshift gurney. “You, on the other hand, are missing a chunk of your stomach.” It was a testament to how hurt Kara truly was that Pam was able to push her down onto the grass gurney at all. “As soon as I’m done with you, I’ll send Harley around the place to find Alex, alright?”

 

Nodding, Kara allowed Pam to pull up her blue uniform. 

 

“I got hit by the Almeraci cannon,” Kara said, making a point not to look down at her own innards. It was only a flesh wound anyway, and as soon as Pam applied some of the salve she’d whipped up yesterday, there was no way Kara wouldn’t heal. 

 

“Time for you to get onto the Batwing, I think,” Pam murmured, sending Kara ahead on the grass gurney while she whipped up a second one for the soldier she’d just helped. “I put the salve in my bag, just in case.”

 

With another nod, Kara twisted her neck from side to side, still looking for her detective. Trying to calm herself down, she closed her eyes and tried to zero in on the distinct sound of Alex’s heartbeat. But it was difficult with a gosh darn  _ hole  _ in her stomach. 

 

Opening her eyes once more, Kara stared up at the dark sky of the early evening. She’d been in the middle of fighting Non when the cannon ball made of energy had hit her square in the stomach, knocking her onto her back.

 

Of course, Non hadn’t hesitated to use the situation to his advantage. Even now, Kara could feel the heel of his boot stomp down on her stomach. The thought of Alex and their friends had been the only thing that had given Kara the strength to push him off. 

 

“Just a bit longer, baby,” Pam whispered, reaching out and taking Kara’s hand. Thankfully, they’d thought to bring the sunlight dispensers with them. “We’re almost there now.” Pam seemed supremely unperturbed that Kara’s hand was covered in blood.

 

By the time they’d reached the Batwing, Kara was on the verge of passing out. Until now, the adrenaline had kept her alert, but since the danger seemed to be all but over, Kara’s body was slowly going into regeneration mode. 

 

In fact, she’d just accepted that she’d need to see Alex as soon as she woke up, when she heard the distinct tones of her girlfriend coming from inside the Batwing. More precisely, Kara could hear  _ angry _ tones. 

 

“Let me go, I need to see if Kara’s alright!”

 

“Alex…” Kara whispered, foregoing all sense of self-preservation as she flew up from the gurney and into the Batwing, ignoring Pam’s cry of worry. “Alex, are you alright?” Kara was so weak that she almost crashed straight into the ground, if J’onn hadn’t caught her. 

 

“I’m alright,” Alex replied, pushing herself up from her gurney and limping over to Kara, who had been gently placed on the ground. Kneeling down quickly, Alex brought her hand to Kara’s forehead, before staring down at the tattered and bloody Supergirl suit. “We’re going to patch you up and then you’ll be good as new, you hear me?”

 

Nodding softly, Kara smiled up at Alex, finally feeling at peace now that she knew her girlfriend was safe. Even if she could see that a bandage was wrapped around Alex’s head. Furrowing her brows, Kara reached up to touch Alex’s gauze, leaving behind bloody fingerprints. 

 

“You’re really okay?” she asked weakly, while Pam hurried around the plane behind them. 

 

“Yeah, I promise.” Alex carefully and gently stroked Kara’s cheek, her eyes looking suspiciously watery as she pressed a kiss against Kara’s forehead. “I got hit over the head at some point.” She shrugged, and Kara felt too weak to do anything but whimper at the revelation. “Don’t worry about me. Focus on getting better, okay?”

 

Humming in agreement, Kara fought the desire to close her eyes. She wanted to stay with Alex, wanted to make sure that her girlfriend was safe and healthy. But in the end, Kara was in too much pain to resist the sweet cull of unconsciousness. The last thing she saw was a single tear slipping down Alex’s nose.

 

-

 

Hands shaking with uncontrollable rage, Alex wiped away the tears from her eyes.

 

Kara would be just fine; there was no reason for her to be this damn emotional. So what if the sight of Kara being almost too weak to fly had pierced Alex’s body in a way that made her feel as though she couldn’t breathe. So what if Kara looked like someone had taken a  _ bite  _ out of her.

 

She would be fine.

 

Biting her bottom lip to keep the tears from spilling over any more, Alex brushed some of Kara’s hair off her forehead. She was too pale, and her skin looked just as ashen as Astra’s had the day before.

 

“Pam, she needs that salve,” Alex whispered, her voice choked with tears. The sight of Kara being hit by that energy blast had been the reason for Alex’s distraction before she’d been knocked down. Seeing Kara pushed to the ground mid-battle… if Alex hadn’t been down for the count, she would have been on Non a few seconds later.

 

And then he would have wished that he’d fought this battle fair and square.

 

“I’m here,” Pam said, getting to her knees next to Kara and trying to hand Alex the salve. But Alex’s hands were shaking too badly to keep hold of the small plastic container that Pam had brought. 

 

“I’m sorry.” Alex tried to steady her hands, but the more she focused her energy, the more they seemed to shake. Or maybe it only seemed that way because the tears in her eyes were making everything blurry and difficult to make out.

 

She almost flinched when a big, steady hand settled on her shoulder, but a quick glance up soothed her nerves. J’onn had crouched down next to them and was holding out his free hand to Pam, so she could give him the salve. 

 

Blinking rapidly, Alex wiped at her eyes again. 

 

“She’ll be fine,” J’onn rumbled quietly, squeezing Alex’s shoulder in reassurance. “We’ll get her on the gurney and she’ll be healed in no time.” 

 

Nodding, Alex leaned back down to press kisses against Kara’s forehead while Pam applied the salve to destroy the leftover Almeraci energy that was keeping Kara from regenerating. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” Alex whispered, cupping Kara’s face with her shaking hands and ignoring the pounding headache in her own skull. “You’ll be fine. I’ve got you.”

 

Behind them, Selina and Green Arrow were helping Batwoman walk onto the plane, but Alex only had eyes for Kara’s unconscious face. 

 

-

 

Feeling more tired than she had in ages, Kara groaned as she turned her head from side to side, trying to strain closer to that source of warmth pressed against her. When she whimpered and tried to open her eyes, the warmth tightened its grip and pressed a kiss against her temple.

 

“Alex?” Kara rasped, moving her hand onto the arm that was clutching her waist.

 

“I’m here,” Alex replied, gently squeezing Kara’s hip. “How are you feeling? You’ve been out for a couple of hours.” She sounded strange, and Kara wondered what could have happened to cause her girlfriend such grief, considering that both she and Kara had survived. 

 

“Did something happen?” Kara asked, finally managing to open her eyes. Through the window behind Alex, Kara could see that the sun was just starting to come up. There were deep circles underneath Alex’s eyes, as though she hadn’t slept at all. 

 

The bandage on her head was still there.

 

“I’m just glad you’re awake,” Alex murmured, lifting her right hand and cupping Kara’s cheek. 

 

“I didn’t mean to worry you.” A glance at the alarm clock revealed that it was barely five in the morning, and Kara wondered how long exactly Alex had been watching her. “Did you get any sleep at all?” Her fingers shook as she touched the back of Alex’s hand.

 

The fact that Alex looked away instead of giving a reply was answer enough.

 

With a sigh, Kara took Alex’s hand and brought it down to her stomach, so they could both feel the healed and unblemished skin. At some point, Kara had been changed out of her Supergirl suit and into a pair of comfortable pajamas.

 

“I’m alright,” Kara said softly, flattening Alex’s trembling hand against her stomach.

 

Head moving up and down in a shaky nod, Alex visibly swallowed. Relief colored her features and loosened the tension in her shoulders as she buried her face in Kara’s neck. “I was so scared,” she admitted, curling her hand around Kara’s waist once more. “I can’t lose you, too.”

 

Wrapping her arms around Alex and holding her tightly, Kara closed her eyes and took in the sound of Alex’s heartbeat. Of the blood pumping through her veins. 

 

“I guess we just have to get used to this feeling,” Kara said quietly, running her hand through Alex’s hair. “In our line of work… I feel like this won’t be the last time we’ll worry about each other.” She nuzzled her nose against Alex’s shoulder. “But I promise I’ll do my very best not to leave you.”

 

That was it, the best Kara could do.

 

Neither one of them could ever stop wanting to help people, and Kara didn’t think they could ever stop loving each other. No matter how corny that sounded even in her own head. 

 

“Me, too,” Alex replied, before kissing Kara’s neck over and over again. “I’m so glad you’re awake.” She laid a lasting kiss against Kara’s rapidly beating pulse point. 

 

Smiling quietly to herself, Kara closed her eyes and took in the moment.

 

Nothing else needed to be said.

 

-

 

_ This is it _ , Alex thought while doing up her shirt.  _ Today’s the day _ .

 

Her hands were steady and her expression carefully blank. Showing no signs that anything was out of the ordinary on this Monday morning, Alex watched as the concealed body armor that Batman had given to her vanished underneath the nice dark blue shirt she’d picked out. There was no retaliation to fear, technically, but Alex wouldn’t be taking any chances. 

 

Not anymore.

 

Not after she’d kneeled over Kara’s mauled body. There was simply no way that Alex would ever subject Kara to the same feeling of terror and worry. Not if there was a way for her to prevent it from happening.

 

“I’m getting started on the tea for Liza and me. You want some?” Selina asked from the doorway of Alex’s bedroom. At the moment, it was just the three of them (not counting Trish, Herbert and Caesar), because Kara was still tending to Astra and her soldiers. 

 

“Yes, thank you,” Alex replied, stepping into her dress pants. Stuffing her shirt into the pants, Alex waited for Selina to leave again. When she didn’t, Alex let out a small sigh. “I’m fine, you don’t have to worry about me.”

 

“Hmm, sure,” Selina replied, calling out to Alex’s mom that she’d be right back, before closing the bedroom door behind herself. She was wearing a mismatched outfit today, consisting of a pair of Kara’s pajama pants and one of Alex’s t-shirts. “We’re going to be with you and Kara every step of the way.”

 

“I know that.” Doing up her belt, Alex tried to ignore Selina’s knowing stare.

 

“There are no alien cannons at the precinct,” Selina whispered, moving forward and wrapping her arms around Alex’s waist from behind. “My strong and tough Supercop.” She kissed Alex’s temple while pulling the shirt back out of Alex’s pants. When she smoothed her fingers under the fabric, she scoffed. “That stupid Batman armor.” 

 

“Can’t feel me up now, can you?” Smirking, Alex pulled out of Selina’s arms to fix herself back up again. The small exchange had been enough to kick Alex out of her funk, which had likely been Selina’s intention all along.

 

With a pout, Selina, shook her head, before cupping both of Alex’s cheeks.

 

“If anybody hurts our Kara, there will be hell to pay,” Selina said, catching Alex’s eyes in an intensely determined gaze. “You bring the motorcycle, I’ll bring the knives.” There wasn’t even a glimmer of joking in her voice, and Alex didn’t try to lighten up her statement.

 

“Agreed,” she said instead, holding up her hand to seal the deal.

 

Now Selina did look amused.

 

“Nice try, Supercop,” she said, before planting a big kiss on Alex’s lips. “You know how our deals are made.” Patting Alex’s cheek in a patronizing manner, Selina took a step back and sauntered around Alex. “Let’s not keep your mother waiting any longer, baby.”

 

Letting out a long-suffering sigh, Alex shrugged on her blazer before following Selina outside, a pair of socks clutched in her hands. The boots her dad had given to her could wait for now. She wanted to pretend that she didn’t need to go to work today for a few more minutes.

 

-

 

When they landed in front of the precinct, several people dropped whatever they had been holding onto. The only ones who didn’t look shocked by their appearance were J’onn and Vasquez, who were leaning against the wall of the building. 

 

Ignoring the stares and whispers, Kara made her way forward, Alex and the Sirens following behind her. Before Lord had taken on the position of chief of police, Kara had been inside the precinct a fair few times, but it had been quite a while at this point. 

 

Granted, she’d never been accompanied by her girlfriend and three former criminals, either.

 

Flying with the four of them at once had been a tad challenging, especially because Harley just would  _ not  _ stay still. She’d been wriggling around and trying to stretch out her arms in a grotesque reenactment of  _ Titanic _ , before finally trying to steer Kara directly into a cloud.

 

“Let’s murder some fools,” Harley whispered, cracking her nails and looking at the police officers around her with a far too interested expression. If Kara hadn’t been in such a public place, she probably would have facepalmed.

 

“No murdering,” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth as she started walking, all of them making their way towards the front doors. It wouldn’t do them well to waste too much time on chatting. All of that left Lord with far too much opportunity to get rid of valuable evidence. 

 

At this very moment, superheroes and their friends were confronting hero menace movement leaders all over the country, and Kara wasn’t about to mess up this little meet and greet. Their police had been controlled by bigots and xenophobes for far too long, and neither Kara nor Alex were going to stand for it any longer.

 

Behind them, J’onn and Vasquez fell into formation, and as Kara pushed open the doors to the precinct, she was glad to know that she had so much strength at her back. She was also pleasantly surprised to see a small Asian woman in a white labcoat give them a thumbs up. 

 

“That’s Senior Criminalist Chang,” Alex whispered to Kara, clearing up the confusion. 

 

Giving the woman a bright grin, Kara walked a little bit taller. Even if this woman had no idea what was about to happen, she believed in Kara and the others enough to know that she didn’t need to be worried. Kara had always been fueled by the knowledge that so many of the people in her city trusted her, and this time was no different.

 

Striding through the corridor that led to Lord’s office, Kara worked up as much strength and righteous anger as she could. This man was supposed to keep the citizens of National City safe, and yet he’d put his own fears and hatred above all else.

 

And not only that, he’d used false means to get to this position. The files that Selina and Chloe had been able to decrypt hadn’t just included names and transcripts, they had also shown that Godfrey had rigged the election in Lord’s favor. 

 

All of it made Kara unbelievably sick inside.

 

_ Let’s see what you have to say for yourself _ , Kara thought as she pushed open the door to Lord’s office. 

 

She’d expected the man to be frantic, considering that she was under no illusion that their arrival would be a surprise to him. Surely one of his pals would have let him know somehow that someone might be coming for him. And the front desk should have done the rest.

 

In her mind, she’d envisioned him in front of his computer, trying to delete files, or maybe with his phone in his hands, desperately contacting someone to help him out. 

 

But none of those ideas came to pass.

 

Instead, Lord was sitting behind his desk, a smarmy look on his face, and his hands folded atop the wood. His eyes were sharp as he glanced from one face to the other, as though trying to memorize their features.

 

He didn’t say a word, but Kara didn’t need him to.

 

“It’s over,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest at the same time as Alex stepped up next to her. With Alex on her left and Selina on her right, Kara knew she looked extra intimidating. And J’onn’s glare behind her would probably do the rest. “Time to give yourself up.”

 

Still saying nothing, Lord slowly got to his feet. 

 

The smirk on his face made Kara’s skin crawl, but she stood her ground. 

 

“Don’t try anything,” Alex warned him, moving even closer to Kara. “You’re outnumbered and we have plenty of evidence to land you in jail for the rest of your life.” She was visibly vibrating with fury, which only seemed to amuse Lord more.

 

Lifting up his hands in defeat, he rounded his desk. There were no visible weapons on him and a quick x-ray revealed that he wasn’t hiding a gun in his concealed waistband holster either. The whole thing seemed all too easy.

 

Kara was just about to step forward to arrest him, when his hand twitched towards the back of his neck. Under normal circumstances, Kara would have had him on his front with her foot against his back in less than a second, but she could feel the kryptonite before she saw the weapon. 

 

Unable to move, Kara watched as he pointed the small Manhunter gun directly at her face.

 

Strangely, the only thing Kara could think about was how differently she’d expected the weapon to look. How much bigger she’d imagined it, and how banal it seemed as he pulled the trigger to send the localized kryptonite gas at her face.

 

Then, Kara’s world tilted as she was pushed to the side.

 

-

 

It had been a split-second decision, but really, what else could Alex have done?

 

In the end, the thought of Kara being hurt was more bearable than the thought of Kara being  _ dead _ . The world still needed her, their  _ friends  _ still needed her, and Alex wasn’t about to let her ex-boss kill the woman she loved.

 

She’d expected it to hurt when her eyes were burned out of her skull.

 

Maybe to choke and retch for a couple of seconds before crumpling to the floor.

 

Alex didn’t believe in an afterlife, not like Kara did, but she’d been wondering what it was like to stop existing. To be unable to think, to feel, to see. To  _ be _ . She’d always known that she’d leave behind a family and her friends, and that they would mourn her.

 

But Alex couldn’t imagine living in a world where she could have saved Kara, but had chosen not to. Couldn’t imagine living in a world where all of their efforts, all of their hard work had been for nothing.

 

-

 

“Alex!” Kara heard Selina cry out.

 

Pushing herself up on her arms, Kara stared frantically at Alex, who was standing in the exact same place that Kara had been only moments before. Her detective was staring at the barrel in Lord’s hand, as though waiting for the results of the Manhunter weapon to take effect.

 

The moment dragged on… and then it passed, and Kara realized that the feeling of kryptonite in the air had gone as well. 

 

Confusion flit over Lord’s face first, as he opened his mouth to speak. 

 

But before he could get out a single word, a  _ fist  _ connected with his face, sending him sprawling backwards, the Manhunter weapon careening out of his hands. Standing above him was Alex, an expression of uncontrollable rage coloring her features.

 

Pulling Lord up by the front of his shirt, Alex punched him again, knocking him out cold.

 

“Piece of shit,” she growled, pushing Lord forcefully back onto the ground and wiping her face with the back of her sleeve. “Try and kill Supergirl in front of me again, I fucking dare you.” She looked seconds away from spitting on him, but thankfully, J’onn pulled her to her feet to examine her. “I’m fine.”

 

“You got hit by a deadly poison,” J’onn ground out between his teeth, while Kara quickly scrambled to her feet. In the background, Vasquez trudged over to Lord, rolled him onto his front, and slapped cuffs on his wrists. “What did I tell you? Don’t ever do that again!”

 

“You said not to get shot for you,” Alex retorted, pulling away from his hands so she could hurry over to Kara. “Are you okay?” She looked so concerned that Kara almost felt bad for slapping her chest with an open palm. “Ow!”

 

“You-- you infuriating-- ugh!” Kara exclaimed, her heart beating what felt like a hundred times faster than it was supposed to. “Don’t ever try to die for me again, dummy!” Another slap against the shoulder, this one slightly less intense. 

 

Tears gathered at the edges of Kara’s eyes.

 

Clearly unsure what all the drama was about, Pam took a step forward and gave Alex a knock upside the head regardless. “What exactly was that thing supposed to do? It just looked like he pulled the trigger and nothing happened.”

 

Finally giving in to her urges, Kara pulled Alex into a tight hug, leaving J’onn to explain the situation.

 

“As you know, the hero menace movement has been working on a weapon to kill Supergirl,” he said, his gaze still trained on Alex. The worry lines around his eyes were especially pronounced today. 

 

Clenching her jaw, Selina slapped Alex upside the head again for good measure.

 

“You dumbass,” she growled, while Pam furrowed her brows. 

 

“I still don’t see what the big deal is?” she said, looking over at the unconscious Lord. She barely even batted an eyelash when she noticed that Vasquez had sat down squarely on his back to keep him down. “Alex is immune to all poisons, so of course the weapon wouldn’t cause her any damage.”

 

Her statement made everybody pause.

 

Everybody but Harley.

 

Even Selina seemed to consider the news for a second, before slapping her own forehead. 

 

“What?” Kara asked, letting go of Alex so they could both stare at Pam, who looked supremely confused. 

 

“Alex has been immune to all poisons since the first time we met,” she explained, as though it was obvious. Now, she looked more exasperated than anything else as she pointed at herself, and the green skin she wasn’t bothering to hide. “ _ Poison _ Ivy? Ring a bell? How do you think you’ve been able to touch me all these years?”

 

Her mouth dropping open, Alex seemingly tried to formulate words for several seconds, before apparently giving up and simply throwing up her hands. To be quite honest, Kara felt like she should have worked this one out for herself. 

 

“Well, that makes you look a whole lot less heroic, Danvers,” Vasquez piped up from behind J’onn, still sitting on Lord’s back. “Better luck next time, I guess?” They were clearly trying to lighten up the mood, and Kara mostly appreciated it. Mostly.

 

“Why didn’t you mention that little detail?” she asked Pam, reaching out and slipping her hand into Alex’s. She never wanted to go through this again, never wanted to watch Alex die in front of her. 

 

Placing her hands at her waist, Pam shook her head.

 

“I thought it was  _ obvious _ ,” she defended herself, stepping over to the Manhunter weapon and picking it up. “How was I supposed to know you can’t put two and two together?” She opened up the gun and revealed it to be empty. “Guess we should be happy this tiny thing only holds one round.”

 

Her heart rate slowly going back to normal, Kara cupped both of Alex’s cheeks to get her attention, before poking her finger into Alex’s chest several times. “We’ll talk about this later. Just because this time worked out well doesn’t mean you get to step in front of dangerous weapons for me again.”

 

She expected a nod, but instead she got a grimace.

  
“Okay, let’s talk about this later,” Alex agreed, clearly avoiding the rest of Kara’s words. Considering where they were and what still needed to be done, Kara let it slide for now. They would have plenty of time to argue about this.

 

“Let’s lock Lord up in an interrogation room while we wait for the FBI to get here,” Kara said, walking over to Vasquez, who got to their feet so Kara could heft the man up with one hand. Normally, she would have put him over her shoulder, but in this case she wanted to keep him as far away from herself as possible. “Let’s go.”

 

While Pam was still shaking her head, Selina curled her arm around Alex’s neck and pulled her down to ruffle her hair. Perhaps a little more forcefully than she normally would have done, but Kara didn’t try to help her girlfriend.

 

-

 

Watching as Kara gave a speech to the press in front of the precinct, Alex crossed her arms over her chest and thought about what Pam had told her. And everything else that connected to it. 

 

“I thought you’d only made me immune to  _ you _ ,” Alex told her quietly, so none of the reporters could listen in on their conversation. They were likely being videotaped, but the camera crew was standing pretty far away and was keeping their microphone very close to Kara’s mouth. 

 

“That’s not how it works,” Pam mumbled back, acting as though the amount of media attention didn’t bother her. Or the amount of people crowding all around her. Alex knew that Pam was hyper-aware of every touch and every person in their vicinity. “The chemicals I produce are way too varied to be knocked out by an antidote to a single poison.”

 

Maybe that was why Desaad had thought she was an alien or a metahuman. She hadn’t understood his ranting at the time, but now it made more sense. Back then, his words had hinted at the fact that Alex would have died of aftereffects. Like a slow-acting poison had been applied to the blade he’d stabbed her with.

 

Of course he would have been surprised at her survival.

 

“How was I supposed to know that?” Alex was standing with a ramrod-straight back, her arms tensing as she stared down the reporters. There was no doubt in her mind that they knew exactly who she was. After the media storm concerning her father’s death and the smear campaign from a couple of weeks ago, they were probably coming up with theories about her involvement already.

 

The involvement that went beyond what Kara was willing to tell them.

 

“It’s called  _ listening to what I’m saying _ , Supercop,” Ivy sassed her, causing Harley to snigger next to them. Selina still seemed pissed as hell, but Alex had a feeling that had more to do with the fact that she hadn’t worked out Alex’s immunity herself. Or, rather, that she hadn’t  _ thought  _ of Alex’s immunity in the moment of impact. 

 

“Jerk,” Alex whispered, trying to look as professional as possible.

 

“Dumbass,” Ivy replied, though she looked much more fond of Alex than anything else. 

 

Typical.

 

-

 

“I saw you on the news,” Eliza said as soon as Alex and Kara walked into the apartment. “Are you okay?” She hugged all of them in turn. Even Pam, as Alex noted, which meant that her  _ mother  _ was immune to all poisons as well.

 

_ Good to know _ , Alex thought bitterly as she slowly made her way over to the bedroom. She knew the compound inside the Manhunter weapon had decayed by now, but she still wanted to wash herself. There was no way in hell she was going to expose Kara to even a trace amount of kryptonite. 

 

“I’m going to take a shower,” Alex announced, trying to avoid eye contact with Kara. That talk was still coming, and Alex didn’t know what she was going to say. Even if she hadn’t been immune to the weapon, she still wouldn’t have regretted her decision. And she had the feeling that if Kara had been in her position, she would have made the same choice.

 

It was one thing to  _ say  _ you were never going to sacrifice yourself for the people you loved, but it was entirely different when you were actually put into that situation. Alex knew she would make the same decision again, if the need arose.

 

She suspected that Kara knew this, too.

 

“I’ll tell you what happened, Liza,” Selina offered, giving Alex the opportunity to escape. It was only too bad that Kara couldn’t be so easily deterred, as she followed Alex into the bedroom, leaving the Sirens in the living room. 

 

It was well into the afternoon by now, and Alex had been itching to clean herself since the incident in Lord’s office. 

 

“Alex,” Kara said, after locking the bedroom door behind them. “Alex, look at me.” 

 

Clenching her jaw, Alex shrugged off her blazer.

 

“I don’t know what you want me to say.” She opened the bathroom door after putting the blazer onto a coat hanger. That would need to be dry cleaned, same as the dress pants, which Alex shrugged off next. “I don’t regret pushing you out of the way of that kryptonite, Kara. If I hadn’t, you’d probably be dead right now.”

 

Alex had the feeling that this potential outcome would haunt her dreams for a long time. 

 

Before she could close the bathroom door behind herself, Kara had slipped inside.

 

“Alex…” Her voice was much softer now, and finally, Alex lifted her eyes. 

 

She hadn’t expected to see tears.

 

And she also hadn’t expected for Kara to cup her cheeks and pull her into a long and desperate kiss. Their lips moved together and against one another slowly and deliberately, as though they were both trying to remind themselves that the other was alive. And that neither one of them was going anywhere.

 

When Kara pulled away, the tears were streaming down her face.

 

“I love you,” she whimpered, before she hugged Alex so tightly that Alex was almost convinced she’d heard her own bones creak. “I know that weapon would have killed me, but if it hadn't been for Pam, it would have killed  _ you _ , too.” She pressed kisses against Alex’s neck. “I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t  _ move _ . I thought you were going to die.”

 

Clutching Kara back as fiercely as she could, Alex closed her eyes.

 

There wasn’t anything she could say. 

 

_ I’m sorry _ sure as hell wouldn’t cut it, and it also wouldn’t be  _ true _ .

 

“I guess it’s like you said,” Alex whispered, stroking her hands along Kara’s spine. “We’ll just have to get used to this feeling.” The words rang just a bit hollow to Alex’s own ears, because she couldn’t imagine  _ ever  _ growing accustomed to the thought of Kara dying in battle. “I love you, too.”

 

-

 

Blinking up into the sunlight streaming in from her windows, Alex groaned and rolled over, expecting to find Kara’s body next to her. When her fingers touched nothing but cold sheets, Alex’s mind immediately went into overdrive.

 

Pushing herself upright, Alex looked around herself quickly, trying to spot Kara somewhere. 

 

It was Tuesday morning, and Alex still had some time left before she had to get up for work - even though now that their chief was in federal custody, things would likely be hectic. Especially since the whole precinct was being reviewed for any other potential ties to the movement. 

 

Getting to her feet, Alex ran her hands through her hair to tame it, before wandering out into the living room. For some reason, her mother was already up, while Selina was still dozing on the pullout couch. 

 

Harley and Pam were sprawled out on a makeshift mattress made out of blankets and pillows behind it. After the stressful time they’d all had the day before, the two of them hadn’t wanted to go back to their hotel room. 

 

“Good morning, honey,” her mother said, getting up and giving Alex a kiss on the forehead. “Do you want some tea?” Alex noticed that her mom’s hands were shaking a little as she poured Alex a mug of the steaming liquid. “Did you sleep well?”

 

As soon as her mom had put down both the kettle and the mug, Alex pulled her into a tight hug, taking in the feeling of her mother’s warmth and the comfort it gave her. If she’d died, her mother would have been devastated. Trying to acknowledge the feeling, Alex breathed in the calming scent that always clung to her mother. The smell of her shampoo and the fabric softener she used on her clothes.

 

“I’m sorry I scared you,” Alex whispered, closing her eyes. 

 

“You are so much like your father,” Eliza replied, pulling away and stroking Alex’s cheek. “He wouldn’t have let those men get away with it, either.” Taking a step back, she handed the mug of tea over to Alex, before sitting back down at the kitchen table. “Come on, let’s have some breakfast. I’ll make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

 

_ Just like old times _ , Alex thought, placing her chin on her hand and watching her mother fly around the kitchen. Back in the day, her mom and dad had taken turns on taking care of Alex. They’d both had demanding jobs, but they’d made it work. Most of the time. 

 

“Thank you,” Alex said, placing her hand on her mother’s arm. 

 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Eliza smiled, and Alex thanked the lucky stars that she’d survived. The thought of leaving her mother alone was almost more than Alex could handle. 

 

-

 

Slumping onto the couch after work, Alex stared up at the ceiling.

 

“She’ll be back, Alex,” Selina reassured her, lying down on top of her body.

 

“She’s been gone for over half a day,” Alex pointed out unhelpfully, gnawing on her bottom lip. After breakfast with her mother, Alex had found a note from Kara on her bedside table, telling her that she needed to do something and would be back later. 

 

“Stop worrying.” Pam sat down on the floor next to Alex’s head and held Herbert up against her nose. As soon as the little plant realized that Alex was immobilized, he slung his little vine arms around her face and snuggled up against her.

 

She sighed.

 

“She hasn’t answered any texts and Lucy doesn’t know where she is, either.” Around lunch time, Alex had actually bitten the bullet and driven to CatCo Coffee to speak to Lucy. Sadly, Kara hadn’t contacted her best friend about the  _ something  _ she needed to do either, but at least the trip had been worth it. Seeing Vasquez’s nervous and shy smile as they walked up to Lucy was more than satisfying. 

 

Alex was still congratulating herself about that.

 

“She’ll be  _ back _ ,” Selina insisted, just as Trish and Caesar jumped onto her. While Caesar curled up at the small of Selina’s back, Trish walked up to Selina’s head to look down at Alex, who was still being cuddled by Herbert. 

 

Grumbling slightly, Alex tried to ignore the noise of a phone camera going off. 

 

“Who knew you’d be so whiny without yer girlfriend?” Harley lamented, stuffing her phone back into her pocket. “We won. We got the bad guys. We should be celebrating. Let’s go out and have a drink.” She leaned over Alex and Selina. “Just water for you, sweet cheeks.”

 

Alex stuck her tongue out at her friend.

 

“So naughty,” Selina tittered, pressing a kiss against Alex’s cheeks, no doubt leaving a big lipstick mark behind for Kara to find later. “You need a distraction.” She hummed thoughtfully. “How about a foursome?”

 

Lifting up her hands, Alex tried to shield her eyes from the sight of Selina’s mischievous grin.

 

“I hate you all,” she proclaimed, wishing desperately she’d gone straight for her bedroom to sulk all by herself. “Once Kara gets here, I’m going to let her know exactly how mean you were and then she’s going to kick your butts.”

 

“Really?” Pam asked sarcastically, as she pulled Herbert away from Alex’s face and set him down on the living room table. “Why don’t you tell her right now?” 

 

It was like her words galvanized Alex’s body, as she all but pushed Selina up onto her knees so she could slide out from under her. “Is she back?” Alex asked, getting to her feet and looking around herself. It didn’t take her long at all to spot Kara floating out in front of the window. “Kara!”

 

Hurrying over, Alex barely even noticed that Kara was keeping one of her hands behind her back as she floated inside.

 

“Sorry it took so long,” Kara said, right before she was engulfed in a hug.

 

“Next time, wake me up before you leave,” Alex murmured, clutching tightly at Kara’s back for a second, even though her girlfriend was still floating in the air and Alex had to stand on her tiptoes to reach her. 

 

“Sorry, you looked so cute this morning, I didn’t have the heart,” Kara whispered, pulling away and smiling at Alex, before her eyes zeroed in on Alex’s cheek. “Looks like you had a pretty good time without me, though.” Softly, she wiped at the lipstick, looking more amused than angry. 

 

“They harassed me,” Alex said, giving the Sirens a glare. “I was a helpless victim.”

 

“I bet,” Kara said lovingly, letting her hand drop to catch Alex’s fingers. Turning to Pam, Kara pulled her other hand out from behind her back. “I got something for you, because you saved Alex yesterday.” 

 

Holding her hand against her heart, Pam let out a small gasp. 

 

“Where did you get this beauty?” she asked, quickly walking over and taking the ceramic pot with the gorgeous red flower out of Kara’s hands. The stem was just as red as the petals, and the scent was so strong that even Alex a few steps away could smell it. “Hello, sweetheart.” The flower reacted instantly to Pam, curling itself around her hand. 

 

“I wanted to go off-planet to get you something nice, but I thought that might take even longer, so I asked Superman if he’d ever heard of an alien market that sells these here on Earth,” Kara explained, taking a step closer to Alex and pressing a kiss against her temple. “My mom used to keep these in our indoor garden. There weren’t a lot of flowers left on Krypton.”

 

Sniffling, Pam pressed her lips against the plant’s head.

 

“I think it likes you,” Kara said gently, and the look on her face made Alex feel weak in the knees. It was clear that Kara had come to love Alex’s friends, and the thought alone made her want to settle down and build a house for them all. 

 

“All of this, just because you didn’t want to stop cuddling and macking on that cute little cop,” Harley teased her girlfriend, sidling up to Pam and kissing her cheek. “It’s almost poetic, if ya think about it.”

 

“Supercop’s just too cute not to mack on,” Selina added, curling her fingers around Trish and Caesar, who had clambered onto her lap and were now dozing there. “I think that is one thing we can all agree on.” She smirked.

 

Pulling Alex close, Kara gave Alex a sweet and loving kiss. “Can’t argue with that,” she whispered, before wrapping her arms tightly around Alex’s neck. “Really can’t argue with that.”

 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The. End. I can't believe it's really over already. Over a year of work. Then roughly half a year of publishing this story. I never thought it'd be finished and yet here we are!
> 
> If you wanna do me some good, check out my blog! @goshdarnitjay on tumblr. I would really appreciate it!
> 
> As always, this chapter was beta-d by the wonderful Coara :) ♥ Platonic soulmates for the win
> 
> And maybe, if you're into more mature things, I might have something for you next Saturday. Maybe ;) Hope you enjoyed this fic! See you soon, hopefully!♥


End file.
